Letter to Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, U.S. Trade Representative - Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) Warns Against Threatening Louisiana Energy Jobs With Tariff On Barite

Letter

In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) and several of his Senate colleagues warned that a proposed tariff on Chinese barite would devastate Louisiana's energy production industry and threaten jobs. Sens. Kennedy, Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.) asked Ambassador Lighthizer to leave barite off any tariff list.

Barite is a mineral that is used by the oil and gas industry to reduce the likelihood of blowouts during the drilling of wells in the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. imports 69% of the barite it uses from China.

"Under President Trump's leadership, we have seen a massive boom in our energy production in the United States," said Sen. Kennedy. "However, a tariff on barite could inadvertently cripple our oil and gas industry. Less exploration and production in the Gulf of Mexico would mean fewer jobs. That wouldn't be good for anyone, especially Louisiana."

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