business news

Even as anti-China political rhetoric increases in America, including by Gov. Kristi Noem, farmers in South Dakota continue to sell more than $1 billion of agricultural goods to the communist country each year. The delicate balance between protecting national security and maintaining a lucrative export relationship with China is putting South Dakota farmers in a tough spot.

A new statewide nonprofit group called the South Dakota Trade Association hopes it can make it far easier for other Rushmore State businesses to break into overseas markets and generate new revenues and jobs along the way.

South Dakota lawmakers appear poised to pass at least one significant tax cut during the 2023 legislative session, but with negotiations ongoing, it is unclear which tax will be cut and who will benefit. Making that choice — to cut the food tax, to cut the overall sales tax or to reduce property taxes — will depend on political considerations and whether the state's revenue surplus is seen as temporary or more permanent.

In order to keep the American Dream of homeownership obtainable in South Dakota, more affordable housing is needed to allow for entry into the housing market, especially for first-time homebuyers, a group of experts said in a News Watch panel discussion held Dec. 15, 2022.

Click on the headline above to learn details of news coverage and an online panel discussion on the current state of the real estate market in South Dakota, and an in-depth analysis of why homeownership is increasingly elusive for many state residents.

As some experts were predicting the demise of in-person retail shopping amid the explosive trend of online sales in recent years, many South Dakota business owners have adapted by improving the in-store experience and mixing online and in-person offerings. Some shoppers, meanwhile, say they are eager to return to in-person shopping for the camaraderie and social aspects of visiting stores now that the COVID-19 pandemic has eased.