02 May 2007
United States Accepts First Irradiated Mangoes from India
USTR Schwab says United States, India seek stronger trade ties
Washington -- The United States May 1 began to accept shipments of irradiated mangoes from India, the first U.S. imports of irradiated fruit.
Irradiation was approved in 2002 as an effective treatment for all pests in some fruits and vegetables entering the United States. In 2006, irradiation was approved for a wider range of food products, including Indian mangoes, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) press release.
Irradiation serves as an alternative to other pest control methods such as fumigation and cold and heat treatments.
"This is a significant milestone that paves the way for the future use of irradiation technology to protect against the introduction of plant pests," U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said.
Import of the irradiated fruit "signals the determination of both India and the United States to forge deeper and stronger trade ties and create significant new economic opportunities for the people of both of our vast countries," said U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.
USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) approved commercial shipments of fresh mangoes from India that are treated with specified doses of irradiation at an APHIS-certified facility prior to export to ensure that plant pests do not enter the United States, USDA's release said.
U.S.-India trade has been growing at an average rate of almost 20 percent a year since 2002. The United States and India want to double their bilateral trade to approximately $60 billion by 2008, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
Visiting India in April, Schwab said the United States and India have formed a private-sector advisory group to advise them on policy and regulation changes that could enhance the two countries' trade and investment relationship.
Schwab said the two governments' joint trade policy group will "address numerous impediments, synchronize standards and protect public health while keeping trade flowing."
The trade representative's visit highlighted "both the challenges and opportunities" in opening new trade flows between the two countries and "the importance of more fully connecting India to the global trading community," according to USTR.
In March the United States requested World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement consultations with India over the additional customs duties India imposes on U.S. imports of wine and distilled spirits.
U.S. exports of these products to India sold under special duty-free rules for such places as airports grew by 350 percent for spirits and 200 percent for wine between 2000 and 2005. Yet, because of added duties ranging from 20 percent to 75 percent for wine and 25 percent to 150 percent for spirits, overall sales of U.S. wine and spirits exports to nonduty-free stores in India remain low, according to a March 3 USTR press release.
In another matter, Schwab said more Indian organic food products certified according to USDA standards by Indian agents are expected to begin flowing soon into the United States.
The full text of the USDA press release is available on the department's Web site. The full text of the USTR press release is available on the office's Web site.
(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
