Donald Trump has said he is “favourably disposed” towards lifting the 16-year ban on Argentine lemon imports.
Speaking to reporters ahead of his meeting with Argentine president Mauricio Macri, Trump told reporters: “I know all about the lemons. We are reviewing that very seriously. We’re going to be very favourably disposed.”
Following the talks, US trade secretary Wilbur Ross and Argentina’s minister for national production Francisco Cabrera are reported to have signed a regulatory coherence agreement which seeks, among other things, the early elimination of barriers to the entry of lemons from Tucumán in recognition of Argentina’s improved climate of investment, trade and long-term economic development.
However, neither the Argentine nor US governments has made an official statement announcing the end of the ban and Macri said the issue had not even been raised during the meeting.
“We didn’t discuss the specific subject of trade,” he said. “The first thing we have to understand is that we find ourselves in different situations.”
The latest extension period for the USDA-APHIS’s final ruling on the resumption of imports is due to come to an end in two weeks’ time.
