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Michigan congressman calls for fair trade & hearing

A West Michigan congressman is calling on the U.S. Trade Representative to address unfair trading practices against U.S. specialty crops.

Congressman Bill Huizenga of Zeeland sent a letter Friday to Ambassador Lighthizer requesting a federal field hearing in West Michigan to hear market concerns of growers firsthand on the trade issues threatening local communities and farms.  His district is a national leader in producing asparagus, blueberries, and cherries but growers have been negatively impacted by imports.

Huizenga says asparagus imports over the last decade have increased by nearly 50 percent while just in the last three years dried cherry imports increased by a million pounds. U.S. growers are now receiving extremely low prices for asparagus, cherries, and blueberries as imports pressure markets.

The letter comes following last week’s decision by the International Trade Commission not to impose tariffs on imports of dried tart cherries from Turkey contrary to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s final decision that Turkey has been selling products at less than fair values into the U.S.

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