State of Kentucky Archives: on Free Trade
Alison Grimes:
Halt flow of jobs overseas; no subsidies for job exporters
Today, Alison Lundergan Grimes released the following statement pressing Mitch McConnell to support the bipartisan Bring Jobs Home Act through final passage:"I have emphasized during my campaign the urgent need to halt the flow of good jobs overseas
and to start bringing them back to American shores. It is critical to the fight to create good-paying jobs and strengthen the middle class.
"The "Bring Jobs Home Act' is a commendable proposal that deserves broad bipartisan support.
It would end taxpayer-funded subsidies for job exporters while providing tax credits for companies that move jobs and business activities from another country to the United States. I strongly support the measure and would vote for it in the Senate.
"Mitch McConnell said it is not a serious bill. That is because he does not take job creation seriously. He is wrong. This is a bill that would produce good-paying jobs for Kentuckians and other Americans."
Source: 2014 Kentucky Senate campaign website, AlisonForKentucky.com
Jul 23, 2014
Amy McGrath:
No reason for tariffs against NATO allies
I fought alongside our NATO allies in Afghanistan (we still do). We all should reject notion that these nations are somehow now a national security threat. It's a lame excuse for Trump's idiotic tariffs.
[President Trump threatened tariffs against Europe and Canada, our NATO allies, to push for their raising their contributions to the NATO military alliance].
Source: Twitter posting on 2018 Kentucky 6th District House race
Jun 3, 2018
Amy McGrath:
Pulling out of Trans-Pacific Partnership cost us influence
I support current efforts at trade agreements, not trade wars, because these agreements give us leverage and a common goal and can foster stable relations. When the U.S. pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, we lost strategic and economic
influence in the Pacific and created a vacuum that China is all too eager to fill. It is critical that we work with our allies and partners in the region to counter China's advances and ensure the region remains democratic and focused on human rights.
Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate campaign website AmyMcGrath.com
Jun 30, 2020
Andy Beshear:
Worked to remove harmful tariffs against bourbon industry
Kentucky was already the worldwide leader in bourbon production, but in 2021 we saw the industry continue to expand, both in production and tourism.
I must say a special personal thank you to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, whom I personally worked with to remove harmful bourbon tariffs and ensure a bright future for a signature industry.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature
Gina Raimondo:
Worked to remove harmful tariffs against bourbon industry
[Governor Andy Beshear said]: Kentucky was already the worldwide leader in bourbon production, but in 2021 we saw the industry continue to expand, both in production and tourism.
I must say a special personal thank you to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, whom I personally worked with to remove harmful bourbon tariffs and ensure a bright future for a signature industry.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature
Jim Gray:
Trade deals are a net positive for Kentucky
On international trade, Gray said trade deals had been good to Kentucky, but stopped short of saying whether he supported the trade agreements being debated in Congress. "Kentucky has benefited from trade, there's no question about that,"
Gray said. "Net positive."[Gray's opponent Senator Rand] Paul said he supported trade agreements, such as Trans-Pacific Partnership, because they would bring money to Kentucky farmers.
Source: Herald-Leader on 2016 Kentucky Senate race
Aug 25, 2016
Kelly Craft:
Worked on replacing NAFTA with new trade deal
Appointed U.S. Ambassador to Canada in 2017, Craft was put in charge of one of the president's top campaign promises... to get rid of NAFTA and negotiate a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada,
the USMCA. "I went there with a mission, and that was to get the best possible deal we could for the United States," she said.
Source: LEX18 on 2023 Kentucky Gubernatorial race
Sep 9, 2022
Matt Bevin:
21st century reality means re-negotiating with China
Several Republican governors said they want the trade war between the U.S. and China to end quickly, while emphasizing that they believe President Trump began the tariff war attempting to rectify unfair practices affecting farmers and owners of
intellectual property.Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin said he and Trump regularly talk by phone about trade and was supportive of ongoing negotiations. "It's moving us into the 21st century reality of trade that exists," Bevin said. "Is it perfect? No."
Source: RouteFifty.com blog on 2019 Kentucky governor's race
Jul 9, 2018
Mitch McConnell:
Trade agreements allow selling farm products abroad
During the forum, the candidates agreed on several broad policy issues, such as eliminating the capital gains tax. But they frequently traded shots over each other's political backers. "He's not going to be for
any of these trade agreements that will allow you to sell your products abroad, because the AFL-CIO won't let him," McConnell told the Farm Bureau. "He bought into the agenda right down the line."
Source: 2008 Kentucky Senate debate reported in Herald-Leader
Aug 21, 2008
Steve Beshear:
Record exports to Asia & Europe means we're importing jobs
We're setting records with our exports, and we're importing jobs and investments from countries like Japan, China, Korea, India, France and Germany.
Four years ago, the auto industry was in crisis. Last year, Kentucky auto makers produced more than a million cars and light trucks for the first time since 2007.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Kentucky Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
Steve Beshear:
New records in exports; thousands of jobs from in-sourcing
In the last three months I've told Kentucky's story on influential programs like Meet the Press, C-SPAN, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
The nation has taken notice about Kentucky setting new records in exports; about us bringing thousands of jobs from places like India, China, Japan, France, Germany, Russia, Australia and
Austria; about us moving to #3 in building cars; about us pushing the envelope on research in areas like advanced batteries & health sciences; and about Kentucky outmaneuvering the competition to secure award-winning
deals involving Ford, GE and Toyota. In short, [pundits] wanted to talk about Kentucky as a leader in this nation.
Source: 2014 Kentucky State of the State speech
Jan 7, 2014
Andy Barr:
Trump's tariffs will ultimately open markets to US products
Describing himself as "at core a free trader," Barr said Trump's tariffs will ultimately open markets to U.S. products and that the administration is aware of concerns about the effects of retaliatory tariffs on Kentucky's bourbon industry.
Barr said India recently lowered its tariff on bourbon, saying that "sweet corn-based Kentucky whiskey goes perfectly with the spicy Indian palate."
Source: Kentucky Lantern on 2026 Kentucky Senate race
Mar 19, 2025
Daniel Cameron:
Tariffs are how we liberate and rebuild our great country
Cameron said he supports the tariffs, which would put an end to the "failed experiment" of sending manufacturing jobs overseas. "Other countries have taken advantage of America for too long,"
Cameron's statement said. "This is how we liberate and rebuild our great country--by putting American workers and industries first."
Source: Louisville Courier Journal on 2026 Kentucky Senate race
Apr 10, 2025
Thomas Massie:
I would be OK with using tariffs instead of the income tax
Not every Republican has reservations about the benefits of tariffs. Massie, for one, embraced Trump's broad tax proposal... with a catch. The Kentuckian said he favors a concept Trump flirted with: replacing income taxes with tariffs. "For the
majority of our country's history, this government was founded with tariffs," Massie said. "I would be OK with using tariffs instead of the income tax ... The broader, the better, because that way you don't have government picking winners and losers."
Source: Semafor on 2026 Kentucky Senate race
Jun 4, 2021
Andy Beshear:
Strongly oppose Trump's tariffs and its damages
And despite national headwinds, despite the damages of President Trump's tariff policy that both of our U.S. Senators and this governor strongly oppose, Kentucky's economy is still growing. According to a recent
Moody's study, most states saw their economies slow and even slide into recession last year. But in Kentucky, we're still expanding, showing our nation what an economy built to last looks like.
Source: 2026 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature
Jan 7, 2026
Page last updated: Feb 07, 2026