Strawberry Growers for Fair Trade (SGFT) has petitioned the US Department of Commerce and the US  International Trade Commission (ITC) to start an antidumping investigation into all fresh and chilled strawberries from Mexico imported between November and April.

The Florida growers’ legal team states the motion seeks to prove that low-priced Mexican fruit harms American producers and workers.strawberries antidumping

The Department of Commerce will determine the dumping margin, while the ITC is expected to issue a preliminary ruling by February 17 on whether the US strawberry industry has been negatively affected or is at risk due to these imports.

If investigators find that the goods are sold at less than fair value and the ITC determines that the industry is materially injured or threatened, the agency will impose antidumping duties on all strawberry imports equal to the dumping margin.

The SGFT antidumping fight against winter strawberry imports from Mexico

The association’s plaintiffs include growers statewide, such as Astin Strawberry Exchange in Plant City, BBI Produce, Inc. (doing business as Berry Boss) in Dover, and Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Daniel Pickard, lead counsel and head of the International Trade and National Security practice at Buchanan Ingersoll, states that the association filed the petition in response to Mexico’s unfair pricing practices, which harm American companies and workers.

He added that the “domestic industry is committed to opposing these unfair trade practices and ensuring that American agriculture is able to compete on a level playing field.”

Source: Fresh Fruit Portal