New Mexico's US senators want the Trump administration to defend the state's pecan growers from tariffs during ongoing trade negotiations with India.
The Carlsbad Current-Argus reports U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall recently signed on to a bipartisan letter from 12 senators urging US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to negotiate a lift of a trade barrier.
Records show India charges a 36% tariff on pecan imports, while other tree nuts such as pistachios and almonds are charged tariff rates of 10 per cent or less.
New Mexico became the largest pecan-producing state last year, after Hurricane Michael ravaged Georgia's crop.
New Mexico was estimated to have produced about 90 million pounds of pecans in 2018, down about 2 million from 2017.
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