In a rare display of bipartisan fusion, Florida congressional representatives, state officials and farmers are praising new trade restrictions on seasonal crops proposed by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
The restrictions are incorporated into a report released Thursday and are designed to mitigate economic damage in Florida from imported blueberries, strawberries and bell peppers.
The proposed plan follows public hearings August, when more than 60 witnesses testified and more than 300 people submitted written commentary.
“President (Donald) Trump recognizes the challenges faced by American farmers and is committed to promoting and securing fair trade and a level playing field for all American producers.” Lighthizer said.
Safeguards for seasonal crops and a plan for increasing outreach to help promote domestic crops were among the demands from Florida’s congressional representatives and senators on behalf of the state’s $8 billion agriculture industry in exchange for supporting the adoption of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) earlier this year.
Both Florida U.S. senators and all but one of the state’s 27-member congressional delegation voted for replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with USMCA despite criticism it worsened prospects for Florida farmers, especially blueberry growers, one of 20 Florida crops that have seen declining sales since the adoption of NAFTA in 2000.
Their favorable votes were based on Lighthizer’s assurances that protections for seasonal crops would be back-loaded into the deal.
“No trade deal is perfect, and while many American farmers and ranchers are celebrating, Florida’s fruit and vegetable growers were once again left to fend for themselves,” Florida’s senior U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said in February. “While the USMCA will not improve their situation, I remain confident this administration will continue to look for ways to address significant price distortions in the domestic seasonal and perishable produce market caused by a rising tide of unfair import competition.”
Lighthizer fulfilled his end of the bargain Thursday, drawing praise from Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, Florida’s only statewide elected Democrat.
“We are hopeful that today’s announcement signals a commitment from the administration to stand with Florida farmers and hold Mexico accountable for their unfair trade practices,” Fried said in a statement before noting the safeguards don’t address concerns that “the USMCA cured none of NAFTA’s unfair trade practices.”
Fried noted a Department of Agriculture study estimated Florida producers have lost 20 percent in sales, $3.7 billion, since 2000 because of NAFTA, resulting in the loss of 37,180 jobs.
“I appreciate the USTR’s recognition of the decades-long suffering endured by both Florida and America’s seasonal producers due to unfair Mexican trade practices – this is another step toward making an impact on this major problem. After hearing testimony from farmers struggling every day to compete, the urgency of this issue cannot be denied,” she said. “It’s clear there is still a lot of work needed to provide the relief our farmers desperately need.”
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, co-chairperson of the Florida delegation and its liaison with the White House, said the safeguards for seasonal growers should be encoded permanently into USMCA.
The provisions “will help Florida farmers compete against Mexican imports,” Buchanan said. “We need to level the playing field against unfair Mexican trade policies that hurt our farmers.”
“Florida agriculture is the backbone of our State’s economy, yet our farmers, ranchers, and producers have suffered from Mexico’s trade-distorting practices for far too long,” U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, said. “Though we still have more progress to make, this is an important first step toward empowering our farmers and prioritizing the dire needs of our agriculture communities.”
