Mexican border problem is a two way street

While so much attention these days is on Mexicans crossing the
border coming north, Washington farmers are pretty upset about what’s
not crossing the border going south.

Potatoes, among other things.

The
first issue revolves around immigration laws.

The spuds are caught up in protective tariffs.

Sen. Patty
Murray, D-Wash., questioned Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on
Thursday about when a resolution will be found to the potato crisis,
which is costing Washington growers tens of millions of dollars and
hundreds of jobs.

“Soon,” LaHood told her.

In an earlier
meeting with the Mexican ambassador to the United States, Murray, who is
chairwoman of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee,
was told that Mexican President Felipe Calderon intends to discuss the
issue with President Obama during a May 19 visit to the White House.

LaHood
comes into the negotiations because the tariffs are tied to an old
issue of whether some Mexican trucks will be allowed on U.S. highways.

A
pilot program allowed it for a while but was halted. Teamsters Union
President Jim Hoffa claims it was Teamster political action that brought
accomplished that.

When it did end, Mexico imposed a 20 percent
tariff on a number of American agricultural products it imports.

“The
tariffs undermine our farmers’ competitiveness — and they are killing
jobs and devastating communities,” Murray told the secretary.

“In
fact, in the two months since you last appeared before this
subcommittee, the ConAgra potato processing plant in Prosser,
Washington, shut down — eliminating hundreds of good paying jobs,” she
said.

“And if we don’t address this problem soon, this will just
be the beginning — thousands more jobs in Washington state and across
the country are in serious jeopardy of being shipped outside our
borders.”

The Herald’s Kevin McCullen reports that the year-old
tariffs apply to more than 90 U.S. agricultural and industrial products,
contributed to a $19.7 million decline in the value of exported
Washington agricultural products to Mexico in 2009 compared with 2008
and could affect about 20,000 jobs.

The Washington Department of
Agriculture and the Washington State Potato Commission say Mexico is the
No. 2 international export market for Washington frozen potatoes, and
the state sustained a $14 million decline in frozen potatoes exported to
Mexico from April to December 2009.

And it’s not just potatoes:

• Washington pear exports to Mexico were worth $19.9 million from April
  to November 2008, McCullen found, then dropped to $8.79 million,
  according to Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office.
• Cherry exports to
  Mexico in 2009 were worth $3.4 million, down from $3.5 million in 2008.
• Mixed nuts, berries and apricots also are among the Washington
  agricultural products exported to Mexico.

There is a lot at stake
in the tariff dispute.

It may be an international issue, but it
comes home to us right here in Benton and Franklin counties.

The
only thing to do is sort it out and fix it.

Murray is leading that
effort.

-Tri-City Herald