Potato industry leader Dan Moss voiced support for immediate congressional approval of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and expanded potato trade with China at a White House trade event May 23.
“It was an honor to be included in this event at the White House,” Dan Moss, former president of the National Potato Council and a potato grower in Rupert, Idaho, said in a news release. “The success of the potato industry heavily relies on trade and foreign market access.”
After the U.S. lifted tariffs on Mexican and Canadian steel and aluminum in mid-May, Mexico on May 20 removed its 20 percent retaliatory tariff on frozen fries, according to the release.
“We are pleased to be shipping again duty-free to our third largest fry export market,” Moss said.
The U.S. potato industry strongly supports Congressional approval of the USMCA, he said in the release.
China Next?
China is the sixth largest export market for U.S. potato products, but the release said trade could be much bigger.
NPC is hopeful in expanding the market substantially once a trade agreement is reached between the two countries, according to the release.
“Should the U.S. potato industry gain workable access for both fresh and chip potatoes, China would vault into one of our largest export markets,” Kam Quarles, CEO of the NPC, said in the release.