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But since Trump-era tariffs on steel and aluminum were introduced, retaliatory tariffs have provided a crunch to that precious fruit market.
Indian customers love Red Delicious apples. However, many Northwest Red Delicious growers operate traditional orchards. It’s a small family farm and not very capable of planting all the new trees and varieties.
Red Delicious apples are less popular in the United States as new varieties such as Opal, Juicy and Fresh Cosmic Crisp put Red Delicious growers at a disadvantage.
But for decades, Red Delicious growers have found a great home abroad. it is india. In 2017, Washington’s apple exports reached $120 million. But in 2018 the Trump administration imposed steel and aluminum tariffs on India – Under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act – The Indian government has imposed a 20% additional tax on US apple imports. This reduced Northwest apple exports to India to just $3 million.
All delegations in the Washington State Legislature are now appealing to the federal government for assistance.
About a dozen politicians signed letter It is seeking help from the U.S. Trade Representative and the Secretary of Commerce to remove India’s tariffs on Washington state apples. The letter came this week at a key trade policy forum with India.
Mark Powers is Northwest Horticultural Council at Yakima.
“The Indian market we developed, which used to be almost exclusive, now belongs to other countries that export to India,” said Powers.
About 20% of Washington’s apples are now exported worldwide, compared with nearly 30% before, Powers said.
short years
This is a short year for apples with a harvest of about 102 million per 40-pound box, said President Todd Flyhover. Washington Apple Commission.
Therefore, India’s problems are pushed a bit aside as it exports less fruit overall. Still, many northwestern growers are facing hail this spring, extreme summer heat, shipping problems at ports, rising inland shipping costs, tariffs in exporting countries, and even potential plant quarantines in Japan. All of this is at stake for apple growers who have less capital to adapt to rapidly changing labor conditions, science, varieties and agribusiness environments, Freihover said. rice field. Furthermore, he said there is a lot of competition for India from foreign competitors such as China, Italy and Turkey.
death, or by developers
Congressman Kim ShrieDemocrats in Washington’s 8th District say family-owned Red Delicious apple growers in places like Chelan and Wenatchee will find it difficult to weather both bad weather and closed export markets.
This is the lowest Red Delicious yield since 1968, a parliamentary delegation wrote in a press release. Out-of-state companies are buying and consolidating large businesses, while smaller farms are simply going out of business.
“Now they are faced with the question of pulling the whole crop and planting it like Honey Crisp or selling it to a developer,” says Schrier. “We could have saved these family farms had these tariffs not been in place.”
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