"Spanish clementines, with the Region of Valencia as the leading citrus exporter, have an additional obstacle in the US market, compared to its competitors, since Spanish exports pay a tariff of 1.9 c/kg. "This has been outlined in the report, Export of Clementines to the US in the 2015-2016 Campaign, prepared by the Economic and Trade Office of Spain in Washington.
The report of the Trade Office reveals that, while Spanish clementines have to pay this tariff, "exports from Australia, Canada, Chile, Israel, South Korea, Morocco, Mexico and Peru are exempt from it, thanks to the free trade agreements signed with the US."
The report also notes how Spanish clementines, exported to the US, must meet many other conditions, including "the signing of an agreement with the inspection service of the animal and plant health department of the United States."
In total, during the 2015-2016 winter season (October to March), the US imported 95,936 tonnes of clementines, compared to 92,705 tonnes last season, worth 148.57 million dollars, compared to 145.08 million in the 2014-2015 campaign.
Spain, which had already lost its position as the leading exporter in terms of value, in previous years, has now also lost its first place in the winter season, with a share of 26.95%, compared to Morocco's 40.3%. Thus, the Spanish share has been reduced compared to the 2013-2014 campaign (39.4%) and the 2014-2015 season (34.6%).
The export of Spanish clementines to the United States in the 2015-2016 season (October to March) has suffered a significant drop for the third consecutive year. The decrease was of 20.3% in value and 27.6% in volume, compared to the previous year, according to data from the United States International Trade Commission (USITC).
According to data from the Ministry of Trade, a 28.3% drop in volume has been recorded this campaign compared to the 2014-2015 season (from 32,410 tonnes to 23,224 tonnes exported), as well as a 17.3% drop in terms of value (from 32.94 million Euro down to 27.21 million).
The report notes that, in addition to the tariff, another cause of the falling exports could be the exchange rate of the Euro against the dollar. "In the 2015-2016 campaign, one US dollar has cost an average of 0.909 Euro, while in the 2014-2015 campaign the exchange rate was 0.8409.
Source: elmundo.es