OLYMPIA, Wash. (RFD-TV) — Apple harvest is in full swing, and international markets remain important for Washington state growers.
Around 30 percent of Washington apples ship overseas, but Michael Schadler of the Washington Apple Commission says trade barriers remain, particularly in nearby markets.
Schadler says U.S. apple exports are facing an anti-dumping case in Mexico amid broader geopolitical tensions.
“There’s actually an anti-dumping case against U.S. apples from Mexico, and that seems to be a little bit politically motivated — and it’s just all tied into this geopolitical environment in which we find ourselves where there’s a lot of tension around trade — and it’s just the new paradigm that we’re dealing with when it comes to trade,” Schadler said.
Schadler is also advocating for a full renewal of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), saying continued access to those markets is vital for Washington apple growers.
“USMCA, which is the free trade agreement that’s kind of NAFTA 2.0, is being reviewed this year and we certainly hope that we can maintain a level of free trade with Canada and Mexico because those two markets, especially Mexico, are incredibly crucial to us,” Schadler said. “Twelve percent of the Washington apple crop gets shipped to Mexico each year, which is over 40% of all of our exports. So, Mexico alone is crucial.”
Beyond Canada and Mexico, Schadler is looking for recently announced trade agreements to take effect, including a deal that would reduce Taiwan’s tariff on U.S. apples from 20 percent to zero.
