Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today joined a bicameral, bipartisan effort led in the Senate by Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Angus King (I-Maine) urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help ensure its counter agency in Mexico honors the country’s trade deal with the U.S. and expedites the restoration of fresh potato exports to Mexico.
The letter comes in response to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) accepting new demands by the Mexican government that will significantly delay and limit U.S. potato exports to Mexico in 2022. APHIS’s decision was made despite a Mexican Supreme Court ruling in favor of U.S. potato producers, as well as the completion of successful site visits made by Mexican authorities to U.S. potato plants in Colorado.
“Given that Mexico appears to be continuing to avoid its responsibilities to restore this access, we request that APHIS explain its decision-making process to agree to these unscientific and inconsistent demands,” wrote the members of Congress. “The U.S. continues to honor our side of this trade deal, and it is imperative USDA ensure that Mexico do the same.”
The full list of letter signatories and text of the letter can be found here.
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