The US Department of Agriculture has published a new rule that could pave the way for Chilean orange and grapefruit shipments to the US.
The regulation, proposed on 28 August, would allow imports under the same conditions applied currently to clementines, mandarins and tangerines, which have been allowed into the country since 2004. These vary from one production area to another but include cold treatment and fumigation to keep pests at bay. The comment period for the new rule ends on 27 October.
A report in The Packer said Chilean authorities expected annual shipments of oranges to the US could reach around 93,500 cartons while grapefruit volumes would be in the region of 16,500 cartons.
The summer Navel market is currently supplied by South Africa and Australia, both of whom expect to export 1.5m cartons in 2008.
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