The Northwest ships quite a lot of its apple harvest to India, together with boat a great deal of purple scrumptious apples.

But retaliatory tariffs put in place in 2019 are taking a chunk out of the precious market. Now, Washington’s full congressional delegation is asking the federal authorities for assist.

This week, the entire Washington Congressional delegation — a few dozen politicians spanning Democrat Senator Maria Cantwell to Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse — requested assist from the U.S. Trade Representative and the Secretary of Commerce to assist take away Indian tariffs on U.S. apples.

India has been one of many largest export markets for Northwest growers for many years. In 2017, Washington apple exports hit a excessive of $120 million. But a metal and aluminum tariff, slapped on India by the Trump Administration in 2018, prompted the Indian authorities to place an extra 20% tax on U.S. apple imports. That sliced the Northwest apple exports to India down to simply $3 million.

According to the letter sent by Washington lawmakers:

“Dear Ambassador Tai and Secretary Raimondo:

We request your help to treatment burdensome tariffs imposed by the Government of India on U.S. tree fruit trade on the upcoming Trade Policy Forum (TPF.) The TPF supplies a singular alternative for the U.S. Trade Representative and the Government of India to debate retaliatory tariffs which might be hurting tree fruit growers in Washington state and nationally. It is vital to make use of this discussion board to work in the direction of an answer that can enable the tree fruit trade to stay viable and proceed to provide tree fruit domestically.

The tree fruit trade has suffered vital losses as a consequence of India’s retaliation for U.S. Section 232 tariffs. On common, 30 % of the apples, cherries, and pears produced within the Pacific Northwest are exported and India was as soon as a robust market. With retaliatory tariffs in place, Washington state apples growers have constantly misplaced market share in India. Prior to the implementation of those tariffs, India was our quantity two export market, valued at $120 million yearly. Last season, growers exported barely $3 million. As growers have watched hard-earned market share and gross sales evaporate, their rivals in different international locations have gained extra of the market share.

Continued export losses coincide with ongoing cost-of-production will increase which might be forcing multigenerational household farms out of enterprise. The Red Delicious selection accounts for practically all of the exports to India. Families working legacy Red Delicious orchards, lots of whom could not have the monetary capability to modernize their orchards, are disproportionately affected by the tariffs. This yr the Red Delicious crop is the bottom since 1968. Corporate, out-of-state, entities are buying and consolidating bigger operations, whereas smaller farms merely exit of enterprise.

The harm inflicted by the retaliatory tariffs on tree fruit growers, their staff, and communities is evident and an answer is lengthy overdue. On behalf of the various stakeholders all through our area, we respect your consideration to this matter. Following the TPF, we request that you just meet with members of the Pacific Northwest tree fruit trade to debate the subsequent steps to take away the retaliatory tariffs.”