Lawmakers pursue end to frozen blueberry tariffs in Japan

A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently called on the U.S. trade representative and the USDA to eliminate what it says are harmful frozen blueberry tariffs and ensure equal market access for U.S. blueberry growers in Japan. 

The U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement that went into effect in 2020 eliminated Japan’s tariffs on fresh and dried blueberries but omitted frozen blueberries from this relief. U.S. frozen blueberry exports to Japan continue to face a 6% or 9.6% tariff in Japan, depending on sugar content.
 
The effort was led by Reps. Rick Larsen (D-Washington) and David Valadao (R-California) and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), and over 30 lawmakers representing blueberry producers across the country who sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The letter urged the officials to “pursue a technical amendment to the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement to ensure U.S. frozen blueberries receive the same duty-free market access in Japan as fresh or dried blueberries, as well as other frozen berries.”

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The lawmakers said that “doing so will allow U.S. farmers to compete on level terms with other blueberry exporting countries and would help save and revitalize market opportunities for U.S. berry farmers.”

“We applaud Reps. Larsen and Valadao, and Sen. King for their leadership on this important issue that directly and indirectly affects all U.S. blueberry producers,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the North American Blueberry Council, said in the release.

Japan is a critically important market for U.S. frozen blueberry producers, but the industry is at a significant disadvantage relative to competitors in Canada and the European Union who have tariff-free trade with Japan for all forms of blueberries, Cronquist continued.

“There is no apparent reason why the tariff on frozen blueberries was left intact after the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement eliminated tariffs on fresh and dried blueberries, yet this oversight has caused the U.S. to lose significant market share,” Cronquist said in the release. “We appreciate the administration’s efforts to increase exports to Asia, including the upcoming trade mission to Japan, and their work to address non-tariff barriers through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. Until this tariff is eliminated, however, frozen blueberry producers will continue to be at a competitive disadvantage.”