The National Potato Council (NPC) applauds the vote by the U.S. Senate Friday, May 22, to approve trade promotion authority (TPA) legislation to ensure that trade agreements negotiated by the president can be considered by Congress on a simple up or down vote. When approved by the House of Representatives, TPA will provide the opportunity for Congress to consider the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multilateral trade agreement with Pacific Rim countries that will lower or eliminate tariffs faced by U.S. exports of potatoes and potato products.
Currently one out of every five rows of potatoes grown in the U.S. is destined for export markets. The level of tariffs levied on imports by our trading partners can eliminate export opportunities when our international competitors face lower tariffs. Trade agreements reduce or eliminate tariffs and create fairer competition in the marketplace.
“Potato producers in the U.S. can compete with any farmers in the world if the playing field is level,” says NPC president Dan Lake, a grower from Ronan, Mont. “We win when we negotiate and approve trade agreements that eliminate tariffs and allow us to compete based on how productive and efficient we are.”
The potato industry is committed to developing export markets for U.S. fresh potatoes and frozen potato products. Exports of potatoes and potato products from the U.S. have been greatly enhanced by free trade agreements and are poised for further growth. Since 1989 exports have risen 735 percent to $1.7 billion in 2014. “Continuing to grow exports of potatoes is good for consumers abroad and good for our growers,” says Lake. “Consumers overseas are eager to purchase high quality, nutritious U.S. potatoes.”