The United States (US) has agreed to resume imports of Prince Edward Island (PEI) table stock potatoes into Puerto Rico starting February 9, 2022.
The announcement has been made by Marie-Claude Bibeau, the Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
On its Facebook page, the PEI Potato Board welcomed this announcement “as the first step in an urgent effort to reopen the US border to our world-class potatoes”.
“It will be important to understand what the requirements are for resumption of trade with Puerto Rico. It will also be critical to understanding a clear timeline for resumption with the rest of the US. We are grateful to Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, for their hard work on this issue which inevitably is not just about PEI or potatoes but more broadly about Canadian agricultural trade with our largest customer the US,” the PEI Potato Board representatives added.
The Government of Canada has been taking a science-based approach with the US to provide the necessary assurances that would allow for the resumption of trade for PEI’s high-quality fresh potatoes. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is working with the industry to implement the import requirements for Puerto Rico, including labeling and traceability.
Resuming exports of PEI table stock potatoes to Puerto Rico is an important step in restoring US market access for PEI. In 2020, PEI’s exports of table stock potatoes to Puerto Rico were valued at USD12m. Exports of PEI table stock potatoes to Puerto Rico represent a negligible risk for the transmission of potato wart, given that Puerto Rico does not produce commercial potatoes and that there are strong and effective risk mitigation measures in place. In addition, PEI potatoes are an important staple for many families throughout Puerto Rico given their high quality and affordability.
The US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is also currently working expeditiously on their analysis for importing PEI table stock potatoes to the continental United States. The CFIA continues to have regular technical discussions with APHIS to provide the necessary scientific data and information to resume trade.
The Government of Canada will continue to take a Team Canada approach and deal with the United States on their science-based concerns, which is the best chance for re-opening the potato market in the United States as quickly as possible.
