U.S. to Curb Turkish Cherry Juice Imports
Published: Friday, November 9, 2018
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) last Thursday announced a major step forward to protect Michigan's cherry industry, which has struggled from unfair trade practices by other countries. Starting this month, U.S. trade officials will no longer allow duty-free access for cherry juice imports from Turkey.
"In Michigan, we grow more tart cherries than any state in the country," said Stabenow. "This change is a major victory that will help level the playing field for our cherry industry. I applaud U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer for working with me on this issue, and I urge trade officials to continue to protect our cherry growers from unfair trade."
"This is a significant step forward for the Tart Cherry Industry," said Phil Korson, president of the Cherry Marketing Institute. "The flood of cheap imports has severely affected Michigan cherry growers' bottom line. This important change will help ensure our world-famous tart cherries are getting a fair shake. We appreciate Sen. Stabenow's continued leadership for our industry."
Recently, Turkey has dumped cherry products into domestic markets, creating a trade imbalance that has made it harder for Michigan growers to sell their cherries at a fair price. As a result, the cherry industry has asked trade officials to step in and remove Turkey's unfettered access to U.S. markets.
Following the U.S. Trade Representative review urged by Stabenow, a presidential proclamation officially re-imposed duties on Turkish cherry juice imports effective Nov. 1.
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