Governor Inslee in Mexico with state trade delegation Pt 2

Governor Inslee in Mexico with state trade delegation Pt 2

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
I'm Bob Larson. Trade talks last week between Governor Jay Inslee and other Washington Ag officials with the Mexican President and his top trade and finance officials may have been a ground breaking of sorts.

Inslee says the president's decision to renegotiate NAFTA could really help Washington growers ...

JAY INSLEE ... "So, we think there are a lot of opportunities for selling more Ag products in Mexico both from getting them more regionally priced products and also higher on the value chain, so we're excited about it. And, as I said, this NAFTA discussion may be a springboard to opening up doors to these new products."

Inslee says it's probably not something the state can do on its own ...

JAY INSLEE ... "We do need some action by the Mexican government to remove some of the barriers that now exist. So, there in some national discussion from the Mexican side, but they could do that, I suppose, without the necessity of the U.S. action. But I think, more realistically, particularly since there's going be a lot of discussion about NAFTA, we need the national government to be involved in these discussions to try and make this happen."

Inslee hopes the talks were just the beginning ...

JAY INSLEE ... "Now, we're plowing the ground. We're developing the relationships. Like I said, this is quite an extraordinary thing for a governor to get to talk to the Finance Minister about a specific trade issue and I was really appreciative of an opportunity to do that."

Inslee says NAFTA is crucial for the local Ag industry as Mexico and Canada make up about 40 percent of Washington state apple exports.

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