09/21/07 Trade agreements no small potatoes to growers

Farm and Ranch September 21, 2007 The Washington potato industry and its workforce have the potential to maintain a competitive edge with foreign competition with four pending free trade agreements that are before Congress. Matt Harris, Director of Trade for the Washington State Potato Commission, says one of those FTAs is with South Korea. He says the significance of the agreement is that it would eliminate an 18 percent tariff on U.S. frozen potato products going into Korea. Harris: "That also keeps us very competitive with our competing Canada, for example Canada. Canada is aggressively working toward that save reduction in their tariff. So we need to keep on pace with our competition or we could potentially lose a 24-million dollar market." The other FTAs are with Columbia, Panama and Peru which Harris says would increase the tariff free quotas for U.S. Harris: "And also in all four trade agreements we see considerable reductions in our dehydrated potato tariffs and some concessions for fresh potatoes and potatoes used for chipping." The Washington State potato industry directly and indirectly generates $3.4 billion throughout the Washington economy annually and creates over 20,000 jobs in the state. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network. 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.