The U.S. potato industry continues to be directly involved in the effort to fully gain access to Mexico for U.S. fresh potatoes. Last week in an action to appeal the decision by the first court to grant a temporary injunction, a Circuit Court terminated the temporary injunction granted in that particular case. While this is a significant positive step, it does not directly impact the temporary injunctions granted in the other cases. It does mean that based on the appeal filed by the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture AGARPA) and the facts submitted by our legal team that the ppellate court found sufficient reason to reverse the lower court decision to grant the temporary injunction. The legal process in Mexico still promises to be lengthy but the decision by the circuit court is encouraging. The decision also provides a signal that the legal strategy we are employing is sound and that the facts of the case soundly support the NPC position.
NPC and the U.S. Potato Board are working with USDA at all levels and directly supporting legal actions to reverse the decisions by several Mexican Courts to grant temporary injunctions stopping the import of U.S. potatoes beyond the 26 kilometer zone. We are supporting U.S. shippers, Mexican importers and Mexican grocery stores with their legal challenges to the temporary injunctions. This support includes the efforts to overturn the temporary injunctions as well as the separate portions of the cases that will decide the issue in the long term.
Source: NPC
