Washington apple producers are celebrating after Mexico agreed to drop steep anti-dumping tariffs on Northwest grown red and Golden Delicious apples.

The new price agreement, which will allow the state to export apple duty-free into Mexico follows two trade missions by Washington state’s governor Gary Locke.

He said: “This is great news for the apple industry in Washington state. This agreement is another example of how our trade missions, and the strong relationships we establish during them, yield results for our farmers and businesses.”

The new five-year agreement sets aside the stiff 46.6 per cent tariff that had been in place on the apples since 2002. The new deal takes effect in February.