MEXICO CITY: Peach growers in Chihuahua found some political support to limit U.S. peach imports with a new tariff, but one U.S. tree fruit leader said the approach isn’t justified by the facts.
The Mexican news website entrelineas.com.mx reported July 23 that Chihuahua State Congress member Javier Mendoza proposed the tariff after officials reported a surge in imports at the same time Mexican peach shipments declined.
Mendoza told the news website that he will seek to create a tariff on U.S. peaches if the U.S. peaches continue to overwhelm the Mexican market.
Mexican officials did not say where the U.S. peaches were grown, but both Southeast U.S. peaches and California peaches can be exported to Mexico.
With overall peach production down slightly this year, Barry Bedwell, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association, said July 27 that California shippers had shipped quality fruit into Mexico at good prices this season.
“There was volume sold into Mexico but at prices that had nothing to do with what somebody would consider dumping,” Bedwell said.
“I think what we’re dealing with is those growers (in Mexico) having to deal with their own bumper crop and having competition come in,” he said. Bedwell said all California fruit shipped to Mexico is inspected by Mexican officials.
With the season more than half over — perhaps 30% of California stone fruit remains to be shipped as of July 27 — California’s peach supplies will be relatively tight for the balance of the season.
Bedwell doesn’t expect the industry to export big peach volume to Mexico in the weeks ahead.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture trade statistics show that U.S. peach exports through May this year were 1,124 metric tons, down 41% from the same period a year ago.
Total U.S. peach export volume to Mexico in 2014 was 19,100 metric tons, off from 24,500 metric tons in 2013.
