Apple growers on both sides of the Tasman are awaiting the World Trade Organisation ruling on the Australian ban on New Zealand apple imports, expected to be announced next month.
Australia’s appeal of the WTO’s April ruling that it must allow access to New Zealand apples wrapped up in Geneva early last week.
The result of the appeal is expected to be announced on or before 29 November this year.
While Australia’s apple industry has been keeping a brave face about the pending result, both sides are aware the ruling is likely to confirm the WTO’s April decision to overturn Australia’s 89-year ban on New Zealand apples.
But while the ruling may come in time for New Zealand’s next apple season, further phytosanitary procedures are likely to push actual access back, according to Tony Russell, general manager of peak body Apple & Pear Australia Ltd.
“The IRA `import risk analysis` would need to be re-done to reflect the findings of the WTO dispute resolution body,” he told Fruitnet.com.
“It’s expected that it would take at least six months to redo the IRA, so that takes us through to the middle of 2011. Realistically, it’s going to be 2012 before New Zealand apple imports arrive in Australia.”
Australia’s ban on New Zealand apples dates back to 1921, and is based on concerns the fruit may transmit the fireblight disease, which is endemic in New Zealand but does not exist in Australia.
Testing in both the current Australia-New Zealand case and a previous US-Japan case before the WTO have demonstrated the disease is unlikely to be transmitted by mature apples.
New Zealand has had attempts at gaining Australian market access thrown out in 1986, 1989, and 1995.
It was eventually granted access in 2006, but the conditions were so strict that exports were considered untenable, and the country lodged a WTO complaint in 2007, claiming the regulations were an unacceptable barrier to trade.
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