East Idaho Times

U.S. Senator Mike Crapo and nine Senate colleagues have called on President Joe Biden to take action towards opening the Japanese market to U.S. fresh potatoes. In a letter to the President, the Senators emphasized the importance of addressing the longstanding issue and allowing U.S. grown fresh potatoes to be exported to Japan.

“We believe the Prime Minister of Japan’s visit to the United States poses an opportunity to address this longstanding issue and make progress in finally allowing U.S. grown fresh potatoes to be exported to Japan,” the Senators wrote.

The U.S. potato industry, valued at over $100 billion, heavily relies on exports. Around 20 percent of U.S.-grown potatoes are exported, contributing nearly $4.8 billion to the domestic economy and supporting nearly 34,000 jobs. Opening the Japanese market to U.S. potatoes is estimated to result in an additional $150 million per year in exports.

Senator Crapo, along with Senators Jim Risch, Maria Cantwell, Patty Murray, Susan Collins, Ron Wyden, Debbie Stabenow, John Hoeven, Angus King, and John Hickenlooper, signed the letter to President Biden, urging him to raise the issue with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his visit to the United States.

The Senators highlighted that there is no valid phytosanitary justification for the delays in opening the Japanese market, given the U.S. potato industry's successful history of exporting fresh potatoes to various markets in Asia. They stressed the importance of capitalizing on this opportunity to expand market access for U.S. producers.

The full text of the letter to President Biden can be accessed for further details on the Senators' call to action.