RP-Australia trade war escalates

The raging Philippine-Australian trade war has escalated after local meat processors and livestock raisers announced yesterday that they are no longer importing beef and live cattle from Australia. This is until Australia opens its market to Philippine fruits and other agricultural products.

If the boycott continues, Australia stands to lose as much as $110 million worth of cattle and meat exports to the Philippines annually.

The Philippine Association of Meat Processors, Inc. (PAMPI) and the Cattle Feedlot Association of the Philippines (CFAP) have asked Australians to facilitate entry of local mangoes, bananas, pineapples, and other agricultural products into their country lest they stop buying Australian farm commodities.

"We seek your assistance to influence the Australian government to act favorably... as this will ensure the continuity of our importation of Australian beef," PAMPI president Eduardo Martinez told Agnes Itchon-Streater, consultant representative of Meat and Livestock Australia.

The National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc. (NFHFI) has also expressed its support to the move to boycott Australian products.

President Estrada earlier approved a recommendation from the Department of Agriculture to discourage local traders from importing Australian farm products until such time that the latter opens its market to Philippine fruit exports.

For many years now, Australia has refused to take action on a request of the Philippine government to finally allow its mangoes, pineapples, and bananas to enter the former's territory. The government said Australia was using sanitary and phytosanitary measures as a trade barrier and as an excuse for not allowing Philippine fruits to enter their country.

Specifically, Australia claims that the Philippines has not come up with acceptable measures to ensure that Philippine fruit flies do not enter Australia.

The Philippines, on the other hand, noted that Australia too has not gotten rid of its Queensland fruit fly. In fact, the Department of Agriculture revealed that the Philippine mango fruit fly is a descendant of the Queensland fruit fly, which entered the Philippines together with Australian fruit exports.

The 'boycott-Australia' move is gaining ground in Congress, with House agriculture committee chairman Rep. Angelito Sarmiento spearheading the move in the House.

Various industry groups, including the Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (CAFI) and the Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization (Philfoodex) have also expressed their support to the boycott.

The latest to join the fray is party-list Rep. Ben Cruz who yesterday sought 'full and unwavering support" to President Estrada's efforts to open up the Australian market to Philippine agricultural exports and end the regime of discriminatory practices against local products.