Cherry Exports

Cherry Exports. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Last week a joint announcement was made by Northwest Cherry officials, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Demetrios Marantis and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell highlighting new data that shows a substantial increase in cherry exports to South Korea during the first year of the newly implemented Korea Free Trade Agreement. Northwest Ag’s Lacy Gray has more on the story.

GRAY: The report shows that Washington State has exported 368,000 boxes of sweet cherries to South Korea as of mid-July – up from 171,000 boxes in 2011 during a similar time period. That is a 60% increase in exports. The U.S.-South Korea Trade Agreement, which went into effect on March 15, immediately eliminated a 24 percent tariff on sweet cherries. As a result, cherry growers in Washington state have increased exports of sweet cherries to South Korea. Each year, cargo planes from Sea-Tac Airport export between 25 and 30 million pounds of cherries. South Korea is the fourth largest export market for Washington state goods, taking in $1.4 billion worth of agriculture exports from the state last year.

Thanks Lacy. The group toured the Seattle warehouse of the F.C. Bloxom Company, a local exporter of Washington sweet cherries, potatoes and other crops with customers in South Korea and 20 other nations. The warehouse has seen increased business after the new agreement went into effect.

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