07/08/05 Canadian anti-spud dumping hearing

07/08/05 Canadian anti-spud dumping hearing

Farm and Ranch July 8, 2005 Representatives from the Washington potato industry as well as their legal, grower and economic experts will go one more round before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, the CITT, beginning next Monday, July 11th. The issue is the anti-dumping duties that British Columbia has been imposing on U.S. fresh potato imports for 21 years and which Washington's potato industry considers to be unfair. The duties must be reviewed at least every five years and a decision by the Canadian Border Services Agency that dumping will continue if the duties are terminated set the stage for next week's CITT hearing. Matt Harris, who heads up international trade for the Washington State Potato Commission, says they are optimistic. For example, an investigator from the CITT visited Washington. Harris: "I think that this is the first time this has every occurred. And we were able to take him out to a couple of potato sheds and visit with growers just to show him our industry in general. To get a better sense of who we are and what we do here in Washington state. And I think it was a very positive meeting." Harris says they also have knowledgeable experts like Dr. Joseph Gunther, economist from the University of Idaho, who will testify on his study of the costs of producing fresh potatoes which concluded that fresh potato production in Washington is not an enterprise for the timid. Nick Young of Promar International will testify that B.C. potato farms collect the highest profit of Canada's potato growing provinces. Several Washington growers will also testify. A decision by the CITT is expected in mid-September. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today. Good health tomorrow. I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
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