Mexican Potato Growers Strike

Mexican potato growers held a nationwide strike last week, demanding that their government block U.S. potato imports as part of a broader nationalistic agriculture protest. Videos shared online showed growers calling for an end to U.S. potato shipments. National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles said the strike was timed to influence the review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, adding that Mexican growers “want to return to the monopoly they originally held on Mexico’s domestic market.” U.S. potato exports to Mexico now total about $130 million annually, making it the top foreign market for American potatoes.