06/27/05 Open up Japan

The U.S. apple industry is rejoicing from news that a World Trade Organization panel has once again sided with our nation in a trade dispute with Japan. For years, Japan has kept our apples out over concerns about fireblight. But the W.T.O. panel ruled the restrictions were onerous, and that Japan should allow our apples in. So when will our apples return to Japan? Chris Schlect of the Northwest Horticultural Council says even with the ruling it still will take some time. SCHLECT: All the parties need to read the report. It's 130 pages. So it's going to take a little bit of time to read it now that it has been issued. We will see how soon the Japanese will react to the report and whether they accept it and change accordingly or whether they still dispute its findings. And if the Japanese do not readily agree to its findings, it still may be more time before this is all sorted out in terms of shipments to Japan. And Schlect says the W.T.O. penalty against Japan may not necessarily be reopening their market to our apples, but instead could be compensation for tariffs and duties on products between the two nations. SCHLECT: The hope obviously is that they will see the wisdom of this scientific analysis and the world opinion behind it, and make changes accordingly. If they don't though, the United States government now has a very strong position to react in a forceful way economically against Japan. This ruling is in response to a Japanese challenge to a previous ruling that also went the U.S. apple industry's way.