Sluggish Trade Agreements Affecting Northwest Fruit

Sluggish Trade Agreements Affecting Northwest Fruit. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

The U.S. is currently working to get 3 trade agreements ratified and in place. As most of you know those are Columbia, Panama and South Korea. Each and every day tree fruit producers right here are losing opportunities to export goods to these countries. Lacy Gray has more.

GRAY: The 3 free trade agreements seem to be hung up over legislation that would extend Trade Adjustment Assistance for industries hurt by trade. There is hope that Congress will find a way to get over their party line division and work together to make these agreements work. But now that the focus has been shifted to the budget it appears that all thoughts of the FTA’s has vanished. There had been hope that the agreements would be ratified before the August recess. Growers are hoping that at least the South Korea agreement would be passed since they import a substantial amount of tree fruit.

A number of issues are holding up these agreements. The Colombia free trade pact has the chance to have the most significance for apple and pear growers, who are looking to compete there on even footing with apples and pears from Chile. The free trade pact with the Republic of Korea will primarily benefit the cherry industry, since the country does not yet allow access to U.S. apples and pears. Under the free trade agreement, the tariffs for U.S. apples and pears eventually do go to zero over 10 to 20 years.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.