Montana might miss big economic opportunity

Make no mistake — the U.S. economy still is recovering and in need of a boost. Even in Montana, which has weathered the storm better than most states, unemployment jumped from 6.1 to 6.3 percent last month.

Given the delicate state of recovery, America simply can’t afford to let opportunities to grow the economy pass us by. But that’s exactly what could happen if Congress fails to establish Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with Russia this summer.

Last year, Montana exported $1.8 million in merchandise to Russia, which is the ninth-largest economy in the world. In 2010, our state exported $6 million worth of cattle alone to that country. In 2006, total exports from Montana to Russia were only $170,000.

Webb Brown

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