Press Releases

This week, Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-04) joined a bipartisan effort calling on the Biden Administration to expand markets for Michigan blueberries and reduce barriers facing farmers who export the fruit. In a letter from members representing blueberry growing states, the lawmakers urge U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to expand overseas sales of American grown blueberries by working with Japanese counterparts to eliminate harmful frozen blueberry tariffs.

“Increasing exports to Asia is an important way to support U.S. agricultural industries and grow jobs in the United States, and blueberries are an important commodity, with exports worth over $245 million in 2021. We urge you to work with your Japanese counterparts to support U.S. farmers by eliminating Japan’s frozen blueberry tariffs,” wrote the lawmakers. “Japan’s tariffs on frozen blueberries have made American exports non-competitive… As a result, American frozen blueberry exports to Japan have been declining relative to those from top competitors like Canada and the European Union (EU) who enjoy tariff-free trade with Japan for all forms of blueberries."

“We urge you to pursue a technical amendment to the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement to ensure U.S. frozen blueberries receive the same duty-free market access in Japan as fresh or dried blueberries, as well as other frozen berries,” the lawmakers concluded. “Doing so will allow U.S. farmers to compete on level terms with other blueberry exporting countries and would help save and revitalize market opportunities for U.S. berry farmers.”

In 2021, Michigan produced about 72 million pounds of blueberries across 16,000 acres of farmland. Blueberry farming has an estimated $530 million economic impact in Michigan, according to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, employing over 6,600 people.

"As a 3rd generation Michigan blueberry grower, I know firsthand the importance of having a strong domestic market and access to export markets are to the overall health and competitiveness of the American blueberry industry,” said Shelly Hartmann of True Blue Farms in Grand Junction. “I'm thankful to Representative Huizenga for his support of Michigan blueberry growers and his work to resolve unfair trade barriers that directly and indirectly affect all blueberry producers across the country."

Congressman Huizenga has consistently fought to level the playing field for blueberry, apple, cherry, and other specialty crop growers in Michigan.  In 2021, Congressman Huizenga was the only member from Michigan to testify before the International Trade Commission in support of American blueberry growers.  In December of 2020, Congressman Huizenga led a bipartisan letter in support of blueberry farmers and calling for fair trade practices.  In August of 2020, Congressman Huizenga toured Crossroads Blueberry Farms in West Olive, Michigan with former Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. In 2019, Congressman Huizenga was the first member from Michigan to support the Defending Domestic Produce Production Act to recognize the unique circumstances seasonal fruit and vegetable producers who are directly harmed by the practices and subsidies utilized by Mexico, Central American, and South American nations.

Michigan members of Congress also signing the letter include Jack Bergman (MI-01), John Moolenaar (MI-02), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), and Elissa Slotkin (MI-07).

The lawmakers’ full letter to USTR Tai and the USDA can be found here or below.

Dear Ambassador Tai:

Increasing exports to Asia is an important way to support U.S. agricultural industries and grow jobs in the United States, and blueberries are an important commodity, with exports worth over $245 million in 2021. We urge you to work with your Japanese counterparts to support U.S. farmers by eliminating Japan’s frozen blueberry tariffs.

The U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement, which entered into force in 2020, eliminated Japan’s tariffs on fresh and dried blueberries, but omitted frozen blueberries from this relief. U.S. frozen blueberry exports to Japan continue to face a 6.0 percent or 9.6 percent tariff in Japan, depending on sugar content. In this agreement, Japan also lifted tariffs on frozen blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, leaving frozen blueberries as an outlier in terms of market access.

Japan’s tariffs on frozen blueberries have made American exports non-competitive compared to countries that are members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and can freely trade with Japan in all blueberry products. As a result, American frozen blueberry exports to Japan have been declining relative to those from top competitors like Canada and the European Union (EU) who enjoy tariff-free trade with Japan for all forms of blueberries.

The U.S. share of the Japanese frozen blueberry import market has declined year-over-year following CPTPP from 21 percent in 2018 to 15 percent in 2022. Conversely, Canada has maintained its large market share, accounting for 57 percent of total import market share as of 2022. In the same time period, the EU has more than doubled its market share to nearly 9 percent.

This inequality has been unaddressed for nearly four years, threatening business relationships between American farmers and importers in the third-largest international market for U.S. frozen blueberries.

We recognize that the trade pillar of the administration’s signature trade initiative in the region, the IndoPacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) is focused on non-tariff barriers, and we are not requesting a new negotiating phase of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement. Frozen blueberries represent a relatively small share of bilateral trade—less than 0.1% of the value of all U.S. agricultural exports to Japan in 2022. But for producers in our states, Japan is a critical market, and the tariff on American frozen blueberries threatens the viability of their businesses and the stability of the domestic market for both fresh and frozen blueberries.

We urge you to pursue a technical amendment to the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement to ensure U.S. frozen blueberries receive the same duty-free market access in Japan as fresh or dried blueberries, as well as other frozen berries. Doing so will allow U.S. farmers to compete on level terms with other blueberry exporting countries and would help save and revitalize market opportunities for U.S. berry farmers.