Any offer that fails to provide an expedient, concrete timeline will be a loss for U.S. growers
In a letter this week in anticipation of negotiations with Japan, NPC urged the Trump Administration to “push past years of protectionism” and solve the long-delayed market access petition for U.S. fresh “table stock” market access to Japan.
“The U.S. potato industry shares the President’s objectives of leveling the trade playing field, creating jobs, and improving access for U.S. products abroad,” wrote the group, which noted that opening the market will provide an estimated $150 million in new American agricultural exports to Japan.
The letter to Ambassador Jamieson Greer of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, NPC thanked them for the positive comments they have made in making the fresh potato market access petition a top agricultural trade priority with Japan, but warned that Japan has repeatedly offered distractions to avoid opening their market to fresh product.
“These distractions include very minor concessions of potato salad access and/or minor increases in chipping potatoes. Any offer that fails to provide an expedient, concrete timeline for concluding the fresh market access process will be seen as insignificant and a loss for U.S. growers. Accepting lesser distractions from Japan would be the very embodiment of the phrase ‘stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.’”
Read the full letter here.
