Potato Growers Concerned Over Trade

Potato Growers Concerned Over Trade

Rick Worthington
Rick Worthington
Potato Growers Concerned Over Trade

Like other commodities, trade remains top of mind for potato growers across the Northwest.

Chris Voigt, Executive Director of the Washington state Potato Commission says a year into the trade war with China, local growers and processors are starting to see and feel the impact.

Making matters worse, the U.S. still does not have a trade deal with Japan, the largest destination for U.S. spuds.

Voigt says while a bilateral deal with Japan would be beneficial, American producers would still struggle thanks to the U.S. pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which several competitors ratified.

Voigt says the potato industry will not benefit from USMCA; he called it a push. He said if the updated trade deal fails to be ratified and the U.S. pulls out of NAFTA, then growers would be in a world of hurt.

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