05/25/07 Potato Commission seeks action on trade agreements

Farm and Ranch May 25, 2007 There are numerous issues for the potato industry to work on in Washington D.C. right now, the 2007 Farm Bill, immigration reform and free trade agreements. Trade was on the agenda for Chris Voigt Washington State Potato Commission Executive Director during one of his recent trips to the nation's Capitol. Voigt: "There are several trade agreements. There are Peru, Columbia. The one we are most interested in is South Korea. And all of these have to be approved before June 30th. So it is important that Congress get these on their agenda right away and hopefully approve these trade agreements." Voigt mentioned June 30th. That's when the president's Trade Promotion Authority expires, unless Congress extends it. That's the law that gives the president authority to negotiate agreements and requires Congress to just vote up or down on trade agreements without amending them. Voigt explains what approval of the South Korean Free Trade Agreement would mean for potatoes. Voigt: "We are going to see essentially a zero tariff for any frozen potato products going into the country and then access for our fresh potatoes as well as our chip stock potatoes. And those are fresh potatoes that we send to Korea that are turned into potato chips. So we will see increased quotas for all of those and an elimination of tariffs. And that is pretty important to us." Issues between the U.S. and Korea over U.S. beef remain an obstacle to congressional approval of that trade pact. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow! I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.