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The Impact of the Andean Trade Preference Act Twelfth ... - USITC

The Impact of the Andean Trade Preference Act Twelfth ... - USITC

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agricultural sector in Peru has clearly benefitted from ATPA preferences, developingnontraditional export crops such as artichokes, asparagus, beans, flowers, grapes, mangoes,onions, and paprika. 345Asparagus has proved to be one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> foremost alternative development export crops thatbenefits from ATPA. According to <strong>the</strong> Peruvian Asparagus and Vegetables Institute in itssubmission to <strong>the</strong> Commission for this report, Peru ranked as <strong>the</strong> world’s largest exporter <strong>of</strong>asparagus in 2005. <strong>The</strong> institute notes that Peru is also a significant and growing exporter<strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r fresh and preserved vegetables, such as artichokes, chili peppers, pimientos, andpaprika. Stating that it supports <strong>the</strong> positive effect ATPA has had on <strong>the</strong>se industries, <strong>the</strong>institute points out that <strong>the</strong> asparagus industry now “provides alternative legal employmentto over 60,000 workers, many <strong>of</strong> whom come from mountainous areas where cocaproduction has traditionally taken place.” 346<strong>The</strong> institute’s submission estimates that, <strong>of</strong> 4.3 million formal jobs in Peru in 2004, 1.1million were related to nontraditional exports, and 600,000 <strong>of</strong> those were in <strong>the</strong> agriculturalexport sector, which benefits from trade preferences <strong>of</strong>fered under programs such as ATPA.<strong>The</strong> institute highlights <strong>the</strong> artichoke industry as ano<strong>the</strong>r nontraditional agricultural exportsector. <strong>The</strong> sector currently employs 15,000 people and surpassed $40 million in value in2004. Paprika exports also increased by 88 percent between 2004 and 2005, surpassing $90million in value to make Peru <strong>the</strong> world’s top paprika exporter.<strong>The</strong> administration <strong>of</strong> President Alan Garcia, who was elected in June 2006, is formulatinga five-year export promotion plan called Sierra Exportadora that aims to encourage farmersin <strong>the</strong> Peruvian highlands–where much <strong>of</strong> Peru’s coca is grown–to increase economic growthby shifting from traditional food crops, such as corn, potatoes, and quinoa, 347 to higher-valueexport products, such as artichokes, snow peas, peppers and paprika, onions, and trout. 348This export promotion plan is modeled on increased agricultural exports, such as those from<strong>the</strong> asparagus industry that were induced by ATPA trade-based preferences and which hasgenerated economic growth on <strong>the</strong> Peruvian sou<strong>the</strong>rn coast. 349345U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> State telegram, “<strong>USITC</strong> 2005 Investment and Drug Crop Survey,” messagereference No. 2490, prepared by U.S. Embassy, Lima, June 21, 2006.346Carlos Mateo Paz-Soldan, and John B. Totaro, Jr., attorneys, Schmeltzer, Aptaker & Shepard, onbehalf <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Peruvian Asparagus and Vegetables Institute, written submission to <strong>the</strong> Commission concerninginv. No. 332-352, <strong>Andean</strong> <strong>Trade</strong> <strong>Preference</strong> <strong>Act</strong>: <strong>Impact</strong> on U.S. Industries and Consumers and on DrugCrop Eradication and Crop Substitution, June 8, 2006.347A high protein, desirable plant found in <strong>the</strong> high Andes whose seeds are <strong>of</strong>ten ground for food in Peru.348 U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> State telegram, “Understanding Garcia’s Export Promotion Plan,” messagereference No. 2507, prepared by U.S. Embassy, Lima, June 22, 2006; U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> State telegram,“Garcia’s Campaign Proposals – He’s Got <strong>the</strong> Dough,” message reference No. 2532, prepared by U.S.Embassy, Lima, June 26, 2006.349U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> State telegram, “Understanding Garcia’s Export Promotion Plan,” messagereference No. 2507, prepared by U.S. Embassy, Lima, June 22, 2006.4-13

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