Growers Ask Canada To Drop Onion Duty

Washington onion growers are taking their case to Canada next week to end a 10-year-old duty on U.S. onions exported to British Columbia.

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal, meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, will decide whether to extend the duty for another five years. The duty was applied to U.S. yellow onions in 1987 to prevent prices from going below the cost of production of British Columbia onions.

“All our industry wants is the opportunity to compete in B.C. at published prices determined in the open market by world supply and demand,” said Henry Michael, director of the Washington State Potato and Onion Association.