ASTA Letter to U.S. Trade Representative Against New Tariffs on Spices Not Grown in the U.S.
On March 11, 2025, ASTA submitted a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative in response to the administration's call for information on unfair and non-reciprocal foreign trade practices. ASTA’s submission emphasizes the critical role of imported spices in the U.S. food supply and urges the government to avoid imposing tariffs on spices that cannot be commercially produced in the U.S., noting that such measures will raise costs for American businesses and consumers. ASTA recognizes the importance of supporting U.S.-grown spices but provides a list of many spices that must be imported due to climate limitations in the U.S., requesting that no new tariffs be imposed on these spices. ASTA also calls for a tariff-exclusion request process to allow individual entities to request exemptions from any tariffs that may be applied on food or agricultural items.
03/13/2025 at 10:59 am
16
Related Resources
ASTA Statement on New Executive Order on Reciprocal Tariffs - November 14
The following statement is attributable to Laura Shumow, executive director of the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA):
ASTA Comments on USTR Section 301 Investigation on Vietnam
In July 2026, the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) submitted comments to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) regarding the Section 301 investigation into Vietnam’s acts, policies, and practices related to intellectual property protection and enforcement. ASTA urged USTR to maintain and expand exemptions for spices and other unavailable natural resources in any trade remedy actions resulting from the investigation, helping to preserve access to products that cannot be sourced domestically.
