Indonesian Trade

Indonesian Trade

Indonesian Trade. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

There seems to be some trouble with U.S./Indonesia trade and Washington Congressmen Doc Hastings and Dave Reichert along with 19 other colleagues have sent a letter to trade Ambassador Ron Kirk regarding that trade. Congressman Doc Hastings.

HASTINGS: Indonesia is a big market for fresh fruits and vegetables coming from the United States and specifically for our apples and cherries and pears in the northwest. And what they are trying to do it appears is to indirectly close off that market. The end result is they have threatened to restrict by 90% the imports of fresh fruits and vegetables into the Port of Jakarta.

He says if that were to happen there are no other Indonesian ports that can handle these imports.

HASTINGS: And so as a result we would potentially losing that market. So the letter was sent to the trade representative to tell him that we are, we the United States, are very concerned about this. There may be some WTO ramifications but the bottom line is that it appears it will have a negative affect on our exports particularly as we get into hearvest season right now.

He says this is coming from the Indonesian government.

HASTINGS: And again we don’t know what their motive is, there may be some protectionist issues there. That’s all speculation but the end result of closing off the Port of Jakarta to fresh fruit and vegetables would seriously limit the amount of imports because other ports in Indonesia simply can’t take the volume that Jakarta does.

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

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