(The Center Square) — Louisiana’s top economic development official says the state is aggressively pivoting toward a targeted international investment strategy — even as shifting trade policies under the Trump administration have created complications for global deals already in the works.
The new strategy follows a sweeping reset in America’s trade dealings, with Bourgeois acknowledging that the new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump have “introduced speed bumps.”
Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said the state is narrowing its focus to three key international markets, all of whom have been threatened with tariffs by the Trump administration. Those markets include Japan, Australia and Central Europe, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
“There have been issues,” Bourgeois told The Center Square in an interview. “We have projects here waiting on some equipment, and the cost of the tariff has changed the deal.”
One of those high-profile projects is Hyundai’s proposed $6 billion steel mill in Ascension Parish — a deal expected to generate about 1,300 permanent jobs. The facility would supply U.S.-based Hyundai and Kia assembly plants and occupy hundreds of acres near Donaldsonville, in a site rezoned specifically for heavy manufacturing.
Bourgeois said Gov. Jeff Landry and his team have been active in relaying Louisiana’s concerns to federal officials — including sending policy briefs directly to the White House or cabinet agencies.
“In some cases, the administration came back with workarounds — do this, don’t do that — so we’re resolving things one by one,” she said.
Bourgeois seemed to be choosing her words carefully.
“As it relates to tariffs in general, we’re, you know, we were…the governor was really engaged in the conversations about South Korea because of, obviously, not only Hyundai, but other projects,” Bourgeois said. “We’re aware of it. We are participating in as many discussions as we can. But, you know, that’s the truthful answer.”
Bourgeois said the state is watching the situation closely, especially as the U.S. ratchets up tariffs on the European Union and imposes new requirements on energy and defense purchases to avoid a full-blown trade war. Under the recently announced EU deal, most European imports to the U.S. will face a 15% tariff, although negotiators avoided the 30% rate initially threatened.
Landry and Bourgeois visited South Korea in October to secure terms with Hyundai executives.
Despite the hurdles, Bourgeois expressed confidence that Louisiana will benefit if long-term national interests are met.
“The governor would say this himself — if we land on answers that work well for America, they ultimately work well for Louisiana too,” she said. “We’re just waiting for some of that to play out.”
“When I came into this role, we had seven or eight regions identified, but it was really more of a spaghetti-on-the-wall approach,” Bourgeois told The Center Square. That strategy has since been dialed back, with LED now taking a more specific approach.
“What sectors are we most likely to win in, and which countries have a real need for that opportunity?” Bourgeois said.
Bourgeois said the agency plans to hire foreign representatives or consultants in each of the three regions to drum up leads, build partnerships, and accelerate Louisiana’s pitch to global investors.
Hyundai’s proposed mill is one of the largest industrial investments under consideration in Louisiana this year. The project has applied for significant property tax relief through the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program and Ascension Parish has offered a local sales tax rebate for construction materials and equipment.
