(Sioux Falls, SD) — Economic leaders from across South Dakota are discussing how global pressures are hitting close to home. A panel at yesterday’s Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary meeting dove into hot-button issues like trade, tariffs, and manufacturing. Joe Santos from SDSU and the new CEO of South Dakota Trade warned that tariffs could squeeze both consumers and businesses. Santos says South Dakota could face retaliatory tariffs, and that kind of uncertainty may slow job growth in key industries. Scott Sletten, the president of JDS Industries, says it’s a timely topic that’s affecting consumers, but the full impact may not be clear for months. He points out that many businesses stocked up to avoid tariffs, and the real effects will show when those supplies run out.
