There is speculation as to the future of US apple exports to China after the country ceased issuing import permits for Red and Golden Delicious apples from the US.
Washington Apples Commission president Todd Fryhover told US agricultural news service the Capital Press China stopped issuing import permits for the varieties on 9 August.
While the suspension had not been fully explained to US authorities, Fryhover believed it could be related to China’s desire to have its Fuji apples granted access to the US market.
Northwest Fruit Exporters manager Jim Archer told the Capital Press China had not officially notified the USDA of the suspension.
'I'm not saying it's not true, we just haven't had any official notice and I just checked again with the USDA yesterday,' Archer said on 19 Sept. He said he didn't recall any other closure of the market to US apples since it opened in the mid 1990s.
Although only Red and Golden Delicious have legal access these and other varieties from the US enter China in significant volumes via Hong Kong.
According to Fryhover, China imported 408,000 cartons of Washington apples last season with another 2.1m boxes sent to Hong Kong – much of which travelled across the border into Mainland China.
There are concerns this grey trade is coming under closer scrutiny from Chinese officials. Reports emerged in March of this year that retailers in Shanghai fearing hefty fines removed apples brought in through Hong Kong from their shelves.
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