The move is a significant setback for American farmers, workers and the domestic almond industry. The bipartisan delegation has urged the White House and Congressional leadership to prioritize this issue in ongoing trade discussions with Turkey.
“This tariff hike is not just a number; it’s a direct hit to the livelihoods of thousands of American families,” Aubrey Bettencourt, CEO and president of the Almond Alliance. “We’ve worked hard to build a sustainable and competitive industry. It’s disheartening to see our efforts undermined by unjust tariffs. We call upon our leaders to act swiftly and decisively.”
According to recent reports, Turkey plans to raise the most-favored-nation (MFN) duty on U.S. inshell and shelled almonds by 15%. This, coupled with Turkey’s existing 10% retaliatory tariff, will result in a staggering 25% tariff on U.S. almonds. Such an increase unfairly benefits other almond-producing countries like Australia, Spain, Uzbekistan and Iran, giving them an unjustified competitive edge in the Turkish market.
The U.S. and, especially, California, which is the epicenter of global almond production, will be disproportionately affected by this tariff hike. The state accounts for nearly 80% of the world’s almond supply, with 91% of almond farms being family-operated. The almond industry is a significant job creator, especially in California’s economically challenged Central Valley, contributing billions to the U.S. economy.
The letter led by Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) and Congressman John Duarte (CA-13) included Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA-20), Congressman Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-04), Congressman Josh Harder (CA-09), Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Congressman David Valadao (CA-22), Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40), Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41), and Congresswoman Katie Porter (CA-47), urged the U.S. government to engage with Turkey to remove these burdensome tariffs and ensure a level playing field for American almond producers.
For more information, visit almondalliance.org.
