U.S. wins case on access for apples in Japan - Trade Notes … - Brief Article

AgExporter, Oct, 2003 by Donald Washington

A WTO (World Trade Organization) panel has agreed with the United States that Japan's import restrictions on U.S. apples are unjustified and are in breach of Japan's WTO obligations. Japan imposes severe restrictions on imported U.S. apples, allegedly to protect Japanese plants from fire blight, a plant disease.

In prevailing at the WTO, the United States showed that there is no scientific evidence that harvested apples can transmit fire blight. The WTO decision should lead to improved access for U.S. apple growers and allow them to realize the full potential of this important market. Japan's severe fire blight restrictions have essentially blocked U.S. apples from reaching Japanese consumers. For example, U.S. apple exports were $102,000 in 2002, down from $6 million in 1994, the year before the restrictions, a decrease of 98.3 percent.