During a Commerce Committee hearing, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar detailed the impact supply chain disruptions are having on agriculture. Klobuchar said Minnesota farmers have seen a 47 percent decline in exports since the pandemic began. At the same time, ocean carriers have reported record profits. The cost and availability of containers for export is one issue. “It currently costs seven times more to ship an export from California to China than to ship that same product from China to California.” Klobuchar said rural businesses are often located far from transportation hubs, making it difficult to access international markets. Klobuchar and North Dakota Senator John Hoeven have introduced the Promoting Rural Exports Act to assist rural businesses in pursuing the export market.
