As the result of Section 232 tariffs imposed by the U.S. on steel and aluminum imports from Mexico, frozen U.S. potatoes are on Mexico’s retaliatory tariff list. National Potato Council’s John Keeling says eventually, U.S. fries would be replaced by Canada’s spuds. There’s also concern about what this means for the European Union. “The thing about the Europeans, when they get a piece of the market they don’t go away, they stay in there fighting. If this gives them a leg up in the Mexican market, it’ll be a problem for us long term.” Keeling says this is a direct hit at the U.S., but he’s hopeful this is just a negotiating ploy.
