Washington’s congressional legislators are stepping in to help Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties blueberry growers challenged by steep Japanese tariffs on frozen berries, a key export market.

Recently, Reps. Rick Larsen (D-Everett) and Suzan DelBene (D-Medina) urged U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel to work with their Japanese counterparts to ensure equal market access for Washington farmers by eliminating Japan’s damaging frozen blueberry tariffs.

While the U.S.-Japan Phase One trade deal reduced tariffs for fresh and dried blueberry to zero, American frozen blueberries continue to face 6.0 percent or 9.6 percent tariff rates in Japan, depending on sugar content. Japan lifted tariffs on frozen blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, leaving frozen blueberries as an outlier in terms of market access.

In 2020, Skagit County blueberry growers earned about $22.5 million from 4,500 acres of blueberries. According to Washington State University Extension statistics, in 2000 there were just 625 acres, with $3 million in sales. All growers are now facing a decline in prices due to overproduction.

La Conner-area growers like the Hedlins and the Swansons sell to the fresh market, but about half the Skagit blueberry crop is processed and sold frozen. Sakuma Brothers in Burlington sells a large part of its blueberry crop to Japan. Closer to La Conner, Lenning Farms is also likely affected by the tariffs.

“We urge you to pursue an amendment to the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement to ensure U.S. frozen blueberries receive the same market access in Japan as fresh or dried blueberries, as well as other frozen berries, all of which can enter Japan without a tariff,” the Washington lawmakers wrote in a pair of letters to Tai and Emanuel. “Doing so will allow U.S. farmers to compete on level terms with other blueberry exporting countries and would help save and revitalize market opportunities for U.S. berry farmers.”

Washington state is the leading producer of blueberries in the U.S., and Whatcom, Snohomish and Skagit counties are among its top blueberry-producing counties. In August 2021, Ambassador Tai joined Larsen and DelBene for a meeting with local farmers, producers and Tribal leaders in Mount Vernon to discuss the importance of Asian market access to U.S. jobs.

Source: Office of Rep. Rick Larsen and WSU Extension Skagit County Agriculture Statistics 2020.