Business & Economy

Business & Economy

Amy Skillings of Oysterville, Washington, wheels the day's shucked oysters into a large cooler to await pickup. The oysters will be flown quickly across the country and to China.

Ah, Shuck: Oysters, Cherries, Other Northwest Ag Products Back Up As Coronavirus Quarantines Trade

Right now, all sorts of products aren’t reaching the U.S. because of the coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China. Reciprocally, many U.S. agricultural and forestry products aren’t shipping back into China and other Pacific Rim countries. Global trade watchers say backed-up trade is building up on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. Continue Reading Ah, Shuck: Oysters, Cherries, Other Northwest Ag Products Back Up As Coronavirus Quarantines Trade

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Larry McMillan drives a combine as he harvests barley Friday, Aug. 24, 2007, near Moscow, Idaho. The region's warm and dry weather has provided optimal conditions for the continued harvest season. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

What Is The Toll Of Trade Wars On U.S. Agriculture?

The recently signed Phase 1 U.S.-China deal promises some relief. Details remain unclear, but the United States government’s interpretation of this deal is that China will purchase $40 billion of agricultural goods in 2020. Some analysts have questioned how realistic those estimates are, given that the highest level of farm products the United States has ever exported to China was $26 billion in 2012, although one Chinese agricultural consultancy company says this can be achieved. Continue Reading What Is The Toll Of Trade Wars On U.S. Agriculture?

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Plastic tubing strings like fairy nets through the University of Washington's Pack Forest in the foothills of Mt. Rainier. Eventually it will carry bigleaf maple tree sap to make syrup.

Bigleaf Maple Syrup Flows As Profits Drip From A Once-Maligned Northwest Tree

The bigleaf maple has a broad canopy and is native to the West Coast. It grows from San Diego, California all the way north to British Columbia’s Vancouver Island. But the West Coast timber industry is largely set up to harvest Douglas fir. The tree, with its broad-shading canopy, is often eradicated so more Douglas fir will grow. Continue Reading Bigleaf Maple Syrup Flows As Profits Drip From A Once-Maligned Northwest Tree

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File photo. Bills in the Washington Legislature would prohibit local governments from regulating kid-run lemonade stands. CREDIT: EvinDC/Flickr tinyurl.com/EvanDCLemonade

Do Kids Have A Right To Sell Lemonade? Washington Lawmakers Want To Guarantee It

Washington lawmakers are tackling a variety of weighty issues this year from homelessness to prescription drug pricing to transportation funding to …. the legality of kids’ lemonade stands. That’s right, lemonade stands are on the agenda for the 2020 legislative session in Olympia. Continue Reading Do Kids Have A Right To Sell Lemonade? Washington Lawmakers Want To Guarantee It

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Notecards handwritten by Tableau employees from a recent rally at Gas Works Park reveal what personally motivated them to 'draw a line', are shown on Wednesday, December 4, 2019, in Seattle.

‘We Won’t Build It’: Northwest Tech Workers Struggle With Company Ties To Immigration Enforcement

The Southern border may be far from Washington state, but software used by immigration officials is built in Seattle. Now tech workers are grappling with their responsibility as the creators of that technology. Some have become unlikely activists. Continue Reading ‘We Won’t Build It’: Northwest Tech Workers Struggle With Company Ties To Immigration Enforcement

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The Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River. CREDIT: BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION

Public Invited To Clarkston-Pasco-Vancouver Workshops On Question Of Snake River Dams

Upcoming public workshops will examine a draft report that gauges how people in Washington want to deal with the fate of the dams. At the workshops, officials will present the report’s findings, followed by a panel discussion. People can submit written and online comments on the draft report through Jan. 24. Continue Reading Public Invited To Clarkston-Pasco-Vancouver Workshops On Question Of Snake River Dams

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