The industry challenges EU’s phytosanitary regulations, deemed overly restrictive and unscientific, at the WTO.
(The Post News)- South Africa’s citrus industry, a vital economic sector, is pushing for equitable trade practices with the European Union (EU). The industry is contesting the EU’s stringent phytosanitary regulations, viewed as unscientific and discriminatory, through the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition Parks Tau stresses the need for “trade measures that harmonize safety and commerce,” highlighting the WTO process as a “diplomatic solution” to the dispute.
The EU’s regulations, intended to prevent citrus black spots and false codling moths, are perceived as unfair and lacking scientific justification. South African citrus growers incur significant costs, approximately R3.7 billion annually, to comply with these measures, which the Citrus Growers Association of SA (CGA) deems “excessive and unwarranted.”
CGA CEO Justin Chadwick cautions that “overly restrictive EU measures could result in substantial job losses” and notes that “EU consumers could also gain from more effective and less burdensome measures.”
The South African citrus industry sustains 140,000 livelihoods and aims to boost exports to 200 million cartons within four years. Resolving the dispute with the EU is crucial to achieving this objective. By challenging the EU’s measures, South Africa seeks a fair and sustainable trade environment.
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