The U.S. International Trade Commission, acting on a request by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, has initiated fact-finding investigations into the effects of imported cucumbers and squash on domestic growers.
The two investigations will focus on the effects of the imports on southeastern growers. Two virtual hearings conducted by the USTR, U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Agriculture last year primarily featured testimony about effects of imports on Florida and Georgia crops and their growers.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer requested the investigations in a Dec. 4 letter and the ITC announced it had initiated the fact-finding investigation on Jan. 8.
According to a news release from the ITC, the separate investigations into imported squash and cucumbers will feature:
- Descriptions of the effects of imports on the domestic seasonal markets of the products in question, with a focus on the Southeast U.S.;
- Information on recent trends in trade with the two crops; and
- Monthly price trends for imported cucumbers and squash, including an analysis and price comparison of the prices of U.S-grown and imported products, with a focus on 2015-20.
The ITC will have a virtual public hearing on the investigations at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on April 8, according to a news release.
Information about how to participate in the hearing will be posted on the Commission’s website no later than March 11, 2021,
A similar investigation into imported fresh, chilled and frozen blueberries is underway, with an ITC hearing set for Jan. 12.
Representatives of the governments of Mexico, Argentina, Peru and Canada, and a new group with members from U.S. and foreign countries, the Blueberry Coalition for Progress and Health, are scheduled to speak against measures to limit imports.
Legislators, U.S. blueberry growers, the Florida and Georgia state agriculture commissioners and members of the American Blueberry Growers Alliance are among those scheduled to support steps to limit exports of the berries to the U.S.
In December, the USDA released its first USMCA Seasonal Perishable Products Weekly Update to track imports of fresh product from Mexico and Canada and their effects on produce grown in the U,S.
