AFBF: Rules Protecting US Produce Industry Not Part of NAFTA Negotiations

An American Farm Bureau official says inclusion in a reworked NAFTA of new protections for the U.S. produce industry from seasonal Mexican fruits and vegetables, is not a sure thing, yet.

“We have not yet seen any language that’s been brought out from USTR into negotiations on this issue," said American Farm Bureau Federation trade adviser Dave Salmonsen.  "I don’t know when or what form that may take, or if that’s going to happen.  People are certainly looking forward to the next round in Ottawa, to see if that kind of language will be produced could be discussed in the negotiations.”

Salmonsen said the Southeast U.S. produce industry, especially tomatoes, wants anti-dumping protections against Mexico for seasonal fruits and vegetables.  Salmonsen said most of U.S. agriculture doesn’t want any changes to NAFTA.

“Overall it’s been great, and we’ve all said that it has been, as far as all of the increases in overall trade for a lot.  But with trade, there’s always issues for somebody, and we’ve had some parts of the country in the produce growers, other parts of the country have been fine with it because they’ve been more export oriented, or people who are more totally a domestic market.”

Salmonsen added those in the South, especially Florida, impacted by huge imports of tomatoes and other produce, saw the new NAFTA effort as their chance for relief.  Salmonsen went on to say there may be other venues to correct the problem. Some have suggested international arenas like the WTO, but for now it’s in NAFTA and with the U.S. Congress that has the power to change U.S. anti-dumping laws.

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