Schumer wants Obama administration to push Japan to eliminate tariff on grape juice

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) on May 13 called on U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman to urge Japan to eliminate its tariff on U.S. grape juice. 

The U.S. is involved in ongoing trade negotiations with Japan, Schumer’s office said in a news release.

Japan currently levies a 19.1 percent tariff on all imported U.S. grape-juice concentrate, which limits the ability of U.S. grape juice producers to compete in that market. 

Schumer contends that opening up Japan to U.S. grape juice could increase demand for U.S. grape-juice concentrate and demand for local grapes. 

Such an increase would benefit grape-producing regions in upstate New York, such as the Concord Grape Belt along Lake Erie in Western New York, Schumer’s office said.

Reducing the tariff would increase the international competitiveness of U.S. grape-juice concentrate and provide a boost to local growers, Schumer contends.

Japan’s tariff on U.S. produced grape juice is “prohibitive,” and limits the international competitiveness of New York grape-juice producers, Schumer said in the news release. “In trade negotiations with Japan, the USTR and the [U.S. Department of Agriculture] should work to end this harmful tariff, and open up a new market for New York–produced grape juice. It would be a boon to the region and support jobs and economic development throughout the Concord Grape belt and other grape-producing regions of the state,” Schumer said.

New York has 281 growers and over 9,700 acres of Concord vineyards.           

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