There is a potato provision included in the Phase One trade deal. According the text, USDA-APHIS and the General Administration of Customs People’s Republic of China will sign and implement phytosanitary protocol to allow U.S. fresh potato imports into China for processing. The U.S. potato industry is pleased with the language, but it’s not final yet. Now, market access protocol must be completed to confirm the rules of import can be met. “We anticipate a response from China. Then, we will have to go through that response to make sure the market access agreement is viable for shipping,” explained Matt Lantz, Vice President of Global Access, Bryant Christie, Inc. “We anticipate there will be a final round of negotiations right after the Chinese New Year to polish this up and we can hopefully sign the agreement and the market will open.” The provision is specific to chipping potatoes grown in the Pacific Northwest. Potatoes USA Chief Marketing Officer John Toaspern said once this is established, that access could be expanded to chipping potatoes grown in other areas of the country. “More chipping potatoes moving overseas also translates to further demand for chipping potatoes in the United States.”
