An economist at the University of North Dakota says the state's economy isn't doing badly, but could be doing better.
Dr. David Flynn said he believes there are some underlying risks the state needs to confront.
"We need to do that as a state, from a policy perspective, but also in terms of advocating for our officials in Washington, DC to pay attention to them as well," Flynn said.
Flynn said the global trade situation has been very chaotic, and difficult for industries to navigate. He said one of the most affected sectors is agriculture. Flynn said the ag sector faces problems with input markets and output markets at the same time.
"It's been largely aggravated by US policy decisions," Flynn said. "And then, backing off of decisions, then reaffirming decisions, and on and on. It's not been a situation that was easy to navigate, nor is it a situation where I think there has been a lot of clear gains for the US as a whole."
Flynn said that leads to constant volatility, making it harder for farmers to make a living. And he said it’s not just the farm economy that has been affected by these decisions.
"That downside is prominent right now, in a lot of the concerns I hear about from a lot of business sectors across the state," Flynn said.
