(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray
(D-WA) sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to use his meeting
with Mexican President Felipe Calderon as an opportunity to work to end Mexican
tariffs that have had a devastating impact on the Washington state agricultural
industry. Mexico has targeted eighty-seven Washington state products in this
dispute and hundreds of jobs have been lost.
“As
you know, Mexico is a critical market for U.S. farmers and ranchers, but
unfortunately the trade dispute regarding trucks has resulted in heavy tariffs
on a number of U.S. products, including agricultural products grown and
processed in Washington state,” Murray
wrote in her letter to Obama.
“Many of these jobs are on the verge of migrating to Canada and, unless we
take action immediately, will not return to the United States even with a
negotiated settlement at a future date. And the situation worsens with
each passing growing season… I urge you to quickly resolve the on-going dispute
with Mexico and bring needed relief to an important sector of the Washington
state and American economy.”
Earlier this
month, Senator Murray met with the Mexican
Ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhan to discuss the impact of
Mexican tariffs on Washington state families, jobs, and agriculture industry.
Murray urged the Mexican government to end the retaliatory tariffs that are
harming Washington state families, and to use Mexican President Felipe
Calderon’s upcoming visit to Washington, D.C. as an opportunity to resolve the
differences.
In early
March, at a hearing of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murray pushed Department of Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood to move faster on a plan to resume cross-border trucking
with Mexico, urging him to resolve the situation to save American jobs while
ensuring the safety of the public at large.
The full text of the letter appears below:
President
Barack Obama
The
White House
1600Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington,
D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
As
you meet with Mexican President Felipe Calderon this week, I urge you to use
this opportunity to resolve the dispute regarding Mexican trucks. I have
raised this issue with you and your Administration, as well as the previous
administration, on numerous occasions and believe the time is now to find a
practicable solution that maintains the safety of our roadways while also
maintaining our important trade relationship with Mexico.
As
you know, Mexico is a critical market for U.S. farmers and ranchers, but
unfortunately the trade dispute regarding trucks has resulted in heavy tariffs
on a number of U.S. products, including agricultural products grown and
processed in Washington state. Mexico targets eighty-seven other
Washington products, of which potatoes, pears and cherries are the three
largest in terms of volume of trade. The frozen potato industry alone has
lost more than $31 million worth of export business since April 2009 and
hundreds of jobs. Many of these jobs are on the verge of migrating to
Canada and, unless we take action immediately, will not return to the United
States even with a negotiated settlement at a future date. And the
situation worsens with each passing growing season.
Mr.
President, I continue to support the Administration’s efforts to forge close
strategic relationships with Mexico in areas of common interests. I hope
we can resolve this issue, which is unfairly impacting my constituents, due to
the high tariffs that have been placed on Washington products such as potatoes,
pears and cherries.
Again,
I urge you to quickly resolve the on-going dispute with Mexico and bring needed
relief to an important sector of the Washington state and American
economy.
Sincerely,
Patty
Murray
U.S.
Senator
English 
Spanish