Within the framework of Enagro 2023, the President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric, assured that he will address in his next meeting with the President of the United States, John Biden, which will take place in the first week of November, the issue. on Systems Approach for the export of Chilean table grapes to the US market.
And the truth is that the publication of the pattern of Systems Approach which will allow the export of Chilean table grapes from Atacama, Coquimbo and part of ValparaÃso to the US without fumigation to begin, did not materialize as expected.
All technical issues between USDA-APHIS and the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) have been resolved and agreed upon, and all that remains is the publication of the final standard in Federal Register from the US for industrial implementation in Chile.
However, during his visit to the country in September, Alexis Taylor, undersecretary of commerce and foreign agricultural affairs of the USDA, refused to give the green light to this protocol, conditioning its publication in Chile providing a solution to export of cheeses from the United States to Chile.
At that time, and when the position of the US was known, after an interview published in the national media, the president of Asoex, Iván Marambio, emphasized: “We are surprised by the statements of the North American authorities. Chile meets the phytosanitary requirements and the protocols have been approved by the United States. The technical problem has been solved,” adding that “we know that for a political issue they need us to continue fumigating the grapes that go to the United States and we don’t understand what the end of the fumigation is. has to do with. cheeses.”
It should be noted that the US market represents 40% of the total export of table grapes in Chile, with more than 240 thousand tons shipped in 2022, for an estimated value of 444 million dollar.
