Dec 31, 2025NPC requests investigation into Canadian trade practices
The National Potato Council (NPC) has asked the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to investigate Canadian potato trade practices.
On Dec. 19, NPC’s Executive Committee unanimously approved a resolution requesting USTR launch a fact-finding investigation to address concerns regarding British Columbia’s efforts to limit exports of potatoes to that province, as well as other Canadian policies that may unfairly distort trade with the U.S.
“To fulfill the organization’s mission of supporting U.S. potato growers, the NPC Executive Committee determined that a federal investigation is necessary to establish a verified set of facts regarding the U.S.-Canada trading relationship,” NPC said in a statement.
The resolution addresses a longstanding measure imposed by the province of British Columbia against U.S. potato exports, primarily from Washington, for more than 40 years. Canadian authorities recently significantly enhanced this measure, resulting in millions of dollars in reported losses for U.S. growers, according to the statement.
Canadian law permits individual provinces to bring and enforce such measures, raising questions regarding compliance with the spirit of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), NPC said.
The Executive Committee also addressed intensifying concerns from producers in North Dakota, Minnesota and Michigan regarding Canadian competition. While exchange rates and freight advantages currently favor Canada, growers have expressed concerns that government subsidies may be artificially lowering Canadian production costs, according to the NPC statement.
NPC officially requested a Section 332 fact-finding investigation n a formal letter sent to USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator Ambassador Julie Callahan. If approved by the USTR, the inquiry will gather objective data regarding Canadian trade practices.
The request focuses on two primary areas of concern that have strained the U.S.-Canada trading relationship, according to NPC:
- Since 1984, British Columbia has imposed anti-dumping duties on U.S. fresh potatoes. In July 2025, Canadian authorities significantly increased the price trigger embedded in that order. NPC’s letter challenges this move, stating that growers report the new rate is “substantially greater than the highest price growers have seen” and calls the 40-year-old order “absurd on its face.” NPC argues this mechanism acts as a “clear restraint of trade that violates the spirit, if not the letter, of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.”
- The letter also highlights cross-border competitive challenges that are increasingly acute in the Upper Midwest. U.S. growers in North Dakota, Minnesota and Michigan have reported to NPC that the marketplace is becoming increasingly uncompetitive driven by exchange rate issues, freight advantages and their belief that Canadian government programs may be further distorting trade.
In the letter, NPC CEO Kam Quarles emphasized that a Section 332 investigation is critical to “ensuring that the facts are fully understood in advance of any remedial action.” The industry now awaits a response from Callahan and the USTR.
