Monitoring of U.S. Imports of Peppers. Investigation No. 332-351 (November 2008)

摘要

This report on the Commissions monitoring investigation covers peppers for fresh-market use and for processing. The purpose of this monitoring, as expressed in the NAFTA Implementation Act, is to enable the Commission to conduct an expedited investigation concerning provisional import relief and, if appropriate, recommend to the President provisional relief, should a petition for such relief be filed under section 202 of the Trade Act of 1974 with respect to imports from all countries, or a petition requesting such relief be filed under section 302 of the NAFTA Implementation Act with respect to imports from Canada or Mexico. Generally, such provisional relief would remain in effect, pending completion of the investigation by the Commission and the taking of final action by the President. This report contains statistical information gathered by the Commission on the U.S. pepper industry in the course of its monitoring. This information includes (1) consumption and trade data (including U.S. imports and U.S. exports) and (2) other industry data (including U.S. production quantity, value, unit value, and harvested area; U.S. cost-of-production estimates; shipments; quantities available at major shipping points; and average U.S. shipping-point prices). The information presented in this report on the U.S. pepper industry was obtained from a number of sources, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and various State agencies. This report principally includes 200307 calendar year data but also includes July-June cropyear data. Because U.S. production data are not available on a crop-year basis, calendar-year data are necessary to calculate domestic consumption. Interim year data for 2007 and 2008 are provided for imports and exports. Import and pricing data are presented on a crop-year and on a monthly basis in order to provide the most recent trade data available. Such data are especially useful for highlighting industry activities during the winter production season (i.e., October-June) when imports, mostly from Mexico, are at the highest level of the year and Florida producers account for the bulk of domestic production. Data on Florida production are maintained primarily on a crop-year basis.