Rob Peterson Hood River, Oregon Mexican tariff Peterson said the most pressing issue is the 20 percent tariff on U.S. pears, cherries, and apricots imposed by Mexico in March. Mexico imposed the tariff after the U.S. Congress voted to end a pilot program allowing some Mexican trucks to enter the United States, which was part of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Mexico is by far the largest export market for U.S. pears. Figures from the Yakima Valley Growers-Shippers Association show that Mexico took 1.8 million boxes of pears during the 2008-2009 season, down from 2.4 million the previous year. […]