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World Trade Situation and Policy Updates
Florida Growers to Get Funds for Citrus Canker
Florida growers won two battles in mid-June in their fight against citrus canker. Following the release of funds from the Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published a final rule clearing the way for payments to growers who’ve lost groves to the disease and its attendant eradication efforts. The canker eradication effort has removed 579,000 residential trees in south Florida and more than 1.3 million commercial trees. Since November, the department estimates an additional 90,000 trees were exposed to the disease as crews were prevented from cutting and destroying about 80,000 trees. Payments totaling $46 million to commercial growers could start within 60 days. Growers of oranges and limes will receive more than $6,000 per acre destroyed, while grapefruit growers will receive more than $3,000. About 8,500 commercial acres have been lost to the disease since it first was discovered in a Miami neighborhood in 1995. The most significant damage came when storms carried it south of Miami into the state’s lime region, where it took out more than two-thirds of the 3,000-acre crop. (June 22, 2001)
U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Issues Negative Determination in Antidumping Cases against Spring Table Grapes from Chile and Mexico
On June 11, 2001, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) issued a negative determination in its preliminary phase antidumping investigations in the case filed by the Desert Grape Growers League of California concerning Spring Table Grapes from Chile and Mexico. The Commissioners voted five to one that there is not a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of imports of spring table grapes from Chile and Mexico that are allegedly sold in the United States at less than fair value. The scope of the case excluded by-product grapes and other grapes for use as other than table grapes, including those grapes used for raisins, crushing, juice, wine, canning, processed foods and other by-product and not direct consumption purposes. The spring table grapes subject to these investigations are classifiable under 0806.10.40 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS).
ITC Initiates Preliminary Countervailing Duty and Antidumping Investigations on Frozen Red Raspberries from Chile
On May 31, 2001, the ITC officially began its investigation into allegations that individually quick frozen (IQF) red raspberry imports from Chile were being sold in the United States at less than fair value. The investigations are being instituted in response to a petition filed by the IQF Red Raspberry Fair Trade Committee, Washington, DC. The ITC will hold a preliminary conference on these investigations on June 21, 2001. A preliminary determination is expected by July 16, 2001 as to whether there is a reasonable indication that an industry in the United States is materially injured or threatened with material injury, or the establishment of an industry in the United States is materially retarded, by reason of imports from Chile of individually quick frozen red raspberries. U.S. imports of frozen raspberries in CY 2000 were valued at more than $13 million, of which $8 million originated from Chile.
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