Feb 11, 2019

Fresh potatoes to China: members of Congress write letter to Trump

The push to get fresh U.S.-grown potatoes to China has reached President Donald Trump in the form of a letter signed by 39 members of Congress.

The letter, dated Feb. 8, urges the President to include fresh potatoes as part of his administration’s ongoing trade negotiations with China, home to 1.39 billion people. Frustrations regarding China’s unwillingness to open its border to fresh potatoes are expressed in the letter, including efforts of the potato industry to ensure safety of its product. An excerpt:

“The U.S. potato industry has a $3.7 billion farm gate value, and that success relies on finding an international market for one out of five potatoes produced. Since 2000, opening access to China for U.S. fresh potatoes has been a priority for U.S. potato growers and included on every bilateral agenda. … The U.S. potato industry has worked diligently to provide science-based research and answer every question posed regarding the safety of fresh potatoes grown in the United States. These efforts have resulted in no meaningful commitments from China.”

Click here for the full letter. It was signed by 25 representatives and 14 senators.

• Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho)
• Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
• Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
• Sen. Angus S. King Jr. (I-Maine)
• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)
• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)
• Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)
• Sen. Jeffrey Merkley (D-Oregon)
• Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.)
• Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.)
• Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.)
• Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
• Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)
• Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)
• Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho)
• Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Oregon)
• Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.)
• Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Oregon)
• Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.)
• Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon)
• Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho)
• Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.)
• Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.)
• Rep. Denny Heck (D-Wash.)
• Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.)
• Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine)
• Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.)
• Rep. Daniel Kildee (D-Mich.)
• Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.)
• Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.)
• Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.)
• Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.)
• Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.)
• Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.)
• Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-Mich.)
• Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine)
• Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Colo.)
• Rep. Greg Walden (R-Oregon)
• Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.)