. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/189
3 July 2000
(00-2733)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
AUSTRALIAN RESPONSE TO JOINT ASEAN STATEMENT
ON TROPICAL FRUITS
Statement by Australia at the Meeting of 21-22 June 2000
1. We thank the representative of the Philippines for her statement on behalf of the ASEAN
countries.  Australia fully appreciates the interest of its near neighbours in our region in advancing
their export trade, especially in products such as tropical fruits.  Australia is also a producer of many
tropical fruits, including bananas, pineapples, mangoes as well as others.  We will consider the
statement carefully and respond as appropriate in due course.
2. There are several matters raised in the ASEAN statement on which we would want to make
some initial response at this time.
3. First, we do not accept that there is any defect in the way in which Australia is meeting its
obligations under the SPS Agreement.  However, we do freely acknowledge that Australiaconsistently maintains a highly conservative approach to the appropriate level of protection.  We do
so for a number of reasons, one of which is that our capacity to continue to produce agricultural
products depends critically on maintaining the relative freedom which Australia has from exotic pests
and diseases.
4. In evaluating requests to establish conditions for the safe entry of products, including tropical
fruits, we follow the established international guidelines for pest risk analysis (International Standard
for Phytosanitary Measures No. 2).  Members of the Committee will appreciate that pest risk analysisinvolves the identification of quarantine pests which exist in the country of export but which are not
present or which are subject to active control in the country of import.  Pest risk analysis is therefore
specific to any two trading partners, and the results of the analysis will differ between exporting
countries according to their respective pest status.
5. It follows that there is no justification to say that "Australian authorities refuse to recognize
phytosanitary protocol(s) which, following rigorous sc ientific tests, have been considered adequate by
other countries".  Where such protocols exist we ar e pleased to take them into account to the extent
that they are relevant, but they may not be relevant to Australia's specific circumstances.  A country
which does not grow bananas is unlikely to be concerned about phytosanitary risks from banana
imports;  we, on the other hand, are quite rightly concerned by the risk of black sigatoka, mokodisease, fusarium wilt and a number of other exotic pests whose entry to Australia would threaten
major damage to our banana industry.
6. It is not true to say that Australia's stringent SPS measures are applied "without benefice of
any risk assessment exercise".  Australia's established measures reflect the known presence of serious
pests in many countries, which are exotic to Australia.  However, we recognize that we should reviseour measures, in the light of scientific information provided by trading partners and on the basis of
risk analysis.  The procedure which we follow consistently in such cases is highly transparent,G/SPS/GEN/189
Page 2
comprehensive and coherent, and fully in accordance with our SPS obligations.  We cannot conduct
such risk analyses without having scientific and technical information which can only be provided by
the intending exporting country.  Risk analysis therefore needs to be conducted as an interactive, co-
operative process between the exporting and importing country.
7. We recognize that this may place significant demands upon exporting countries especially in
relation to the provision of data by developing countries, and we are prepared to co-operate with our
trading partners to minimize such difficulties.
8. There is, however, an added trade policy dimension to the ASEAN statement which should be
brought to the attention of this Committee.  The Philippines, in particular, has been critical of
Australia's quarantine measures on some tropical fruits.  At various times the Philippines has raised
concerns about Australian restrictions on mangoes, pineapples and bananas.  We would like to place
on record some information about Australia's response to these concerns:
• In relation to the Philippines' request for access to Australia for mangoes, Australia
has completed its risk analysis and published proposed conditions in accordance withwhich trade can take place.  It is now a matter for the Philippines to initiate the trade,
but it has yet to do so.
• In relation to the Philippines' request for access for bananas to Australia, it has been
indicated to the Philippines that Australia is prepared to commence a risk analysis
immediately.
• In relation to pineapple, Australia has indicated to the Philippines our preparedness to
initiate a generic risk analysis, including pineapples from the Philippines, in a few
months time.
We have been involved in extensive dialogue with the Philippines in an attempt to resolve their
concerns while at the same time maintaining our rigorous, science-based approach to quarantine.  We
are ready to continue these efforts.
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