12/29/05 Top fruit industry stories of `05, Pt.1

12/29/05 Top fruit industry stories of `05, Pt.1

One of the predominant themes revolving around top news stories of 2005 connected to the Northwest tree fruit industry continued to be market access. One of the continuing stories revolves around Taiwan's stringent policy involving U.S. apples, and coddling moth concerns. It led to a closed Taiwanese market going into 2005, and diplomatic means to reopen the market under a strict "three strikes for coddling moth and you're out" policy. Another market also reopened to U.S. fruit product this year & Mexico. First, it was cherry shipments that resumed early in the year. Then there was the short lived reopening of the Mexican market to U.S. Red and Golden Delicious apples duty free. Jim Archer of Northwest Fruit Exporters said that changed in October when a Mexican court ruled on an arbitrary set of net duties for some fruit exporters. ARCHER: The Ministry of Economia set a new preliminary duty rate of forty-four point six seven per cent. Northwest Fruit Exporters has a case in a lower Mexican court in play that could reduce or overturn the new tariffs. The U.S. apple industry also received good news that Japan would finally comply with a World Trade Organization ruling allowing U.S. apples back in over complaints of Japan's fireblight restrictions. The fruit industry also praised various trade deals such as C.A.F.T.A.-D.R. and what little progress what made at the W.T.O.'s Hong Kong Ministerial. More in our next program.
Previous Report12/28/05 Cholinesterase tests improve safety? Pt.2
Next Report12/30/05 Top fruit industry stories of `05, Pt.2