Argentina advances efforts to open U.S. market to sweet citrus from NEA region

Argentina is moving forward with regulatory steps to secure access to the United States market for sweet citrus produced in the country’s Northeast (NEA) region, a process led by national authorities in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS).

The initiative focuses on completing the phytosanitary evaluation required for market entry. U.S. authorities must finalise a pest risk assessment and define import conditions before commercial shipments can begin. Once approved, exporters will need to comply with strict requirements covering orchard registration, pest management, inspection and certification.

Opening the U.S. market is considered strategically important for Argentina’s citrus sector, as it would diversify export destinations and create new demand for production from the NEA region, which includes the provinces of Corrientes, Misiones and Entre Ríos.

Industry and government stakeholders continue to coordinate technical and regulatory work, with market access dependent on the completion of the U.S. approval process and the implementation of agreed phytosanitary protocols.

source: federalregister.gov, apps.fas.usda.gov, spsims.wto.org

photo: ars.usda.gov