Solving the Mexico Tariff

Solving the Mexico Tariff. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Last week Bruce Grim, executive director of the Washington State Horticultural Association attended a meeting in Seattle. In attendance were Senator Patty Murray, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and a number of ag industry leaders concerned about the Mexico tariffs. The Mexico market is a big one for NW products and in the case of potatoes, Canada is getting that business. GRIM: If we lose a market for say 2 million boxes of apples in Mexico because of the added cost of the tariff, that means we've got to go find markets some place else for that 2 million boxes. Some of those may be domestic markets. That means we're going to be a sharper competitor here. What you're doing is upsetting those market equilibriums you have in place. That can have an across the board impact on growers. Senator Murray called the meeting and Grim saw a lot of frustration there. GRIM: I think she was as frustrated as the rest of us in listening to the response of Transportation Secretary LaHood. His comment was well there are a lot of stakeholders and we have a program but they're not telling us what the program is and they're not telling us when they're trotting it out or if they're trotting it out or just what. Of course this is an election year and that may have some impact on the issue. GRIM: Let's face it, people vote their pocketbook in tough times and we are certainly dealing in this retaliatory tariff issue, that's a pocketbook issue for growers and so consequently if we're having tough times because we are involved in what is really a ridiculous policy on the part of this administration, they'll definitely take it out on anyone who is unsupportive of solving our problems. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.