SA has lost patience with the European Union's bid to keep out its citrus, saying it’s ready to challenge this blatant protectionism in the World Trade Organisation SA is at an advanced stage of preparation to lodge a formal complaint with the World Trade Organisation against the European Union over citrus imports. It follows failed talks about Europe’s threat to ban SA citrus because of the citrus black spot (CBS) fungus.Though a ban would have devastating consequences for SA’s economy and would cause a structural shift in the citrus industry, trade & industry minister Rob Davies doesn’t hold much hope for any attempt to resolve the impasse in bilateral talks or in the UN arbitration process.This is because the EU’s objection to the fungus, says Davies, is a bid to use international phytosanitary rules to protect European citrus producers, especially in Spain, where smaller farmers are battling to survive the EU’s austerity measures.Davies says the EU’s move to limit imports from S...
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