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Miller Tours J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works with Coupang

May 4, 2026
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Salt-Works
Washington, D.C. – On Friday, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) joined Coupang, a Seattle-based Fortune 150 U.S. technology company and retailer at J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works for a visit highlighting the collaboration between the two companies. Through its international retail, logistics and fulfillment operations, Coupang is helping J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works export American-made products, which have the potential to reach millions of international Coupang customers in South Korea and Taiwan. 

“It was wonderful to be at J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works, a family-owned West Virginia business with deep roots in our state. While staying grounded in tradition, they’re finding new ways to grow and reach customers beyond West Virginia so consumers around the world can experience a piece of ‘Almost Heaven.’ This kind of growth is increasingly possible because companies like Coupang are helping American businesses reach customers well beyond their home markets by handling the complexities of selling internationally that can otherwise stop small and mid-sized businesses from exporting at all. 

Recent legislation introduced in Korea would disproportionately affect American companies like Coupang and subject them to potential office raids, fines, and the disclosing of private information due to Korea’s Online Platform Regulation Act (Platform Competition Promotion Act). As a Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, ensuring our American tech companies like Coupang have the protection and support they need to thrive is a major priority of mine. This Congress, I introduced legislation that would ensure a level playing field for American companies like Coupang operating in overseas markets, protecting West Virginia businesses like J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works as they export from the Mountain State to the world,” said Congresswoman Carol Miller.

"Coupang is proud to work alongside leaders like Congresswoman Miller to help West Virginia businesses like J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works reach millions of new global customers and drive American economic growth. Just last year, Coupang facilitated more than $5 billion in global sales for thousands of U.S. businesses, and we’re excited to see that impact reach West Virginia’s 1st District," said Coupang Chief Global Affairs Officer Robert Porter.

J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works is a family-owned West Virginia business with deep roots in the state, originally founded in the early 1800s. Nancy Bruns, a seventh-generation descendant of the original Dickinson family, reopened and revived the business in 2013. J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works operates today on the same land in Malden, West Virginia, reviving a long tradition of salt production in the Kanawha Valley - once the largest salt producing region in the United States. J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works uses traditional, environmentally responsible methods, harvesting brine from an ancient underground salt source and relying on solar evaporation to produce salt rather than traditional industrial mining. The company is actively invested in the West Virginia community, supporting nearly a dozen local jobs, sourcing locally where possible, and demonstrating how heritage manufacturing and modern exports can work together to sustain rural economies.

Coupang serves millions of customers across all 50 states and more than 190 countries and regions globally. The company also helps thousands of U.S. brands from all 50 states sell and export their goods internationally, including small, family-owned businesses along with larger companies and well-known brands. In 2025 alone, Coupang facilitated more than $5 billion in sales of U.S. goods and services internationally, supporting American exports and economic growth. Coupang invests heavily in AI and technology innovation that make exporting easier and more accessible for U.S. businesses. This includes investing billions in advanced logistics, automation and data systems.  

Photos and video footage of the event can be found here

Background:
  • Following Korea's continued discrimination towards American technology companies, Rep. Miller joined 53 House Republicans in sending a letter to the Republic of Korea urging their government to cease their persecution of Coupang and other U.S. companies on April 20, 2026. 
  • During a recent Ways and Means hearing with United States Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, Rep. Miller highlighted Korea continued harmful policies that target American companies and urged Ambassador Greer to pursue a section 301 investigation. 

     

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