Florida Congressman Greg Steube on June 11 introduced the U.S. Citrus Protection Act, legislation that would prohibit the importation of commercially produced fresh citrus fruit from China. “As farmers and ranchers in Florida and across the country are struggling to cope with the decreased demand for their products as a result of the economic shutdowns, more than ever we need to put …
California Citrus and Chinese Tariff Exemptions
The latest development in the Chinese market came as welcome news for the California citrus industry, as China moved to implement tariff exemptions. California Citrus Mutual President Casey Creamer explained that the tariff reduction is coming at an important time for the industry. “It’s probably the break we’ve been looking for when it comes to citrus movement to China,” Creamer …
China Import Concerns Addressed
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia have responded to citrus industry concerns about China being allowed to ship fresh citrus to the United States. Representatives of the Florida and Georgia citrus industries objected when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in April announced it would allow the imports. Industry concerns focused on the …
Responses to Chinese Citrus Import Concerns
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue is formulating a response to concerns about the import of fresh citrus from China being allowed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), according to Florida citrus industry representatives. Florida Citrus Packers Executive Vice President Peter Chaires and Florida Citrus Mutual spokesman Andrew Meadows, however, did not know when the response would be issued. …
Yoho: Halt Imports From Mexico and Beyond
Florida Congressman Ted Yoho on April 28 asked President Donald Trump to temporarily halt imports of all Mexican, Central American and South American food products. He cited “unprecedented circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic” in asking the President to invoke a force majeure motion to stop the importation. Force majeure is defined as an event that can’t be anticipated or …
Incentive-Based Tariffs and Invasive Pests
Incentive-based policies have had success in some industries by helping regulate air quality, control pollution and protect wildlife and fisheries. But two University of Maryland professors in agriculture and resource economics have determined that incentive-based tariffs likely aren’t the answer to controlling invasive pests in imported fruits and vegetables. Erik Lichtenberg and Lars Olson published their findings recently in the …
Trade Issues Update for Fresh Citrus
Dan Richey, president of Riverfront Packing Company, gave an update on trade issues impacting fresh Florida citrus at the Aug. 19 Citrus Packinghouse Day in Lake Alfred. Foreign sales are extremely important for fresh Florida citrus, says Richey, a member for five years of the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee, appointed jointly by the U.S. secretary of agriculture and the U.S. …
NAFTA Concerns with AFB Pres. Zippy Duvall
It seems trade issues abound as we enter the new year of 2018. In this radio brief from our network headlines this week, American Farm Bureau President “Zippy” Duvall, who is from one of the states where specialty crop producers are not so happy about NAFTA, briefly shares his concerns about the renegotiation efforts underway for NAFTA, which will soon …
European Union Trade Breakthrough for U.S. Citrus
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Acting U.S. Trade Representative Stephen Vaughn announced that the European Union (EU) has amended its requirements for imports of U.S. citrus. Specifically, the EU has dropped its requirement that U.S. groves be surveyed for citrus canker, which eases entry of U.S. citrus into the EU market and saves growers millions of dollars in …
Argentine Lemons Entering U.S. Market Despite Objections
The Trump administration is moving to permanently allow Argentine lemons to enter the U.S. market. This is despite objections from California citrus growers and warnings of dire consequences for California lemons, including exposing the industry to new pests and diseases. “It is evident that the California citrus industry is the pawn in a greater trade deal between the Trump administration …
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