Garamendi Secures Win for California Peach Growers with Tariffs on European Union Canned Peaches and Mixed Fruit

WASHINGTON, DC–Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) applauded the United States Trade Representative for granting his request to impose tariffs on canned peaches and mixed fruits exported from the European Union. One June 4, 2019, Garamendi sent a letter with Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, calling for tariffs on European Union canned peaches and canned fruit mixtures.

“California supplies nearly 56 percent of the American fresh peach crop and more than 96 percent of processed peaches. However, heavily subsidized and unfairly priced EU canned peaches have displaced American sales in markets around the world and here at home,” said Garamendi. “An important US fruit processor has recently closed its peach processing facility in California due to these unfair trading practices by the EU, which has led to hundreds of job losses. This decision by the USTR is an important step in standing up to unfair EU subsidies and bringing jobs back to California and the United States. Thank you to the USTR for approving my request and to Congressman Doug LaMalfa who joined me in this effort.”

This action comes in response to the European Union’s longstanding illegal aircraft subsidies, for which this week the United States won the largest arbitration award in the World Trade Organization’s history at $7.5 billion. The European Union has been providing illegal subsidies to Airbus, which have negatively affected the U.S. aerospace industry and American workers. The World Trade Organization ruled that the United States is entitled to impose punitive tariffs in response to the European Union’s continuing illegal subsidies. Canned peaches and canned mixed fruit are among the European Union exports now subject to tariffs announced by the U.S. Trade Representative.