WASHINGTON -- The Mexican government has announced that more U.S. products will be added to its retaliatory tariff list, signaling negotiations in the 17-month trucking dispute between the two trading partners are no closer to being resolved.

After Congress killed a two-year-old pilot program that was allowing some Mexican truckers to haul cargo in the United States, Mexico retaliated in March 2009 by imposing tariffs on 89 U.S. products, including cherries, grapes, lettuce, almonds, apricots and pears.

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX - As is increasingly the case these days when producers and purveyors of produce gather, food safety was a dominant topic at the 2010 Texas Produce Association Convention, held here Aug. 11-13 at the Sheraton Beach Hotel.

Although exports of Peruvian onions grew by 38 percent during the 2009 season, volumes imported by the United States are expected to remain relatively stable in the coming years.

"It is not advisable to increase export volume this year," said Miguel Ognio, president of the Onion Subcommittee of the Peruvian Exporters Association. "[The] United States, which is the main market, is consuming more, and we must maintain the volume. Therefore, we must be very careful of not swamping any market. It would be dangerous for our products."

Pandol Bros. Inc. has launched its new rinse-and-serve grape packaging nationwide after the completion of a controlled in-market test this past June.

Pandol Bros., based in Delano, CA, worked in close partnership with two prominent regional retail chains to test a full range of requirements including product positioning, merchandising, in-store communications and package handling.

The retailers provided critical feedback regarding all aspects of a go-to- market strategy and even helped define best practices regarding point-of- sale tactics.

Taylor Fresh Foods Inc. in Salinas, CA, has completed the purchase of River Ranch Fresh Foods, LLC, also based in Salinas.

River Ranch processes and distributes salads, salad kits and cut vegetables under private brand and "River Ranch" brands, and spinach under the “Popeye” brand. It also distributes cut vegetable snacks and commodity vegetable products to customers throughout North America. River Ranch operates salad and vegetable processing and cooling operations in Salinas and El Centro, CA.