NORTHWEST HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL 2008 FOREIGN TRADE PRIORITIES The NHC will: All Commodities Respond to export market maintenance issues as they develop. Continue its efforts towards lowering barriers to trade in all countries through bilateral and multilateral negotiations such as the World Trade Organization's Doha Development Agenda. Continue its efforts to ensure that countries follow sound science and international protocol when establishing technical standards, such as for pesticide maximum residue levels. Work as needed on foreign consumer food safety situations involving our industry's products.  Promote efforts towards developing a range of post harvest quarantine treatments as alternatives to existing options. Work to ensure Congressional support for export programs that benefit our industry such as the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) grants. Work to preserve IC-DISC (Interest Charge Domestic International Sales Corporation) federal tax program for exporters. Work to preserve the antitrust protection afforded by the Export Trading Company Act by active involvement with the Joint Export Trade Alliance (JETA) of Washington , D.C. Act as our industry's main source of information on technical export issues through such means as providing an export manual and country updates on the Internet. Project the views of the industry when requested by media for information on trade matters affecting tree fruit growers and shippers in Idaho , Oregon and Washington . Represent the Northwest tree fruit industry on international trade issues by participating in the following committees and organizations:  Agriculture Transportation Coalition, Crop Protection Coalition (methyl bromide), Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports, North American Plant Protection Organization, Tree-Fruit Technical Advisory Council (Tree-TAC), United States Agricultural Export Development Council, USDA Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade (APAC) and Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables, Washington Council on International Trade, Washington State China Relations Council, World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA). Apples Monitor attempts by the People's Republic of China and Korea to gain access to the U.S. market for apples and work with the U.S. Apple Association and TreeTAC to ensure all foreign pest and disease issues are addressed by USDA/APHIS/PPQ prior to any new entry. Maintain access to Taiwan under a systems approach work plan for the control of codling moth and eliminate the three-strike penalty system in the work plan. Work to remove temperate fruit flies as pests of concern to Indonesia . Work to avoid phytosanitary barriers with Thailand Work to obtain access to the Korean market. Address tariff inequities facing apples in Andean Community countries. Work to improve customs valuation procedures in Cambodia and other countries. Formulate and coordinate industry position on Codex apple grading standards. Support Northwest Fruit Exporters’ efforts on market access or market maintenance for apples in Australia , China , Egypt , India , Israel , Japan , Mexico , South Africa and Vietnam . Actively coordinate with the United States Apple Export Council on foreign trade issues of mutual interest. Apricots, Nectarines and Peaches Work to obtain access for peaches and nectarines to Mexico under a systems approach.  Work to obtain access for peaches and nectarines to New Zealand . Work to obtain access for peaches and nectarines to Australia . Pears Monitor phytosanitary access issues with Mexico . Monitor ongoing phytosanitary issues with Ya pears, Fragrant pears and Sand pears from China and work with Tree-TAC and USDA/APHIS to ensure that mitigation measures adequately safeguard Pacific Northwest pear production. Monitor phytosanitary access issues with Colombia . Work to obtain access to the People's Republic of China . Work to remove temperate fruit flies as pests of concern to Indonesia . Work to avoid phytosanitary barriers with Thailand Work to reduce tariff levels in India . Work to address tariff inequities facing pears in Andean Community countries. Work to reduce tariff levels in Thailand . Work to obtain access to Korea . Work to obtain access to Australia . Work to obtain access to Cuba for pears grown in Oregon . Canned Pears Advocate import sensitive status for the industry in U.S. trade agreements and the GSP program. Sweet Cherries Maintain methyl bromide as a legal post harvest quarantine treatment. Monitor phytosanitary access issues with Australia . Work to obtain a systems approach in Korea and New Zealand . Work to avoid phytosanitary barriers with Thailand . Work to remove temperate fruit flies as pests of concern to Indonesia . Work to obtain access to Western Australia . Work to obtain access to Chile . Work to obtain access to South Africa . Work to obtain access to Israel . Further information on the NHC and its work on trade matters may be obtained at www.nwhort.org. 12/20/07 Northwest Horticultural Council 105 South 18th Street, Suite 105 Yakima, Washington 98901, USA Voice: (509) 453-3193, Fax: (509) 457-7615 E-mail general@nwhort.org