06/29/05 Sanctions lifted? Good chance

The news that a World Trade Organization panel sided with the U.S. protest of Japan's ban on our apples due to fireblight concerns is good. But some U.S apple industry insiders says although the W.T.O. allows the U.S. to take retaliatory actions, that doesn't necessarily mean Japan will still allow our apples back in, instead possibly choosing to take a tariff. But Jim Archer of Northwest Fruit Exporters, one of the parties instrumental in getting the W.T.O. to side with the U.S. in this matter, says he believes Japan is ready to accept the W.T.O.'s demand to change their regulations, and meet America's full demands to get our apples back into Japan. ARCHER: I think it is possible that we could have rules in place that would allow shipment of the late season varieties of the 2005 crop. I don't see it as very possible for the early varieties as the Gala or the Jonagold but perhaps for the later varieties where they could be treated and fumigated, I think it's in the realm of possibility that we could have some 2005 crop eligible. Archer adds that a previous ruling also sided with the U.S.. Our country re-pursued the case in the W.T.O. last year after Japan made some concessions. ARCHER: They wanted to retain one inspection, and a small buffer area, but the science did not support any rules on fireblight, and we held out for a clean sweep of this, and I think it was the right thing to do.