Blue Diamond Growers Welcomes Analysis of ITC Report Highlighting Importance of Trade Relationships

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Apr 24, 2019, 16:30 ET

SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Diamond Growers, a nonprofit grower-owned cooperative and the world's leading processor and marketer of almonds, welcomes the latest findings of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) report on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The analysis highlights the importance of trade relationships allowing for continued market growth and avoiding burdensome tariffs that hinder the success of agriculture sectors such as California's almond industry.

"As the country's largest exporter of almond products, Blue Diamond believes the USMCA is essential to the economic prosperity of our cooperative's grower-owners and California agriculture," said Mark Jansen, President and CEO for Blue Diamond Growers. "The global marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive making it critical the United States maintains important trade agreements and strengthens partnerships."

Blue Diamond exports to more than 100 countries and recently entered into a strategic business partnership with Mexican market leader Grupo LALA to grow the Almond Breeze® brand in Latin America and reach consumers on a global scale. Mexico is an important growth market, of which Blue Diamond has heavily invested in to propel its Almond Breeze® almondmilk and snack nut products.

Analysis of the ITC report presents opportunities for the cooperative to continue strengthening its North American relationships. Mexico and Canada represent two key markets for the almond industry, valuing at more than $256 million for exports of inshell and shelled almonds. Canada has and continues to be a strong market for California almonds, representing a top ten export market receiving more than 58 million pounds for the 2017-2018 crop year.

Failure to approve the USMCA would result in significant impacts to not only this almond business but the economic stability of California's 6,000 almond growers and the industry's 104,000 employees.

About Blue Diamond 
Blue Diamond Growers is the world's leading almond marketer and processor. It led the development of California's almond industry since it was formed as a nonprofit, grower-owned cooperative over 100 years ago. Today Blue Diamond has over 3,000 growers across California. Blue Diamond markets and sells a wide range of almond-based snacks, beverages, and ingredients, including Blue Diamond Snack Almonds®, Nut-Thins® crackers, almond flour, and the number one almondmilk in the U.S., Almond Breeze®. For more information, visit www.bluediamond.com.

SOURCE Blue Diamond Growers