A New Zealand report prepared by the Horticulture Export Authority with the Fruitgrowers' Federation and Vegetable & Potato Growers' Federation highlights significant trade barriers to NZ horticulture exports.
The report was presented to trade negotiations minister Jim Sutton by the organisations and highlights tariff, phytosanitary and quota barriers in 12 of the country's most important markets.
The study, which was reported by the NZ National Business Review, focuses on an avocado tariff in the US, a frozen sweetcorn tariff and kiwifruit tariff in Japan, prohibitive tariffs on vegetables into the US and Europe and tariffs ranging from 25-50 per cent in South Korea and 20 per cent on apples in Taiwan.
The growers' report estimates the costs to producers and exporters of supplying onions and kiwifruit to Europe at NZ$8 million ñ NZ$14m (£2.9m).
Other non-tariff barriers include compliance with fireblight regulations in Australia and codling moth safeguards in place in Taiwan.
The study was prepared for NZ government officials and explained that senders do not necessarily have to pay the cost of tariffs up front, but they affect prices importers might be willing to pay and consequently have an impact on uptake by consumers.
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