By 13 September, Costa Rica will find out whether its decision to close the borders to Mexican avocados will conclude in the issuing of a formal complaint by that country to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
That date is the deadline for the 161 member countries of the organization to share their comments regarding the position taken by Costa Rica.
According to Francisco Dall'Anese, director of the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE), no country has spoken so far.
"We have nothing more to say for now until the date of the deadline, when we'll hear all comments. It seems none have been issued yet, unless we haven't been notified," said the SFE director.
Until that moment, Mexico will have a chance to announce its position regarding the measures imposed on its avocados and whether they are accepted or refuted through a formal complaint to the WTO.
"We have to wait and see whether Mexico wants to raise a formal complaint and start a more complex process. That country must examine the documentation and decide if it suffices," stated the Minister of Foreign Trade, Alexander Mora, in July.
Step by step
Since 5 May, Costa Rica's borders have been closed to the entry of avocados from Mexico. The argument: the Mexican product is contaminated with a disease called sunblotch, which is unknown in the country and allegedly puts Costa Rica's vegetables at great risk.
Despite meetings held by representatives of the two countries, the import ban still stands.
As a result, Mexico raised its concerns to the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Costa Rica reacted and presented a number of phytosanitary measures to the Agency's Secretariat which, were Mexico to accept them, would result in the lifting of the restrictions.
For instance, the country will only accept the entry of Mexican avocados from areas confirmed free of the sunblotch disease. Furthermore, exports of fruit must be accompanied by an official phytosanitary certificate from Mexico, indicating that they are not just free from sunblotch, but also other pests, such as Heilipus Lauri.
For the Mexican authorities, the disease has neither been of quarantine significance, nor has it limited avocado trade at international level. It has stressed that the avocados that have been exported to Costa Rica for 21 years have been exclusively intended for consumption; any discussions about the possibility of the virus affecting avocados as a disease have little relevance.
Costa Rica's position is supported by a Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) certifying that the country is free of the pest and that the import of a product that does have it could have massive consequences for the country in phytosanitary terms.
Source: elfinancierocr.com
