The Future of Trade

The Future of Trade

The Future of Trade

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Foreign trade is extremely important to most ag producers here in the state. Wheat, potato, and tree fruit producers all ship a significant portion of their crops overseas. Ryan Holterhoff with the Washington State Potato Commission says that last year Washington growers produced about 9.6 billion pounds of potatoes; of those 90 percent will leave the state with roughly half of those going to foreign markets. Recently back from a potato promoting trade mission to Southeast Asia Holterhoff says strengthening future trade agreements with foreign customers is paramount.

HOLTERHOFF: What we're seeing is more and more of an importance on those foreign markets for access for all types of potatoes - fresh, processed - whatever it may be. And the reason it's so important to people all over the state is because of that economic impact that our industry has. It's the third largest agricultural crop in the state and it's estimated that about 23 thousand jobs are made possible because of our industry and on an annual basis the potato industry contributes about $4.2 billion annually to the state's economy. So, whether you're growing potatoes in eastern Washington or seeing them move through the ports, they impact our state no matter where you're at. It's important that we continue to look for opportunities to expand their growth to various markets here and abroad.

World trade Ministers are in negotiations regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a regional free trade agreement that would merge trade policies of the United States and eleven Asian and North and South American nations for agricultural and other products, and eliminate high tariffs imposed by other countries on imports.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray with the Ag Information Network of the West.

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