New Zealand top-fruit growers believe a decision by the World Trade Organisation, (WTO) to grant US apples access to the Japanese market strengthens their own case for opening up the Australian market to NZ apples and pears.
The WTO ruled that mature US apples pose no fireblight risk to the Japan industry and found no mitigating measures to justify any delay.
Pipfruit New Zealand chairman Ian Palmer responded by saying the ruling means there is similarly no reason for Biosecurity Australia to delay the release of its own Import Risk Analysis, which has stood in the way of NZ access.
Palmer said: "The science is now internationally accepted and it clearly shows that a mature apple can't transfer the disease, so the risk simply doesn't occur.”
According to Palmer, if the ruling is ignored, the New Zealand government will be asked to list the case as a dispute at the WTO.
"The New Zealand government has already enscribed it at committee WTO and they meet there next week, and that's on the agenda at that meeting," he said.
"It hasn't gone as far as a dispute resolution yet, and that will be dependent on how Biosecurity manage their draft import risk assessment."
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