WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) — Apple growers in Washington state are cheering the end of a 20 percent tariff on apples shipped to Mexico.
The demise of the apple tariff was part of a deal reached Friday between the U.S., Canada and Mexico that also involved the removal of steel and aluminum tariffs by the U.S.
The Washington Apple Commission says Washington state accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all U.S apple exports and Mexico is Washington’s top export market with 13 million boxes shipped there annually.
The apple commission says exports have been down compared to previous years, partly due to a smaller crop and partly due to barriers to trade.
Exports to Mexico are down 29.3 percent this year compared to the 2017-18 season.
The retaliatory tariffs were implemented in June of last year.
— The Associated Press