The European Union (EU) recently imposed approximately $4 billion in tariffs on U.S. grapefruit and other agricultural products. The tariffs, authorized by the World Trade Organization, are punishment for U.S. subsidies for the Boeing Company.
“Once again U.S. agriculture is caught in the crossfire of a dispute that is not of our making and we are used as leverage in trade negotiations,” Florida grapefruit grower and packer Dan Richey said. Richey, president of Riverfront Packing Company in Vero Beach, has long been actively involved in international trade issues involving fresh citrus.
“The tariff (on grapefruit) prior to the recent change amounted to approximately 45 cents per carton,” Richey said. “The new rate … will amount to approximately $6 plus or minus per carton.”
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