For immediate release: May 21, 2010
Contact: (202) 225-4761
Eric Wortman, Communications Director
Contact: (202) 536-6190
Edward Stern, Deputy Press Secretary
Salazar presses President Calderon of Mexico to open market to U.S. potatoes
Hand delivers letter signed by 10 Members of Congress including Colorado’s Bennet and Markey
WASHINGTON, DC – In a meeting today, Congressman John T. Salazar pressed President Calderon of Mexico to end the unfair trade restrictions his nation places on U.S. produced potatoes.
“We must have fair trade between our nations and right now nothing is fair about the way Mexico treats U.S. potatoes,” said Salazar, a farmer and rancher from the San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado. “I’ve asked President Calderon to reverse Mexico’s policy and I handed him a letter from several Members of Congress expressing our shared concern for this policy that hurts U.S. potato producers.”
In a signed 2003 agreement, Mexico specifically committed to opening the 5 northern Mexican states to U.S. fresh potato shipments in 2004 and to discuss market access to the entire country in 2005. Any such expansion has not occurred and U.S. potatoes are limited only to within 26 kilometers of the border, while Mexican potatoes have access to the entire U.S. market.
In 2008, Mexico exported $8 billion worth of horticultural and tropical products to the U.S., while we exported $2 billion in similar products to Mexico. Expanding the potato market would help address this trade imbalance.
“President Calderon assured me that he would personally take a look at this issue,” said Salazar. “All I’m after is fairness. I am absolutely convinced that past concerns over U.S. potatoes raised have no relevance in this case. All our potatoes are bound solely for the Mexican commercial market and not the seed market. They are also washed, free of soil and sprout inhibited. I believe we can work together to get this issue resolved quickly and help Colorado potato farmers in the process.”
The U.S. Potato Industry estimates full access Mexico could result in a $100 million annual market in 5 years.
Senator Michael Bennet and Congresswoman Betsy Markey joined Congressman Salazar in his quest to open the Mexican market to U.S. potatoes. The full text of the letter is below:
The Honorable Felipe Calderon Hinojosa
President
The United Mexican States
Dear President Calderon,
The strong and enduring partnership between the United States and Mexico makes both of our nations more vibrant democracies and stronger economies. Our prosperity as individual nations and as partners is linked by mutual goals, values, beliefs and economic cooperation. As members of Congress we understand the importance of a strong, respectful bilateral relationship with Mexico. We pledge our leadership as we seek solutions to the range of problems that make the relationship of our two countries fall short of its full potential.
We want to raise to your attention an issue, that while not of the magnitude of many that you face, offers the opportunity for a resolution that is mutually beneficial to both countries. The supplies of fresh potatoes produced domestically in Mexico are not adequate in quantity to meet the needs of Mexican consumers and processors on a year round basis. The resulting shortages of raw product potato processing facilities idle for months at a time and leave workers without work or paychecks. The high price of fresh table potatoes faced by Mexican consumers in the central market place reduces their purchasing power and overall welfare.
For nearly ten years potato growers in the United States have attempted to obtain the opportunity to provide fresh potatoes to Mexican consumers, retailers and processors. Access to high quality U.S. fresh potatoes at prices which are lower than domestically produced potatoes will improve the well being of Mexican consumers and the productivity of Mexican potato processors. Currently limited shipments of U.S. potatoes are allowed to areas within 26 kilometers of the border. All U.S. potatoes entering Mexico are brushed or washed to eliminate soil in order to manage phytosanitary risks. Similar procedures are employed for table potatoes produced in Mexico allowing them to move throughout the country with no restriction to the 26 kilometer border area. In addition, U.S. potato exports to Mexico are treated to prevent their viability as seed potatoes further reducing phytosanitary risk. Treating U.S. potato imports in a similar manner as potatoes produced in Mexico would be good for Mexican consumers and would encourage the mutually beneficial trade relationship we both seek.
We look forward to working with you to address this issue and others of mutual benefit to our countries. Again we pledge our leadership and cooperation to that end.
