Jun 9, 2023

USApple supports UNITED Act for UK exports

USApple is voicing its support of expanded and two-way trade with the United Kingdom.

The Falls Church, Virginia, association is joining 47 food and agriculture entities supporting the UNITED Act.

The coalition and USApple want members of Congress to pass the act, bipartisan legislation that grants the president the authority, in consultation with Congress, to negotiate a comprehensive trade agreement with the UK.

Currently, U.S. apple exports are excluded from EU commerce by non-tariff trade barriers. The act offers the UK the opportunity to adopt sensible, science-based rules and a new trade agreement that will help U.S. apples regain a presence in the UK market, according to a news release.

“The UK was once a significant market for U.S. apples, and could be again with a trade agreement and a rational set of rules in place,” Jim Bair, USApple president and CEO, said in the release. “We’re calling on Congress to pass the UNITED Act quickly, and on the president to use the authority completely.”

“The UNITED Act is a fundamental opportunity to expand trade in U.S. apples – a nutritious, high-quality, iconic American product that once had a place in UK stores, and can again,” he said in the release.

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is a member-driven association that represents all segments of the apple industry, including growers, packers, shippers, marketers, processors, suppliers, state/regional associations, and other businesses engaged in the industry.

USApple is a national voice and resource center serving the American apple industry which supports 150,000 jobs that generate more than $8 billion in total wages and is responsible for almost $23 billion in economic output.