Opening Trade

Last week I mentioned that Senator Maria Cantwell and Senator Mike Crapo are leading a bipartisan letter urging the administration to prioritize reducing trade barriers pear and apple growers face in European markets. Crapo talks about the letter.

CRAPO: Maria Cantwell and I have sent a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative, Michael Froman, and basically we are asking that U.S. apple and pear export be prioritized during the TTIP negotiations. That's the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. This is the free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union and in this agreement we are seeking among other things to increase market access by eliminating barriers to trade and investment of goods and services in agriculture between the European Union and the United States.

Different standards on regulations in Europe have unfairly disadvantaged U.S. agriculture produce like apples and pears. 

CRAPO: Currently many fresh fruit producers in the United States, particularly apple and pear exporters are facing the highest sanitary and phytosanitary measures that are there in the marketplace which threaten access to the European Union markets. The argument that we are making and asking our trade negotiators to make is that these fruit exports should not be subject to such unreasonably and inappropriate high standards

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