USMCA Reassessment and Tree Fruit
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. As 2026 gets rolling, the Washington Apple Commission again has plans to try and improve market access for our growers beyond our domestic consumers.
WAC President, Michael Schadler says a major focus for them this year will be the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement that is scheduled for an update in the coming months …
SCHADLER … “There’s going to be a, it’s not a renegotiation, but there’s a reassessment period that’s built into the USMCA, which is the NAFTA 2.0 that deal with Mexico and Canada this coming year in 2026. So, it’s incredibly important to the industry, not just apples but pears and cherries as well, that we keep USMCA strong and those are incredibly important markets for us.”
Canada and Mexico alone, Schadler says make up a majority of their exports …
SCHADLER … “Yeah, our neighbors to the north and south, those are the big ones. You put those together and it’s just over 50% of all exports. So, those are the ones that really matter, that really can move the needle.”
But Schadler says there are plenty of other foreign markets out there that they’ll be talking with …
SCHADLER … “At the Apple Commission, we’re excited about international markets. That’s the main thing that we do. So, we’re just going to keep pushing. We’re hopeful that some of these trade deals come to fruition and that we can open up markets for Washington growers for the decades to come.”
Schadler says India, Japan and other Asian markets will receive plenty of attention as they look to build exports for Washington apples.
