Valencia-based citrus producers' association Ava-Asaja is calling on the EU to apply the principle of reciprocity and ban imports of US citrus on plant-health grounds.

The call came last week as the US plant health service, Aphis, put forward a draft protocol to the Spanish authorities justifying its continuing ban.

But the production sector believes the protocol establishes unjustified and disproportionately severe conditions for the export of Spanish clems to the US.

'This draft makes it clear that there hasn't been, nor will there be, any negotiation between the US department of agriculture and the Spanish government to resolve the conflict,' said Ava president Cristóbal Aguado. 'Sand it prevents by extension the export of our clems for next season.' Aguado condemns the situation as a 'brutal, unauthorised trade war, with scant regard for Spain as an ally and member of the EU.' Ava-Asaja is therefore calling on the EU for urgent intervention to defend the commercial interests of one of its members and to lodge a complaint against the US with the WTO.

The US banned imports of Spanish clementines at the end of last year following the discovery of Mediterranean fruit fly in consignments.

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