. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/238
13 March 2001
(01-1212)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
EXPERIENCE ON "EQUIVALENCE"
Submission by Fiji
A. POSITIVE EXPERIENCE
(i) HTFA treated products for New Zealand market
1. Fiji uses HTFA (Hot Forced Air Treatment) as a quarantine measure for exporting paw-paws,
mangoes and eggplants to New Zealand.  There have been no hiccups with Fiji HTFA treatedcommodities entering the New Zealand markets.  Fiji has developed quarantine protocols with New
Zealand on specific agricultural produce, particularly fruits and vegetables.
(ii) Fiji fish for Japanese market
2. The Japanese market accepts exported fish from Fiji, provided that it is certified as collected
from Fiji Waters.  Japan has clearly stated that the certification is an assurance that the exported fish isnot from waters that have been identified as having high mercury levels.
B. N
EGATIVE EXPERIENCE
(i) HTFA treated commodities not accepted into the Australian  market
3. Australia requested Fiji to provide HTFA treatment facility data.  The requested data has been
provided but Australia has still not made a decision on whether to accept Fiji HTFA treated products
or not.  Instead the Australia Quarantine and Insp ection Service has continuously stated that Fiji needs
to do more research on its quarantine treatments since they are not satisfied with the research data Fijihas provided.  The end result is that we cannot export HFTA treated products to Australia.  This
means that Fiji paw-paw, mangoes and eggplants cannot be exported to Australia.
(ii) Indiscriminate fumigation of exported products – Australia
4. Australia continues indiscriminate fumigation of root crops exported from Fiji including
vegetables such as taro leaves, bele and okra.  Fumigation is supposed to be carried out only if a pestfound in a consignment is identified as a potential th reat to agriculture.  However, this is not the case.
Exported root crops and vegetables from Fiji to Au stralia are fumigated even if only household pests
are found in consignments.  This results in the considerable reduction of product shelf life and losses
to the industry.G/SPS/GEN/238
Page 2
(iii) HTFA treated products not accepted for transshipment
5. For your information, the HFTA treatment was developed in Hawaii for products exported to
US mainland destinations.  Hawaii exports HTFA treated products to the US mainland while Fiji is
not even allowed to transship HTFA treated products via Hawaii to Canada.  This means that export
to the United States of HTFA treated products from Fiji are totally out of the picture.
(iv) Fiji Marlin not accepted into the Australian market
6. Australia has not accepted fish from Fiji – specifically Marlin for export since 1997.  A high
level of mercury found in exported fish is being used as the reason for this non-acceptance of Marlin
from Fiji for export to the Australian market.  What Fiji needs from Australia is scientific evidence of
tests carried out on exported fish from Fiji that shows high mercury levels.
C. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS
(i) Enhancing local capacity
7. WTO and other Donor Agencies could facilitate the enhancing of local capacity in the areas
such as pest risk assessment, laboratory analys is and testing in compliance with international
standards and strengthening of local institu tions in the understanding of Codex standards.
(ii) Provision of scientific evidence by import country
8. Importing countries should provide sound scientific evidence on analysis carried out to justify
non-acceptance of Fiji products.  This would facilitate recognition of equivalence where the exporting
country carries out measures that will ensure products exported comply with importing country
standards which are scientifically based.
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