Mar 11, 2013

Webinar to walk through new tomato agreement

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, will offer a free, interactive webinar on the newly amended Tomato Suspension Agreement at 2 p.m. (Eastern) March 14.

Fresh tomatoes imported from Mexico have been governed by suspension agreements since 1996. On March 4, a new Tomato Suspension Agreement went into effect. The agreement suspends the antidumping investigation into whether Mexican tomatoes were being sold into the U.S. market at less than fair value.

The webinar is designed for tomato growers, selling agents, importers, packers, shippers, processors, and wholesalers to hear updates regarding the agreement’s coverage, terms, pricing and enforcement.

Webinar speakers will provide information on four specific areas:

• Judith Rudman, USDOC, ITA, Director for Bilateral Agreements, will explain the history of the agreement as well as recent changes in terms.
• Brian Wright, USDA, AMS, Assistant Regional Director, PACA Division, will explain how PACA has been brought into this agreement as well as how you can utilize its provisions for dispute resolution as well as unfair trade enforcement. He will also provide an overview of USDA Market News reporting on tomatoes.

The webinar is free and available to anyone with Internet access. Registration is, however, required and space is limited.

To register, click here.

For more information, call Christopher Purdy at 202-720-3209.