Comment from Philip Henry, Henry Avocado Corp.

Our company has been an importer of Hass avocados from Chile for the past 20 years and we are a member of the Chilean Hass Avocado Importers Association (CAIA). We have been growers and distributors of California avocados since 1925. In 1990 we started importing avocados from Chile because the Chilean harvest starts when our California harvest is ending. This enabled us to supply our customers with fresh avocados during the entire year. The year-round availability has dramatically increased avocado consumption in the United States. We believe that the duty on avocados from Chile should be eliminated because Chilean producers are currently the only major Hass avocado importer subject to a tariff. Chilean growers should be treated the same as other growers. If the tariff is eliminated then Chilean avocado growers would be free to allocate more money to increase demand in the United States. Over the years, Chilean producers have shown a willingness to spend money on demand-building efforts in the U.S. Their promotional spending has been very successful and has resulted in increased demand for avocados in the United States. The continuation of the tariff on their production is counterproductive, so we urge you to eliminate the tariff. Philip Henry Henry Avocado Corporation Escondido, CA