The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has decided to extend the ban on the entry of lemons from Tucuman for another 30 days, official sources confirmed today.
The decision, the Ministry of Agricultural Industry said, was taken because the administration of Donald Trump hasn't appointed a head for the USDA and they haven't revised the measure taken by the President, which was due to expire in 11 days.
The new 30-day extension was officially reported by the USDA, although no formal notification has arrived, stated sources privy to the negotiations.
On January 20, Trump decided to evaluate all the regulations that had been signed by his predecessor, Barack Obama, but that were not then in force, within a sixty day period. The date of entry into force for the entry of Argentine lemons was January 23.
The US health authorities had approved imports of Argentine citrus in December 2016, an operation that would allow the annual shipment of 20,000 tons of lemons from northwestern Argentina, worth US $50 million, to the US.
Last year, the United States imported 84,000 tons of lemons. Argentina is the world's leading producer of lemons, as it produces nearly 1.5 million tons each year. Tucuman is their leading producer, with more than 80% of the national total.
Argentina exports more than 200,000 tons of fresh lemon per year, 75% of which is sent to the European market.
Source: lagaceta.com.ar