The U.S. potato industry is working hard to expand its export markets, but the Vice President of Global Access at Bryant Christie says that it has been challenging to get into Mexico.
“I would say Mexico is one of the toughest negotiations that the U.S. potato industry has ever had to deal with, and it continues to be something that we treat with great respect. We’ve made tremendous progress in the last two years, but we also really have to respect where it is. We’re very careful about it. We want to make sure we ship clean product down there, and we want to push back if we start feeling that there are illegitimate issues trying to keep us from exporting to Mexico,” Matt Lantz explains.
He goes on to add: “I want to give Mexico, the Mexican government credit that they have opened the market, and they have worked with us as a partner on this since the market has been open. Now, we are in a good spot with the Mexicans where we’re collaborating if there are pest issues. We work with them. You know, they’re not threatening to close the market, so I give them credit for that.”
Lantz says that U.S. potato growers are also looking to gain access in Japan and they are challenging the current protections.
