Agricultural markets won't stomach Trump tariffs -- delegation
Foreign markets for Washington's apples, cherries and potatoes will not stomach the Trump administration's tariffs on steel and aluminum, threatening a vital chunk of the state economy, the Washington congressional delegation warned Monday.
"The impact of retaliatory actions on Washington's thriving agricultural industry would not only significantly affect the agriculture industry, but also workers, families and small business throughout the state," read the letter, addressed to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
The bipartisan letter carried names ranging from trenchant Trump critic Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., to U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., the public face of Trump Administration policies in Washington.
The letter listed three major export markets where Washington stands to get hurt. These are:
--China: China has slapped a 15 percent tariff on apples, pears, cherries and wine, the latter a product for which Washington wine makers have just begun to develop an export market.
"For Pacific Northwest cherries, China is the number-one export destination, with more than 10 percent of last year's crop -- valued at approximately $130 million -- having been shipped to China," said the letter.
"Last year, China was the fifth largest market for applies, work approximately $45-50 million, and it continues to be an important market for pears as well."
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