Sincerely,
The Honorable Michael Bennet
The Honorable John T. Salazar
The Honorable Rick Larsen
The Honorable Doc Hastings
The Honorable Walt Minnick
The Honorable Mike Simpson
The Honorable Betsy Markey
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
The Honorable Denny Rehberg
The Honorable Cathy McMorris Rodgers
“We must have fair trade between our nations and right now nothing is fair about the way Mexico treats U.S. potatoes,” said Salazar, a farmer and rancher from the San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado. “I’ve asked President Calderon to reverse Mexico’s policy and I handed him a letter from several Members of Congress expressing our shared concern for this policy that hurts U.S. potato producers.”
In a signed 2003 agreement, Mexico specifically committed to opening the 5 northern Mexican states to U.S. fresh potato shipments in 2004 and to discuss market access to the entire country in 2005. Any such expansion has not occurred and U.S. potatoes are limited only to within 26 kilometers of the border, while Mexican potatoes have access to the entire U.S. market.
In 2008, Mexico exported $8 billion worth of horticultural and tropical products to the U.S., while we exported $2 billion in similar products to Mexico. Expanding the potato market would help address this trade imbalance.
“President Calderon assured me that he would personally take a look at this issue,” said Salazar. “All I’m after is fairness. I am absolutely convinced that past concerns over U.S. potatoes raised have no relevance in this case. All our potatoes are bound solely for the Mexican commercial market and not the seed market. They are also washed, free of soil and sprout inhibited. I believe we can work together to get this issue resolved quickly and help Colorado potato farmers in the process.”
The U.S. Potato Industry estimates full access Mexico could result in a $100 million annual market in 5 years.
Senator Michael Bennet and Congresswoman Betsy Markey joined Congressman Salazar in his quest to open the Mexican market to U.S. potatoes. The full text of the letter is below:
The Honorable Felipe Calderon Hinojosa
President
The United Mexican States
Dear President Calderon,
The strong and enduring partnership between the United States and Mexico makes both of our nations more vibrant democracies and stronger economies. Our prosperity as individual nations and as partners is linked by mutual goals, values, beliefs and economic cooperation. As members of Congress we understand the importance of a strong, respectful bilateral relationship with Mexico. We pledge our leadership as we seek solutions to the range of problems that make the relationship of our two countries fall short of its full potential.
We want to raise to your attention an issue, that while not of the magnitude of many that you face, offers the opportunity for a resolution that is mutually beneficial to both countries. The supplies of fresh potatoes produced domestically in Mexico are not adequate in quantity to meet the needs of Mexican consumers and processors on a year round basis. The resulting shortages of raw product potato processing facilities idle for months at a time and leave workers without work or paychecks. The high price of fresh table potatoes faced by Mexican consumers in the central market place reduces their purchasing power and overall welfare.
For nearly ten years potato growers in the United States have attempted to obtain the opportunity to provide fresh potatoes to Mexican consumers, retailers and processors. Access to high quality U.S. fresh potatoes at prices which are lower than domestically produced potatoes will improve the well being of Mexican consumers and the productivity of Mexican potato processors. Currently limited shipments of U.S. potatoes are allowed to areas within 26 kilometers of the border. All U.S. potatoes entering Mexico are brushed or washed to eliminate soil in order to manage phytosanitary risks. Similar procedures are employed for table potatoes produced in Mexico allowing them to move throughout the country with no restriction to the 26 kilometer border area. In addition, U.S. potato exports to Mexico are treated to prevent their viability as seed potatoes further reducing phytosanitary risk. Treating U.S. potato imports in a similar manner as potatoes produced in Mexico would be good for Mexican consumers and would encourage the mutually beneficial trade relationship we both seek.
We look forward to working with you to address this issue and others of mutual benefit to our countries. Again we pledge our leadership and cooperation to that end.
Sincerely,
The Honorable Michael Bennet
The Honorable John T. Salazar
The Honorable Rick Larsen
The Honorable Doc Hastings
The Honorable Walt Minnick
The Honorable Mike Simpson
The Honorable Betsy Markey
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
The Honorable Denny Rehberg
The Honorable Cathy McMorris Rodgers
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