(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray
(D-WA) sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him move forward with a
plan to end Mexican tariffs that have had a devastating impact on the
Washington state agricultural industry after last week’s meeting with Mexican
President Felipe Calderon. During the meeting, the two presidents discussed the
tariffs Mexico has placed on U.S. products. Mexico has targeted eighty-seven
Washington state products in this dispute and hundreds of jobs have been lost.
“Given
the recent visit by Mexican President Felipe Calderon last week, I believe now
is the time to take the next step forward.” Senator Murray wrote in her
letter to President Obama.
“I have discussed this issue with you, your administration, and the previous
administration and believe that after the visit by President Calderon a path
forward is available.”
Prior to the
meeting between President Obama and Mexican President Calderon, Senator Murray
sent a President a letter urging him to use his meeting with Mexican
President Felipe Calderon as an opportunity to work to end Mexican tariffs that
have had a devastating impact on the Washington state farmers and families.
She has also spoken with senior White House officials to reemphasize that
point.
Earlier this
month, Senator
Murray met with the Mexican Ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhan
to discuss the impact of Mexican tariffs on Washington state families, jobs,
and agriculture industry. Murray urged the Mexican government to end the
retaliatory tariffs that are harming Washington state families, and to use
Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s upcoming visit to Washington, D.C. as an
opportunity to resolve the differences.
In early
March, at a hearing of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator
Murray pushed Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to move
faster on a plan to resume cross-border trucking with Mexico, urging him to
resolve the situation to save American jobs while ensuring the safety of the
public at large.
The full text of the letter appears below:
President
Barack Obama
The
White House
1600
Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington,
D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
I am
following up on my May 18, 2010 letter regarding Mexican trucks. Given
the recent visit by Mexican President Felipe Calderon last week, I believe now
is the time to take the next step forward. I have discussed this issue
with you, your administration, and the previous administration and believe that
after the visit by President Calderon a path forward is available.
The
ongoing heavy tariffs imposed on eighty-seven Washington products have
exacerbated economic hardships in my state. Washington farmers
specifically have been pushed from an already difficult climate into a far
worse economic position. In the last year, the Mexican tariff on potatoes
has caused U.S. frozen potato shipments to Mexico to decline by 50 percent
while shipments of frozen potatoes from Canada to Mexico have increased by 60
percent. In practical terms this means a loss of over $14 million worth
of Washington frozen potato exports since April 2009 and several hundred
Washington state jobs. The potato industry is not alone. Washington
state pear exports to Mexico dropped by 56 percent between 2008 and 2009 due to
this tariff, a loss of over $8 million. Unless action is taken
immediately there is a good chance that this shift in exports will lead to continued
job losses and have a long-term impact on our economy.
Mr.
President, tens of thousands of jobs are supported by the Washington state
potato and pear industries and these represent only two of the eighty-seven products
imperiled under tariffs unfairly aimed at my constituents. I urge you to
resolve the dispute with Mexico and bring relief to Washington state farmers
and the Washington state economy.
Sincerely,
Patty
Murray
United
States Senator
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