Tons of oranges rot in containers blocked in European ports and risk destruction, as South Africa and the European Union clash in a trade dispute over import rules.
South Africa, the world’s second-largest exporter of fresh citrus fruits after Spain, lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) last month when the EU introduced new phytosanitary requirements which growers say, threaten their survival.
The measures came into force in July when ships carrying hundreds of containers full of South African fruit bound for Europe were already at sea, leading to them being blocked on arrival, according to the southern association. -African Citrus Growers Association (CGA).
“This is a complete and utter disaster,” said CGA CEO Justin Chadwick. “Food of exceptional quality, which does not pose any risk, vegetates there…
The EU rules aim to tackle the potential spread of the false codling moth, an African pest that has a thing for oranges and grapefruits.
EU requires extreme cold treatment of all oranges destined for European tables and holding at or below 2oC for 25 days, which South African growers say is not necessary, the country already has more targeted means to prevent infestation.
In its complaint to the WTO, South Africa argues that the EU requirements are “not based on science”, and that they are “discriminatory” and excessive.
And they put additional stress on an already proven sector. “It will add costs. And right now, that’s what no producer in the world can afford,” says Hannes de Waal, who runs the nearly century-old Sundays River Citrus farm (Southeast).
Under pressure
 |
Mr. de Waal, whose company owns orange, clementine, and lemon trees on more than 7,000 ha, has already seen his income eaten away by the rise in transport costs since the pandemic, but also that of fertilizers, due to the crisis. in Ukraine.
Europe is the biggest market for South African citrus fruits, which are worth nearly two billion euros and account for 37% of exports, according to the CGA. The sector employs more than 120,000 people in a country where more than one person in three is unemployed.
The new rules, which came at the height of the orange season, caught producers off guard. Some 3.2 million boxes of citrus fruits worth around 35 million euros were left with papers that became invalid on arrival.
The South African government rushed to issue new documents for shipments that met the new criteria, but hundreds of containers had to be destroyed, Chadwick said.
“The system already in place with us involves the cold treatment, but targeted at the risk, whereas the EU measure is a general measure which affects all oranges,” explains Mr. Chadwick.
The dispute is now in the hands of the WTO. The parties have 60 days to negotiate a solution. Failing this, the complainant may request panel arbitration.
The EU said it was confident about the “compatibility of its measures with WTO rules”.
