Washington Lawmakers Request Removal of Tariffs on American Apples Imported by India

GG News Bureau

Washington, 12th Jan. Washington state lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to help remove or reduce tariffs on American apples imported to India, citing significant losses in the country’s fruit industry as a result of New Delhi’s retaliatory measures.

In a letter to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, all members of the Washington State House of Representatives and two senators stated that the tree fruit industry suffered losses as a result of India’s retaliation to US tariffs.

Approximately 30% of the apples, cherries, and pears grown in the Pacific Northwest are exported, and India was once a significant market.

With retaliatory tariffs in place, Washington state apple growers have continuously lost market share in India, the lawmakers said.

Prior to the implementation of these tariffs, India was our number two export market, valued at USD 120 million annually, they said.

Growers exported fruits worth less than USD 3 million last season.

Growers said that as they watched hard-earned market share and sales evaporate, their competitors in other countries gained more market share.

In a letter dated January 10, the lawmakers urged Tai and Raimondo to raise the issue with visiting Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. On January 11, the India-US Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meeting was held.

“The damage inflicted by the retaliatory tariffs on tree fruit growers, their employees, and communities is clear and a solution is long overdue. On behalf of the many stakeholders throughout our region, we appreciate your attention to this matter,” the letter said.

“Following the TPF, we request that you meet with members of the Pacific Northwest tree fruit industry to discuss the next steps to remove the retaliatory tariffs,” it said.

According to the lawmakers, continued export losses are coinciding with ongoing cost-of-production increases, which are forcing multigenerational family farms out of business.

Almost all of the exports to India are of the ‘Red Delicious’ variety.

The tariffs disproportionately affect families operating legacy ‘Red Delicious’ orchards, many of whom may lack the financial capacity to modernize their orchards, the lawmakers wrote.

This year the ‘Red Delicious’ crop is the lowest since 1968. Corporate, out-of-state, entities are acquiring and consolidating larger operations, while smaller farms simply go out of business, they said.