Argentina will be able to export blueberries to the United States without quotas or differentiated tariffs – Economic, financial and trade news

Barely 36 days before the general election in which Donald Trump resigned his chance to be re-elected, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) launch an investigation to determine whether imports of blueberries have caused injury or some type of injury to local producers.

After a quick investigation and the unanimous decision of the five members of the Commission panel, the agency determined that “fresh, chilled or frozen blueberries are not imported into the United States in such large quantities as to constitute a substantial cause of serious injury or a threat of serious injury, to national industry “.

“The decision is a a measure of great importance for the Argentinian blueberry industry, especially for the economies of the provinces of the NOA (Tucumn, Salta and Catamarca concentrate 40% of production) and also Between Ros, Corrientes, Misiones Yes Buenos Aires, insofar as it avoids serious consequences ”, indicates a statement of the Argentinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 90% of the country’s blueberry production is export-oriented and 66% of total exports go to the US market.

According to data from the Department of Foreign Affairs, 90% of the country’s blueberry production is exported and 66% of the total exported is destined for the US market.

“The success of the defense avoided the imposition of a safeguard measure which would have involved the closure of a crucial market, which represents u $ s 427 million Argentine exports during the period 2015-2020 “, indicates a statement released by the portfolio headed by Felipe Sol.

The survey, framed in the Section 202 of the 1974 Trade Act has as a central argument the pprotection of American producers which produce a “like or directly competitive article to the imported article”.

The September 29, 2020 letter, signed by former United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, states that “import statistics from indicate that blueberry imports have increased significantly in recent years and they were created in greater numbers by a multiplicity of countries. ”

The document does not specify which countries it refers to, but the specialized portal Blue Book Services, mentions as potential threats Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Canada, in this order.

Following the decision taken by 5 votes against and none not to go ahead with the protective measures, members of the International Trade Commission, Jason E. Kearns (chair), Randolph J. Stayin (vice -President) and Commissioners David S Johanson, Rhonda K. Schmidtlein and Amy A. Karpel decided do not recommend pris a resident of the United States protection.

According to inquiry request Safeguards may have been applied, tariffs increased or quotas established import maximums.

The defense of the Argentine position was carried out in a coordinated manner by the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Argentine Embassy in the United States and the local blueberry production industry (Comit Argentino de Arndanos – ABC).

In this sense, the chancellor Felipe Sol stressed that “this is a fundamental measure because not only it was possible to prevent the closure of an export market of utmost importance for Argentina, such as that of the blueberry industry, but also joint work between government and business sector for the defense of exportable production “.

“We were all very impatient and the favorable vote was very important. This allows us to continue working on the development of this market, ”he said. Federico Baya, holder of the Argentinian Committee of Arndanos.