Further citrus exports to the US within reach

 

Further citrus exports to the US within reach   

24 August 2021

Citrus growers from Queensland, inland New South Wales and Western Australia are a step closer to exporting Australian citrus to the USA.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced it will revise the requirements for the importation of fresh citrus from Australia.

The announcement was made following successful negotiations from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

Until now, citrus could only be exported to the US from NSW’s Riverina, SA’s Riverland and the Sunraysia region of Victoria/NSW.

Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock said the decision was welcome news for citrus growers.

“Growers are looking to diversify their export markets as new plantings enter full production so this is welcome news,” Mr Hancock said.

“The USA has historically been a very strong market for exports from our south east regions and we feel that there are some good opportunities for fruit from other regions.”

Mr Hancock cautioned that while the decision was announced on the Federal Register on August 18, commencement of trade is contingent upon agreement between governments on an operational work plan. At this time, the work plan is still a live conversation.

“Our technical market access request with APHIS has had a long history, well over a decade, and there has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make this happen,” Mr Hancock said.

“I would like to commend the technical officers and trade negotiators from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment who have worked tirelessly through the negotiations for more than a decade.”

For further information, contact Stephen Cooke, Industry Engagement Manager, Citrus Australia, on 0427 124 437 or stephen.cooke@citrusaustralia.com.au