This week, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., continued to push against Mexico produce imports, calling on the Trump administration to protect farmers in the Sunshine State, as the Trump administration looks to replace NAFTA with USMCA.
Rubio and Buchanan rounded up senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle to call on Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer to protect farmers as negotiations with Mexico continue.
“While the Mexican government has refused to include a mechanism to correct this growing imbalance in the USMCA text, we still believe the Administration must ensure that clear rules are in place to defend domestic seasonal and perishable produce from unfair trade practices,” stated the letter. “We strongly insist that the Administration address this issue in a way that gives confidence to all seasonal growers that the federal government can and will act to counter legitimate injury from unfair imports from Mexico or any other country,” the senators and representatives wrote.
“Domestic seasonal and perishable produce growers deserve reasonable access to trade enforcement tools that are readily available to other agricultural and industrial producers in the U.S.,” they added. “Such an outcome would be good for American fruit and vegetable farmers, good for American families, and good for the nation’s food security.”
The signers includes Georgia Republican U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue, Florida Democrat U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor, Charlie Crist, Val Demings, Ted Deutch, Lois Frankel, Alcee Hastings, Al Lawson, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Stephanie Murphy, Donna Shalala, Darren Soto, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Frederica Wilson and Florida Republican U.S. Reps.
Gus Bilirakis, Mario Diaz-Balart, Neal Dunn, Matt Gaetz, Brian Mast, Bill Posey, John Rutherford, Ross Spano, Greg Steube, Mike Waltz, Dan Webster and Ted Yoho.
Back in October, Rubio, Buchanan, Diaz-Balart, Lawson and then U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., unveiled the “Agricultural Trade Improvement Act" which would adjust the Tariff Act of 1930 to “allow American specialty crop growers to request the imposition of antidumping or countervailing duties.” Back in January Rubio, Buchanan and Lawson brought out the "Defending Domestic Produce Production Act," a similar proposal which would ease certain thresholds to allow Florida farmers to petition the Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission to investigate illegal subsidies and dumping of Mexican fruits and vegetables in the U.S. market.”
“Current law requires petitioners to demonstrate harm as measured from a nationwide and year-round perspective,” Buchanan’s office noted about the proposal. “This bill would acknowledge the unique circumstances of seasonal fruit and vegetable producers who are directly harmed by Mexico’s practices in various geographic regions during different seasons, including Florida growers during the winter months.”
“Our beleaguered growers continue to be harmed by Mexico’s unfair subsidies and illegal seasonal dumping,” Buchanan, who leads Republicans on the U.S. House Trade Subcommittee, said when the bill was brought out. “This legislation will level the playing field for a vital industry to Florida’s economy.”
Almost 100,000 residents of the Sunshine State work in agriculture, adding more than $12 billion a year to Florida’s economy. Since 2000, agriculture products imported from Mexico have cost Florida between $1-$3 billion.
