Representative Scholten Calls For Action To Protect Michigan’s Blueberry Farmers From Unfair Foreign Competition
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten is urging the House Ways and Means Committee to help protect Michigan’s blueberry farms. Michigan is a top producer of blueberries in the United States, and the Michigan blueberry industry is critical to the state’s economy. Rep Scholten is requesting a United States International Trade Commission (ITC) investigation into how Peru’s potentially unfair trade practices may undercut the domestic blueberry industry in order to develop policy that uplifts the agricultural industry and rural West Michigan communities.
“Blueberry farms are the gems of West Michigan. We have to do everything we can to ensure that they continue to thrive, ” said Congresswoman Scholten. “Our small family farms are an integral part of our local economies and a beloved part of our communities. They’re also critical to maintaining a strong domestic food supply - something that is vital for our economic and national security. I will work with whoever, whenever, wherever, to best support Michigan’s blueberry farmers.”
The full text of Representative Scholten’s letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith is available below.
Dear Chairman Smith:
I respectfully request that the House Committee on Ways and Means compel the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) to oversee a Section 332 investigation on the negative economic impacts of Peruvian blueberry imports on domestic production. A Section 332 investigation would shine a light on the barriers facing American blueberry growers. Specifically, our agricultural communities continue to face competition from cheap Peruvian blueberry imports flooding the market and suffocating American blueberries. Despite the unique qualities of West Michigan soil, which enable blueberry bushes to thrive, American families are feeling the pinch and will often opt for simply the cheapest option. Foreign nations are undercutting our domestic producers and the U.S. agricultural market as they increasingly struggle with seasonal imports during their harvest season.
In the United States, our hardworking farmers typically harvest blueberries from early March through September. In contrast, Peru’s climate allows for a nearly year-round blueberry harvest. Peru’s exports to the United States have skyrocketed, increasing from 77 million pounds in 2007 to 657 million pounds in 2022, twice the total U.S. production that year. Ultimately, this influx of Peruvian blueberries has intensified competition and placed downward pressure on prices.
In addition to leveraging the country’s ever-growing harvest season, Peru’s lower agricultural input costs– largely reflective of questionable or unknown labor and agricultural standards–allow exporters to undersell domestic growers. Numerous reports demonstrate Peru’s persisting child labor crisis, with many of these children recruited specifically to perform agricultural jobs.2 Michigan growers, however, are highly vulnerable to acute labor shortages and rising input costs. Inflation-adjusted prices for U.S. blueberries have declined by more than 70 percent over the past two decades, with the most significant losses occurring after 2017, when Peruvian exports began to dominate the market. Peruvian exports are also not scrutinized as extensively as domestically grown blueberries. America’s innovative farmers have invested everything into achieving high-quality crops, and yet are held to standards that Peru’s exporters bypass. Peru’s low agricultural inputs and inconsistent regulations threaten the financial viability of domestic agricultural operations, as well as our constituents’ way of life.
I urge your committee to request a Section 332 investigation so that together, we can uplift our agriculture industry and rural communities. This investigation is critical to understanding how Peru’s blueberry exports are harming domestic farms. Our economy continues to shift, and we must ensure our trade policies reflect the current market to avoid devastation to growing seasons across the nation. Thank you for your consideration–I look forward to working together to boost domestic production and bolster our agricultural regions.
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