WASHINGTON, Sept 2 — The Trump administration yesterday announced plans to seek senior-level talks with Mexico over imports of perishable fruits and vegetable as part of a broader series of actions meant to bolster US farmers, raising the possibility of future tariffs.

The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) also will request that the US International Trade Commission initiate a Section 201 global safeguard investigation to review “the extent to which increased imports of blueberries have caused serious injury to domestic blueberry growers.” If the commission finds injury, the US government could impose tariffs on products to help domestic growers.

“President (Donald) Trump recognises the challenges faced by American farmers and is committed to promoting and securing fair trade and a level playing field for all American producers,” US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement, which also outlined actions by the Commerce Department and the Department of Agriculture.

USTR said it would seek talks with Mexico in the next 90 days to address concerns over imports of Mexican strawberries, bell peppers and other seasonal products. It said it would work with domestic producers to initiate an ITC investigation of strawberry and bell pepper imports that could lead to an expedited Section 201 probe later in the year.

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The US trade action comes two months after the start of a new US-Mexico-Canada trade pact (USMCA) that replaced the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement.

Lighthizer has touted USMCA as the “most far-reaching” trade agreement in US history, but said he would file dispute cases “early and often” to enforce USMCA provisions.

Yesterday, USTR announced new steps to curb steel imports from Mexico and Brazil.

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USTR said it would coordinate with the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture to monitor imports of seasonal and perishable products, coordinate future investigations and trade remedy actions, and help lawmakers develop future legislation. — Reuters