United States potato farmers will soon be able to distribute and sell more fresh potatoes across Mexico, as soon as early 2022, after almost 25 years of export bans. The reason U.S. farmers were unable to sell fresh potatoes throughout Mexico were due to restrictions that were in place by the Mexican government. Those restrictions only allowed U.S. potato farmers and exporters to sell them within a 16-mile zone across the Mexican border, according to Freightwaves. The reason it has taken this export ban so long to be lifted, is the trade issues between the U.S. and Mexico.
What does this new agreement entail?
Within the agreement, the following ports of entry into Mexico is where U.S. exporters will be able to sell fresh potatoes all across of Mexico, according to Freightwaves.
- El Paso, Texas-Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
- Otay Mesa, California-Tijuana, Mexico
- Nogales, Arizona-Nogales, Mexico
- Calexico East port entry, California-Mexicali, Mexico
- Laredo, Texas-Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
- Pharr, Texas-Reynosa, Mexico
- San Luis port of entry, Arizona-San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico
The first four ports (El Paso, Otay Mesa, Nogales, and Calexico East) will be operational for fresh potato exports beyond the border region when the work agreement goes into effect in 2022, according to Freightwaves. Also in this agreement, Mexican authorities will approve two new ports of entry each year after the conclusion of the first year.
The Benefit This Has For Mexico and The U.S.
Kam Quarles, the CEO of the National Potato Council said they are working on educating potato growers and exporters on the specific requirements for shipping beyond the 16-mile border zone. Quarles also noted that the estimates of the exports of fresh potatoes to Mexico has the likelihood to increase from the current $60 million annually to $150 million annually, according to Freightwaves. This not only has a huge benefit for Mexican consumers and the Mexico domestic potato industry, but also for potato growing states in the United States such as, Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Idaho which are all leading producers of potatoes, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AGMRC). Reach out to a team member today if you are interested in learning more!
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