California call for Chilean season change highlights meeting
California call for Chilean season change highlights meeting
PHILADELPHIA -- The annual Chilean Fruit Importers meeting, presented by the Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, was held here Oct. 21 and included a variety of relevant discussions surrounding the upcoming Chilean season. But standing out in urgency and long-term implications for the Chilean import deal was a presentation by Washington, DC-based attorney David Holzworth of Lepon Holzworth & Kato PLLC.
Mr. Holzworth outlined the implications of an effort coming from California to change USDA Marketing Order 925, which would move the last date for Chilean grapes to be admitted to the United States to April 1 from April 20.
Mr. Holzworth indicated that the 20-day shift would take 2 million boxes of Chilean grapes off the market in the spring. This volume typically is delivered via 25 ships, he added.
Mr. Holzworth, who titled his presentation "Trampling Out the Vintage Where The Grapes of Wrath Are Stored: Defeating the Proposal to Change Marketing Order 925," said that if the new rule is passed, it would primarily affect the late- season availability of Chilean Thompson seedless grapes. Mr. Holzworth said that the comment period regarding the proposal had been extended twice by the Philadelphia national legislation delegation, with Nov. 28 now the likely end date by the USDA for receiving comments on the marketing order rule change.
If this legislation were to pass, it would likely not affect the Chilean fruit trade before the 2007 season. Mr. Holzworth said that congressional leaders from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware -- which all have major port facilities that receive Chilean fruit -- are all fighting the rule change. These states face the loss of stevedore man hours, port fees, reduced business for service-related industries, as well as teamsters and trucks.
Mr. Holzworth encouraged the 100 fruit industry leaders in attendance to fight the change as it was fought in 1986, when Chilean interests reached a compromise on a similar change in the marketing order rules. At that time, the final date allowing Chilean grapes into the country was moved to April 20 from May 1. This change was passed in 1987.
Mr. Holzworth said that the Food Marketing Institute and its individual retail members have filed comments opposing this rule change.
George Sibley, senior vice president of Barthco International Inc. in Philadelphia, said at the meeting that the national brokers association, of which he is a member, had also filed comments opposing the change. Mr. Sibley, who has been a customs broker here since 1979, said that he is also working with the regional congressional delegations to maintain the length of the Chilean grape season.
He told his allied industry at the meeting, "Don't assume someone else" is contacting congressional leaders, noting that it is extremely important for these leaders to hear from concerned businesses.
Mr. Holzworth said that "most of the growers in California will be adversely affected as well" by the proposed change. He explained that Northern California shippers have moved their business to market grapes on a year-round basis, thus a shorter Chilean season would reduce their ability to completely serve their market. "The Central Valley of California will be affected too [in the same way]," he added.
The Oct. 21 meeting was moderated by Chilean American Chamber President Bob Blackburn, who is also the deputy executive director of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority. Mr. Blackburn noted that the chamber this year had enjoyed 100 percent renewal in membership.
Robert Heiss, Philadelphia's chief inspector for the U.S. Customs Service, said that cargo arriving from Chile tends to be "non-controversial" by global standards.
Mr. Heiss said that his role is increasingly focusing on new non-intrusive inspection scanners, which utilize detection technology.
Trucks leaving Philadelphia ports are or will be required, as installations are made, to pass through portals which can scan trailer contents for nuclear materials that might be used by terrorists.
Mr. Heiss said that it has been a convenient coincidence that Delaware River ports are doing a lot of reworking of their facilities at this time, which has greatly eased logistical considerations in installing the scanning portals.
Mr. Heiss said that the technology is still being perfected. For example, kitty litter tends to read as a nuclear component, and he said that it was feared the high potassium in bananas would similarly trigger alarms, but that has proved not to be a problem.
Helen Spurling of the USDA's Food Safety & Inspection Service noted, "The tragic events of September 11 forever changed our world."
Mr. Holzworth outlined the implications of an effort coming from California to change USDA Marketing Order 925, which would move the last date for Chilean grapes to be admitted to the United States to April 1 from April 20.
Mr. Holzworth indicated that the 20-day shift would take 2 million boxes of Chilean grapes off the market in the spring. This volume typically is delivered via 25 ships, he added.
Mr. Holzworth, who titled his presentation "Trampling Out the Vintage Where The Grapes of Wrath Are Stored: Defeating the Proposal to Change Marketing Order 925," said that if the new rule is passed, it would primarily affect the late- season availability of Chilean Thompson seedless grapes. Mr. Holzworth said that the comment period regarding the proposal had been extended twice by the Philadelphia national legislation delegation, with Nov. 28 now the likely end date by the USDA for receiving comments on the marketing order rule change.
If this legislation were to pass, it would likely not affect the Chilean fruit trade before the 2007 season. Mr. Holzworth said that congressional leaders from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware -- which all have major port facilities that receive Chilean fruit -- are all fighting the rule change. These states face the loss of stevedore man hours, port fees, reduced business for service-related industries, as well as teamsters and trucks.
Mr. Holzworth encouraged the 100 fruit industry leaders in attendance to fight the change as it was fought in 1986, when Chilean interests reached a compromise on a similar change in the marketing order rules. At that time, the final date allowing Chilean grapes into the country was moved to April 20 from May 1. This change was passed in 1987.
Mr. Holzworth said that the Food Marketing Institute and its individual retail members have filed comments opposing this rule change.
George Sibley, senior vice president of Barthco International Inc. in Philadelphia, said at the meeting that the national brokers association, of which he is a member, had also filed comments opposing the change. Mr. Sibley, who has been a customs broker here since 1979, said that he is also working with the regional congressional delegations to maintain the length of the Chilean grape season.
He told his allied industry at the meeting, "Don't assume someone else" is contacting congressional leaders, noting that it is extremely important for these leaders to hear from concerned businesses.
Mr. Holzworth said that "most of the growers in California will be adversely affected as well" by the proposed change. He explained that Northern California shippers have moved their business to market grapes on a year-round basis, thus a shorter Chilean season would reduce their ability to completely serve their market. "The Central Valley of California will be affected too [in the same way]," he added.
The Oct. 21 meeting was moderated by Chilean American Chamber President Bob Blackburn, who is also the deputy executive director of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority. Mr. Blackburn noted that the chamber this year had enjoyed 100 percent renewal in membership.
Robert Heiss, Philadelphia's chief inspector for the U.S. Customs Service, said that cargo arriving from Chile tends to be "non-controversial" by global standards.
Mr. Heiss said that his role is increasingly focusing on new non-intrusive inspection scanners, which utilize detection technology.
Trucks leaving Philadelphia ports are or will be required, as installations are made, to pass through portals which can scan trailer contents for nuclear materials that might be used by terrorists.
Mr. Heiss said that it has been a convenient coincidence that Delaware River ports are doing a lot of reworking of their facilities at this time, which has greatly eased logistical considerations in installing the scanning portals.
Mr. Heiss said that the technology is still being perfected. For example, kitty litter tends to read as a nuclear component, and he said that it was feared the high potassium in bananas would similarly trigger alarms, but that has proved not to be a problem.
Helen Spurling of the USDA's Food Safety & Inspection Service noted, "The tragic events of September 11 forever changed our world."
