Better trade terms will improve access to Asia for citrus exporters
The volume of sales to the market in the East is far below the nation’s potential
On Chinese Valentine’s Day in Malaysia, women write their contact number on a mandarin and throw it into a river for men to retrieve as homage to ancient times when single women were not allowed to venture out of their homes, except on this day. The Vietnamese spend trillions of dong on buying imported oranges, and an awakening of the benefits of healthy living in China has caused a spike in orange juice consumption. The reasons for demand are many and varied compared with supply, which should be quick and simple. But it’s not simple at all. Import tariffs, in place to protect domestic fruit producers, mean that Asia is experiencing a shortage of supply from citrus-producing countries in the southern hemisphere. The way around that problem is a trade agreement, but SA has the lowest number of trade agreements among competing southern hemisphere suppliers to Asia. Exacerbating this are setbacks such as SA’s exclusion from the Vietnamese market due to a minor administrative error. Whe...
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