Rubio Issues Statement on ITC Global Safeguard Investigation of Blueberry Imports

Statement

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement after the International Trade Commission (ITC) voted in its Section 201 Global Safeguard Investigation to deny relief to Florida's blueberry growers, who have been harmed by an influx of blueberry imports due to unfair trade practices by countries like Mexico.

"Today's disappointing decision by the ITC ignores the plight of Florida's blueberry growers, who have endured increasingly predatory and unfair competition from Mexican imports for years," Rubio said. "Relief for Florida's fruit and vegetable growers is long overdue, and I remain committed to securing immediate, effective, enforceable, and durable solutions to unfair import competition.

"I am a firm believer that food security is national security," Rubio continued. "Tens of millions of Americans rely on food grown in Florida during the winter and spring months, when harvests cannot take place in the rest of the country. To ensure that America's food supply chains are free from malicious market manipulations by foreign importers, we must ensure that Florida's growers can compete in a fair market environment. Unfortunately, the current market is neither free nor fair. It is my hope that the Biden Administration will work with me, and Florida's bipartisan congressional delegation, to chart a path forward from here."

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