House Republicans are rejecting a bill that establishes an international business and trade office under the state.
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development partially funds an international trade office in Sioux Falls. Those opposed to the bill call it a repetition of services.
But Democratic Representative Michael Saba disagrees. Last year, he brought a trade delegation from Egypt to South Dakota. He says the current international trade office only looks at the Sioux Falls area.
Saba says South Dakota needs to bring international trade delegations to look at the whole state.
“It leads to many many other things,” Saba says. “Even though these were primarily industries that were developed—initially—for our own use. But, we have the ability of exporting those downstream products, some of which we already are doing. We need to emphasize that more, we will make more money by that, and bring new dollars into South Dakota.”
Representative Saba says he has plans in place for an Egyptian trade delegation to return this spring. He says he’s also organizing bringing a group from Saudi Arabia.