b'Will a Reset on Trade Generate Results?by Kam Quarles, NPC Executive Vice President and CEOWith 20 percent of the U.S. potato Europeancompetitors.Thesecondcrop destined for foreign consumers, was that there was a real focus onthe National Potato Council is a tire- sanitaryandphytosanitaryissues,lessadvocatefortheexpansionof market access, and providing groupstrade agreements that promote fair withamechanismforchallengingaccessforU.S.freshandprocessed the actions by one of the parties forpotatoexports.DuringtheTrump being in violation of the agreement.Administrationwefoughtforandachieved several significant victories This ability to challenge one of theon the trade front. We hope to con- USMCApartiesfornotfollowingtinue that momentum with the sup- throughwithitscommitmentsisportofthenewBiden potentially important as we work toAdministration.gain fresh market access throughoutthe country of Mexico. We are hope-Thefirstandmostobvioustrade ful that the Mexican Supreme CourtNPCagreement finalized during the last willsoonruleonasetoflawsuitsadministrationwasthecompletion broughtbytheMexicanpotatoandsuccessfulimplementationis industry against its government pre-UnitedStates-Mexica-Canada venting it from opening the countryAgreement (USMCA).tofreshU.S.potatoes.However,Messageshould the court side with the plain-During NPCs policy-focused session tiffs and uphold the current block-at Potato Expo 2021, I was joined by ade against U.S. potatoes, NPC hastheU.S.potatoindustrysbattle- alreadyheldconversationswithscarredtradeexpertMattLantz BidenAdministrationofficialsandfrom the firm Bryant Christie Inc.USDAstaffwhounderstandshowwhoisawalkingencyclopediaof vital this market is to our industry.tradeknowledge.Duringthatdis- Thedisputeresolutionmechanismcussion,Mattreportedthatthe within USMCA may be the way weUSMCAwassignificantforthe ultimately and finally get full accessindustryfortworeasons.Thefirst to the Mexican market. was that it did no harm, in thatthe U.S. retained a zero percent tariff In addition to the USMCA victory,ratewithCanadaandMexico, therewassignificanttradeactivitywhich keeps U.S. potato products on in the Pacific Rim over the past fewalevelplayingfieldwithour years. Most importantly, the historic10 POTATO GROWER FEBRUARY 2021'