In keeping with its history, a World Trade Organisation (WTO) decision on the future of an 89-year Australian ban on New Zealand apple imports has been delayed again.
Since 1921 Australia has embargoed the importation of New Zealand’s apples and pears because of the fire blight disease.
In 2007 Biosecurity Australia stated it would end the ban, but replaced it with quarantine restrictions so tight New Zealand exporters considered them an effective ban in their own right, prompting them to take the issue to the WTO in Geneva.
In July last year a WTO panel of experts reviewed the issues, assisted by submissions from scientists. The panel was set to make a decision in November, but the judgement was put off for another two months.
The decision has been further put off until March, when the WTO panel will release a report to the New Zealand and Australian governments for comment, reported Radio New Zealand.
“We’re waiting on the WTO report due at the end of March. We won’t get a public release until the middle of year,” peak body Pipfruit NZ CEO Peter Beaven told Fruitnet.com.
“There’s been two delays of two months each time, but that’s not really untoward, it just has to do with the pressure on the WTO secretariat. They don’t have enough staff resources, which is just unfortunate. Most cases are suffering delays.”
