{"id":20662,"date":"2024-06-26T13:47:18","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T13:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.selinawamucii.com\/news\/?p=20662"},"modified":"2024-06-26T13:47:20","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T13:47:20","slug":"wto-panels-to-review-south-africa-eu-citrus-dispute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.selinawamucii.com\/news\/2024\/06\/26\/wto-panels-to-review-south-africa-eu-citrus-dispute\/","title":{"rendered":"WTO panels to review South Africa-EU citrus dispute"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For the first time, South Africa has called for two WTO panels to review a lengthy citrus dispute with the European Union (EU).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This happened after the two trade sides failed to come to an amicable agreement on two infections that affect citrus.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hence, on June 24, South Africa fielded the request for panel arbitration via WTO\u2019s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The request concerns European import regulations on two citrus germs. These include False Codling Moth by the&nbsp;<em>T. leucotreta<\/em>&nbsp;insect<em>&nbsp;<\/em>and citrus black spot by the&nbsp;<em>P. citricarpa&nbsp;<\/em>fungus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the statement,&nbsp;the world\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/news.bloomberglaw.com\/international-trade\/worlds-no-2-citrus-shipper-asks-wto-for-dispute-panels-with-eu\"><u>second biggest citrus-shipping nation<\/u><\/a>&nbsp;repeated its historical claim that EU\u2019s measures were not scientific. The country had made a similar reiteration in 2022 over orange import restrictions, terming them as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.adama.com\/south-africa\/en\/citrus-fruit-farming\/new-eu-regulations-citrus-exports-from-south-africa\"><u>not based on science<\/u><\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The June 2024 panel request omitted the latest concerns over the spotting of citrus greening disease&nbsp;(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.selinawamucii.com\/news\/2024\/06\/07\/no-hlb-in-south-africa-citrus-industry-asserts\/\"><u>HLB<\/u><\/a>) in Eastern Cape. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of regional orange-growing areas, South Africa added that the EU imposed restrictions indiscriminately and this could affect bordering nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>EU Responds to Setting Up WTO Panels<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In its part, the EU Commission on June 24 termed South Africa\u2019s panel-set up request as regrettable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It further added that it had hoped that the bilateral discussions on May 14, 2024 could have settled the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Concerning measures, which include lengthy cold storage and stringent inspections of citrus before shipments, the EU considers these as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeas.europa.eu\/delegations\/world-trade-organization-wto\/eu-statements-regular-dispute-settlement-body-meeting-24-june-2024_en?s=69\"><u>justified<\/u><\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the panel decides, the bloc is confident of winning the dispute because its measures adhere to WTO\u2019s laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-historical-timeline\"><strong>Historical Timeline<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As the two sides await the outcome, here is a historical approach to the South Africa-EU Citrus dispute:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>July 22, 2022: South Africa files for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wto.org\/english\/tratop_e\/dispu_e\/cases_e\/ds613_e.htm\"><u>consultation<\/u><\/a>&nbsp;with the EU on mandatory cold storage and phytosanitary controls for citrus imports.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>August 2023: trade bodies request the president to declare a dispute over&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.selinawamucii.com\/news\/2023\/08\/17\/deon-joubert-south-africa-must-declare-a-dispute-on-cbs-at-the-wto-immediately\/\"><u>Citrus Black Spot<\/u><\/a>&nbsp;(CBS)\u2019s import restrictions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>April 24, 2024: South Africa initiates second dispute at WTO over import controls by the EU over CBS.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>With the June 24, 2024 request being the third arbitration, it is not surprising then that the issue is going to WTO panels. And as the following statistics show, South Africa is keen on citrus exports to the EU for they support the economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-south-africa-eu-citrus-statistics\"><strong>South Africa-EU Citrus Statistics&nbsp;<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Fruits SA, South Africa\u2019s citrus exports account for over&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbn.co.za\/industry-news\/agriculture\/south-africas-citrus-exports-3-7-higher-than-last-year\/\"><u>50%<\/u><\/a>&nbsp;of agricultural shipments and 5% of fruit exports. Interestingly, local citrus exports in 2022 appreciated by<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbn.co.za\/industry-news\/agriculture\/south-africas-citrus-exports-3-7-higher-than-last-year\/\"><u>&nbsp;3.7%<\/u><\/a>&nbsp;year-on-year, despite fresh restrictions by the EU that year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Which is&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>t<\/strong><strong>he EU<\/strong><strong>\u2019s<\/strong><strong>&nbsp;share of South Africa\u2019s citrus exports<\/strong>? &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The EU receives\u00a0<a href=\"#:~:text=The%20European%20Union%\"><u>40%<\/u><\/a>\u00a0of the yearly orange exports from South Africa while soft citrus commands 27%. In 2022, South Africa exported\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oec.world\/en\/profile\/bilateral-product\/citrus\/reporter\/zaf\"><u>$1.85 billion<\/u><\/a>\u00a0in citrus, of which<a href=\"https:\/\/oec.world\/en\/profile\/bilateral-product\/citrus\/reporter\/zaf\"><u>\u00a0$343 million\u00a0<\/u><\/a>went to the Netherlands within the EU.\u00a0At\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.namc.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/SA-Fruit-Flow-Report-Issue-48-December-2022_Final.pdf\"><u>168 million<\/u><\/a>\u00a015-kg cartons, South Africa ranked after Spain as the largest citrus shipper in 2022. Oranges claimed the lion\u2019s share of South Africa\u2019s citrus exports at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.namc.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/SA-Fruit-Flow-Report-Issue-48-December-2022_Final.pdf\"><u>1.6 million tonnes<\/u><\/a>\u00a0in the 2021-22 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where does South Africa\u2019s citrus grow<\/strong>?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The leading citrus-producing regions are Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Free State, Gauteng, Western Cape and the Northwest. So huge are supplies from these provinces that they have&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbn.co.za\/industry-news\/agriculture\/south-africas-citrus-exports-3-7-higher-than-last-year\/\"><u>7 export terminals<\/u><\/a>&nbsp;at local ports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the first time, South Africa has called for two WTO panels to review a lengthy citrus dispute with the European Union (EU). This happened after the two trade sides failed to come to an amicable agreement on two infections that affect citrus.&nbsp; Hence, on June 24, South Africa fielded the request for panel arbitration&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":20405,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v16.3 (Yoast SEO v20.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>WTO panels to review South Africa-EU citrus dispute - Selina Wamucii | Food &amp; Agriculture News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.selinawamucii.com\/news\/2024\/06\/26\/wto-panels-to-review-south-africa-eu-citrus-dispute\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WTO panels to review South Africa-EU citrus dispute - Selina Wamucii | Food &amp; Agriculture News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For the first time, South Africa has called for two WTO panels to review a lengthy citrus dispute with the European Union (EU). 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