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Letters to the Editor: OJ Tariff Good

Bradenton Herald – March 16, 2008

In your March 9 Business section story on the orange juice trade between Brazil and the United States, UC-Davis professor Colin Carter says he tells his children the tariff on OJ imported into the United States is a tax “to benefit the growers of Florida.”

While Carter should be applauded for buying his family such a healthy beverage, I wish his understanding of the citrus industry matched his nutritional savvy.

He neglected to point out that the tariff protects OJ consumers by ensuring continued competition in the U.S. market. Cheap labor already provides the Brazilian citrus industry with a significant cost advantage, and Brazilian processing companies have twice been found guilty of selling below cost in the U.S. in an attempt to drive out Florida competitors. Of course, monopolization of the world orange juice market will not produce lower prices to consumers, it will only lead to the loss of an industry rich with Florida history, jobs for nearly 90,000 Floridians and an annual economic impact of $9.1 billion.

The article also failed to report that the tariff represents a small fraction of the actual retail price of orange juice; however, it is the difference between life and death for many Florida citrus growers.

In a world where national security has taken center stage, isn’t it good policy to protect the domestic production of food, especially a wholesome product that helps supply the United States with essential nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium and folic acid? I hope Mr. Carter considers this next time he’s at the grocery store.

Michael W. Sparks, Executive Vice President/
CEO, Florida Citrus Mutual
Lakeland

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