[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 109 (Thursday, June 22, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2210-S2211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Tariffs

  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, today is a very good day for one of 
Washington's most famous products; that is, Washington apples. And that 
is because retaliatory tariffs that had been put on Washington apples 
in India really impacted our growers across Washington State.
  I want to thank Ambassador Tai, and I want to thank the Biden 
administration--Secretary Raimondo especially--and I also want to thank 
Ambassador Garcetti for making sure that, in the negotiations leading 
up to today's visit by Prime Minister Modi and discussions between the 
United States and India, removing these retaliatory tariffs on apples 
was included on the list.
  So, today, our growers know that they can go back to marketing a 
great worldwide product, our Washington apples, that had access to what 
at one point was a $120 million market. This retaliatory tariff being 
removed will help boost sales to India. It will help

[[Page S2211]]

the bottom line of farmers in Washington State, and it will be 
essential for the 1,400 growers that I have just recently visited along 
with my colleague Senator Stabenow, in discussion of this year's farm 
bill, to say these are important markets for Washington products.
  We heard from people like Jorge Sanchez from Northern Fruit in East 
Wenatchee that ``India was a critical market for the Washington apple 
industry, and the tariffs have hit the producers of Red Delicious 
apples especially hard.''
  These growers are looking forward to an opportunity to rebuild this 
market access. This deal also includes removing some of the tariffs on 
chickpeas and lentils, also a great Washington product that suffered 
under these retaliatory tariffs. India was a top export market for U.S. 
chickpeas and lentils prior to the tariffs, and these important pulse 
crops are a very great product to see into the Indian market.
  At its peak, the pulse crop value was over $180 million. And they, in 
the last year, with the retaliatory tariffs over the last 6 years, had 
dwindled down to next to nothing. That is why it was so important to 
speak directly to Prime Minister Modi, to ask him to consider more 
trade with the United States, to open up these opportunities for us, 
Washington and India, to work together and for the United States and 
India to work together.
  Trade and investments are an essential part of our relationship with 
India. They are essential for all our allies and partners. And they 
should be in tandem with growing our partnership on critical, leading-
edge technologies. I know the discussions that will happen today at the 
White House and in the future will be about marrying our technology 
economies as well--very important work to be done in the post-CHIPS and 
Science legislation that was passed--and working together on important 
national security issues.
  But today is also very good news because it shows that the 
partnership between the United States and India can get us off of these 
retaliatory tariffs, help our farmers grow new market opportunities, 
and produce and sell our product in India, a very growing market for 
our apples and lentils.
  So I want to thank everybody involved again--President Biden, 
Commerce Secretary Raimondo, Ambassador Tai, and Ambassador Garcetti--
for making this happen.
  I look forward to hearing Prime Minister Modi's comments--and Foreign 
Minister Jaishankar--for continuing to see the work that our two 
countries are going to do together.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.


         Unanimous Consent Agreement--Treaty Document No. 112-8

  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for the motion 
to reconsider with respect to the treaty document No. 112-8, Tax 
Convention with Chile, be considered made and laid upon the table and 
that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Ms. CANTWELL. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Booker). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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