"Giving U.S. potato growers full access to the market in Mexico would have a dramatically positive impact on the Idaho potato industry," said Simpson. "I am hopeful that President Calderon will recognize that reducing trade barriers would prove beneficial to both of our countries."
Mexico currently limits shipments of U.S. potatoes to areas within 26 kilometers of the border. The Mexican government claims that these restrictions are necessary to ensure that pests from U.S. potatoes are not spread to Mexican crops, but U.S. potato producers exporting to Mexico are subject to the same requirements to manage risks of diseases and pests as domestic producers who ship their products throughout Mexico. The letter calls on the Mexican government to provide the same treatment for U.S. potato imports that domestic potatoes get.