PH Now Allowed to Export Canned Pineapples to Australia Again

Australia lifts the anti-dumping measure on Philippine canned pineapples after 15 years.

This comes as the as the Free Trade Agreement of Asean, Australia, and New Zealand or the Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) allows for the Philippines to export canned pineapples on participating nations.

The ban on Philippine canned pineapples will be lifted by Australia on Oct. 17, 2021 when the measure expires for consumer canned pineapples, and on Nov. 13, 2021 for Food Service Industrial (FSI) canned pineapples.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar welcomed the lifting of the ban, saying that it will further strengthen the country’s trade relationships with Australia.

“Our trading relationship with Australia has been a healthy one, except for this kind of impediment that had blocked the entry of Philippine agriculture exports to that country,” Dar said.

Dar also acknowledged that the lifting of the ban will be an opportunity for the pineapple exportation industry in the Philippines to further grow.

“This is a most propitious opportunity for the Philippine pineapple sector, given its dramatic growth performance this past of couple of years,” the agriculture chief added.

The anti-dumping measure against Philippine canned pineapples was imposed by the Australian government in 2006 on the lodging of application of Australia’s sole producer of domestic canned pineapples Golden Circle Limited in which the company requested the Australian government to halt the importation of Philippine canned pineapples.

The anti-dumping measure was supposed to only last five years, with the end of the measure slated at 2011, but was extended for two more times in 2011 and 2016.

Australia’s Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC) initiated an expiry review on Jan. 25, 2021 for Philippine canned pineapples after Golden Circle requested for another extension.

ADC decided to finally lift the measure on Oct. 6, 2021 after findings that the expiration of the measure will not cause an injury to the domestic industry. (GFB)