Rep. Dusty Johnson’s recent visit to a West River coffee shop was about more than grabbing a cup of Highlander Grogg.
During a recent tour of Dark Canyon Coffee Company near downtown Rapid City, Johnson said he’s looking to better understand how government affects people and businesses.
“Government is involved in so many aspects of modern American life—many times unfortunately,” Johnson said. “So, when you talk to real businesspeople you get a sense of what is the regulatory environment, the tax environment, the logistics environment, the workforce environment. What challenges does that impose on them and what should be on my to-do list to help these guys out long term.”
In 2022, Johnson was a lead on passing the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, alongside Rep. John Garamendi, D-CA. It prohibits ocean carriers from refusing cargo space for US exports. President Biden signed the bill into law.
It also requires carriers to report to the Federal Maritime Commission their import/export tonnage.
Johnson is pushing Congress to pass part two of the shipping reform act, which passed the US House in March.
“It’s been a little weird. My colleagues ask me why a guy in the middle of the country cares so much about ocean shipping. But the reality is that 60 percent of South Dakota soybeans are shipped overseas. A lot of what we sell here comes from overseas as well," Johnson added. "We’re not growing a lot of coffee in America, so if you’re going to have businesses like Dark Canyon be successful you need a shipping environment that works.”
Part two of Johnson’s Ocean Shipping Reform package bans US ports from using Chinese state-sponsored shipping logistics software. It also incentivizes the maritime commission to crack down on any unfair shipping practices by China.
The Senate received the bill in late March. It was referred to the commerce and transportation committee.
