The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reports that the value of agricultural production in Washington was $9.495 billion in 2019. That’s down from $9.682 billion in 2018. Value of production has been declining since it reached $10.719 billion in 2015.

The top ten agricultural commodities in Washington in 2019 were apples, milk, potatoes, wheat, cattle, hops, hay, cherries, grapes, and onions. (The charts below show the value of these commodities over time.) According to NASS, potatoes and hops saw record high values of production.

Blueberries had a record high value of production as well. Their value in 2019 surpassed that of pears. (Since 2017, when pears were last a top ten commodity, the value of pear production has dropped 41.1 percent.) In 2019, Washington was the nation’s top producer of blueberries, with 23.9 percent of national production. (Washington was also the nation’s top producer of apples, pears, cherries, hops, and spearmint oil.)

Meanwhile, this month, the U.S. International Trade Commission began an investigation under section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 “to determine whether fresh, chilled, or frozen blueberries are being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat thereof, to the domestic industry . . . .” If it determines there is serious injury, the president could authorize “a tariff increase, quantitative restrictions, or orderly marketing agreements.” The investigation was requested by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in September.

A September report from USTR and the departments of Commerce and Agriculture outlined a “plan to support American producers of seasonal and perishable fruits and vegetables.” That includes the Section 201 blueberry investigation and discussions with Mexico about U.S. imports of Mexican strawberries and bell peppers. The report notes that the value of U.S. imports of blueberries has “more than doubled since 2014.”

Bloomberg reports that this effort appears to be “aimed at winning over growers in Georgia, Michigan and Florida.” But Anna King of the NW News Network writes that blueberry growers in Washington may also be supportive of the investigation.

On the other hand, in comments to USTR, the Northwest Horticultural Council noted, “It is clear from years of public statements made by Mexican officials that trade remedy solutions of interest to U.S. seasonal and perishable producers will trigger a retaliatory response against U.S. agricultural exporters such as tree fruit growers in the Pacific Northwest.”