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From left, Collins, King, Pingree and Golden are calling for additional trade protections for producers of wild Maine blueberries.
Updated: September 18, 2020
Maine delegation makes new plea for protecting blueberry growers
Courtesy / Wild Blueberry Association of North America
Wild blueberries are the center of an industry that contributes $250 million in economic activity to Maine annually,
Maine's congressional delegation is pressing the Trump administration for more trade protections of Maine’s wild blueberry producers and frozen blueberry processors affected by foreign competition.
In a letter Thursday, the lawmakers urged U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to ensure that Maine wild blueberry growers aren’t being harmed by excessive blueberry imports and that Canadian imports for processing in Maine be excluded from tariffs.
The letter was signed by U.S. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine 2nd District, and Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 2nd District. Except for King, all are running for reelection this November.
More than a year ago, the Maine delegation sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture after blueberry producers were hurt by tariffs from China, pushing for targeted relief for blueberry growers.
Around the same time, Maine Agriculture Commissioner Amanda Beal asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to include the berries in its Market Facilitation Program providing federal relief to producers harmed by foreign trade tensions.
In the latest appeal, members of the delegation throw their support behind a request from the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine to include both cultivated and wild frozen blueberry imports in an investigation by the U.S. International Trade Commission.
“Additionally," they wrote, "should you impose tariffs on blueberry imports based on the ITC’s findings, we strongly encourage you to exclude tariffs on Canadian wild blueberry imports in their unprocessed, not-yet-ready for consumption form, which are delivered in bulk to Maine for further processing.”
The lawmakers also note that harvesters, processors and other businesses in the blueberry sector contribute an estimated $250 million in direct and an direct economic activity to Maine annually, and that wild blueberries are far more perishable than those that are cultivated. Although they can be consumed fresh, an estimated 95% of the crop is sold frozen.
"Maine has lost an estimated 20% of its wild blueberry farms as prices continue their downward trajectory as they struggle to compete with imports of cheap frozen cultivated blueberries from overseas," the delegation said.
"Given the importance of the frozen market to Maine’s blueberry producers, we believe that its inclusion in a Section 201 safeguard investigation will better inform your efforts to protect this iconic American industry."
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