Rise in Thai fruit exports to US
Thailand hopes to step up marketing six Thai fruits - mango, rambutan, mangosteen, lychee, longan and pineapple - in the US, once technical issues are resolved.
Rachane Potjanasuntorn, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said the Washington commercial office had informed him that the US had agreed to import more of the fruits provided they were radiated to contain pests."We're just waiting for the final ruling from the Office of General Counsel [in the US Commerce Department], which will consider legal issues and the import process," he said. Rachane said an export agreement with the US would likely be finalised late this year, The pact would open up the US to Thai fresh fruit, in addition to the frozen fruit - durians and mangosteens - that is already sold there. The department expects export volume to the US market of about 100 tonnes a week. Any exporters interested in the market should contact the Atoms for Peace Office about the radiation process. Frozen and dried fruit exports are still relatively low. In 2005, Thailand exported 624,463 tonnes worth Bt11.9 billion, up 22 per cent from the prior year. The US market accounted for only 6.5 per cent of all exported fruit last year. Rachane hopes that the US portion will increase after the agreement is finalised. The department will try to convince the US open its market to other fruit. - The Nation
|
