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RESOLUTION NO. 91-49 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, RECOMMENDING THE EXCLUSION OF CITRUS FRUIT AND PROCESSED CITRUS PRODUCTS FROM ANY FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO WHEREAS, the industry growing and processing citrus fruit, and in particular, fresh and processed oranges and grapefruit, is extremely important to the economies of Florida and the United States; and WHEREAS, the Florida citrus industry accounts for $8 billion in capital investment, more than 144,000 employees, hundreds of millions of dollars in annual sales, and considerable indirect employment; and WHEREAS, expanding world production and sales of citrus fruit and processed citrus products will continue to increase pressures on the U.S. citrus industries and erode the profitability of this unsubsidized sector of American agriculture; and WHEREAS, over the past three years, the number of acres of orange trees planted in Mexico has increased by 33%, the volume of fruit processed has increased by 45%, the volume of orange juice produced has increased by 42%, and the volume of orange juice exported has increased by 40%; and WHEREAS, the Florida citrus industry has fought unfairly low import pricing in recent years due to foreign subsidization and less -than -fair -value sales; and WHEREAS, the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined that, as a consequence of any Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Mexico, under which import duties on fresh and processed citrus would be eliminated, "U.S. growers. . are expected to experience losses in production, particularly growers in Florida, California, and other warm -climate states who compete directly with Mexico"; and WHEREAS, the economy of Mexico offers no offsetting export market opportunities for Florida and other U.S. producers of citrus, now or in the future; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, that the Board opposes the elimination or reduction of U.S. import duties on oranges, grapefruit, orange and grapefruit juice and any other citrus fruit and processed citrus product, when imported from Mexico. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board urges the President and the United States Trade Representative to exclude all such citrus products from any list of articles eligible to receive duty-free or reduced -duty treatment upon importation from Mexico under any U.S. Mexico or North American Free Trade Agreement. The foregoing resolution was offered by Commissioner Wheeler who moved its adoption. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Eggert and, upon being put to a vote, the vote was as follows: 1