Great News
April 12th, 2010 at 2:13 pm by David FarrarTrans-Tasman report:
The Trans Tasman Political Letter reports informed sources in
Wellington advise NZ has won a spectacular victory against
Australia in the World Trade Organisation in the case it took
to secure free access to the Australian market for apples.The sources say the WTO panel, which adjudicated the long-running
dispute, comprehensively rejected the Australian defence.
Australia has blocked the import of NZ apples, despite the
existence of a free trade agreement, and scientific support for
the NZ argument there is no risk of the transmission of fire
blight.
This is a huge and long awaited victory.
NZPA provides background:
The trade row has been running since NZ apples were first banned from Australia over 80 years ago after fireblight was found on this side of the Tamsan .
Though New Zealand scientists have found fireblight in Australian ornamental plants and also showed that the bacterial disease is unlikely to be transmitted on mature, clean fruit, efforts to gain access to the potentially-lucrative Australian market in 1986, 1989, and 1995 were rejected.
Further talks over the restrictions also failed when New Zealand was given access with conditions so strict that exports would not be economically viable and so it applied to the WTO for the matter to be resolved in 2007.
If the Australian Government refuses to accept the ruling, them NZ can apply for sanctions. With Rudd, you never now what he might do. He should just accept the ruling.
Related posts:
- NZ wins apples war
- Editorials 15 April 2010
- The trans-Tasman productivity report
- Editorials 14 April 2010
April 12th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Fantastic – whenever the Aussie farmers get their knickers in a twist over fireblight, they have a farmers market right outside state parliament (near where I work) and give away free yummy produce for breakfast.
Yay! Looking forward to some scrummy food!
Vote:April 12th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Yay reparations!
All your jandles are belong to us.
Vote:April 12th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
The aussie ban was a classic non-tarriff trade barrier for a small special interest group. Australian consumers of course pay the price in the form of higher apple prices.
Vote:April 12th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Not any more Greg.
Watch the smear campaign the Aussies run with now.
Vote:April 12th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Yeehar!
Aussies sell minerals to make their fortune.
We sell Apples.
We can all retire next week!
Vote:April 12th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Pound to a pinch that the Aussies defy the ruling.
Vote:April 12th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
We sell Apples.
We can all retire next week!
Not so fast there bud – China has just applied for a permit to import theirs to Aussie as well.
Vote:April 12th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
shows what a shit country we really are economically speaking. We’re a bunch of peasant farmers celebrating that we can take our apples to market.
Vote:April 12th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
>>Not so fast there bud – China has just applied for a permit to import theirs to Aussie as well.<<
Dam .. Looks like were back to US ship visits.
Its always a worry when China gets involved… I see a lot of Chinise breaking the rules on those boarder security programe on TV..
Vote:It only takes one fireblight scare for NZ to be back to square one .. and the Chinise will have the Australian apple market to themselves.
April 12th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Export Beaven. Export to, import from.
Whew look at size o my marrows Mr Wreck, they’ll be talkn bout this down pub t’night ah reckn.
Vote:April 12th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
First the Apples, next the Pavlova!
Vote:April 12th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
If I read the news reports correctly, the basic argument is:
1. Fireblight isn’t transmitted by mature export-quality apples.
2. Fireblight has been found in Australia anyway.
So, basically, we have fireblight but Australia shouldn’t care.
Vote:April 12th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
If Oz rejects the ruling then we are left with no choice- WAR! By joining with our glorious Chinese allies we will crush the traitorous Aussies and divide Australia into three- We’ll take Queensland, NSW, Victoria , China can have W.A with all those minerals and the Aborigines can have the Northern Territory. The surviving Aussie population will be transported to Tasmania and left to it. Perfect!
And people say I’m mad. Ha! Nurse my pills please! I’m hearing the voices again….
Vote:April 12th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
If NZ was an Australian state, or better still two Australian states, there would never have been a problem.
Will the Aussies now try to whack NZ apple growers because they are bringing in labour from Melanesia? Or do the Aussie growers do this, too?
Vote:April 13th, 2010 at 2:47 am
“All your jandals are belong to us”
LOL! Classic!
Vote:April 13th, 2010 at 8:19 am
No need Richard, in case you missed it we’ve already succesfully invaded Sydney.
Vote:April 13th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Brian Harmer is quite right. Australia will just ignore the judgement. (and its Election year).
When the two major Australian supermarkets accept New Zealand apples from growers, at uneconomic prices, will there be any sign of movement.
Simply, like rugby, there are one set of rules for Australia, and another for anybody else. It will not change over apples.
Vote: