PHOENIX (August 21, 2019)—Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Glenn Hamer released the following statement in response to news that the U.S. Department of Commerce and tomato growers in Mexico have reached an agreement to continue the duty-free importation of fresh tomatoes into the U.S.:
“An agreement between the United States and Mexico to ensure that the importation of great-tasting fresh tomatoes from Mexico remains duty-free is good news not only for U.S. shoppers, but for the thousands of Arizona jobs that depend on robust produce trade between our two countries.
“We understand that there might be hesitation over new tomato inspection mandates; it’s something we should be mindful of and watch closely. Ensuring produce trade remains duty-free is important, but we don’t want to establish a new barrier to trade.
“Sen. Martha McSally deserves real credit here for successfully convincing the administration to reach an agreement that was in the best interests of U.S. consumers, jobs, and the free trade framework that has defined U.S.-Mexico relations for decades. We thank her and the other members of the Arizona congressional delegation who worked hard to reach this outcome. Kudos as well to Gov. Doug Ducey and the Arizona Mexico Commission, and members of the state Legislature who also strongly voiced the need to preserve duty-free fresh produce trade.
“Today’s news bodes well for the strong, bipartisan passage of USMCA when Congress gets back to work next month, and it sends the right message to our friend and neighbor Mexico that our two nations can continue to work together in a manner that serves each country well.”
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