. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/219
22 November 2000
(00-4971)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
INDONESIA:  RESTRICTIONS ON THE IMPORTATION OF FRESH FRUIT
Statement by New Zealand at the Meeting of 8-9 November 2000
1. New Zealand wishes to raise in this committee its concerns over restrictions maintained by
Indonesia on the importation of fresh fruit from New Zealand.
2. On 2 May 1996, two male Mediterranean fruit flies ( Ceratitis capitata ) were detected in a
surveillance trap operated by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, on one property
in a suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand.  Releva nt trading partners were immediately notified.
An intensified trapping and fruit monitoring programme was undertaken in the surrounding area.
Within a 200 m radius one trimedlure trap was placed on each of the 78 residential properties, 47 bait
traps in fruiting hosts, and a further 21 trimedlure traps in an area of waste ground.  Within a 1.5 km
radius 20-30 traps were placed per square kilometre.  This intensified trapping was in addition to the
routine and ongoing fruit fly surveillance programme operated by the Ministry of Agriculture andForestry, comprising 3,344 trimedlure traps nationally (including 1,992 traps placed at 400 m
spacings in Auckland), which are checked at 14-day intervals.
3. No flies were ever trapped outside the 200 m zone around the initial incursion.  The last
detection of Mediterranean fruit fly was on 23 May 1996, three weeks after the initial find.  From the
last Mediterranean fruit fly find government officials continued to apply an intensive trapping and bait
application programme until accumulated day-degrees equivalent to three generations had elapsed.
During this time no fruit flies were found.
4. New Zealand’s ongoing fruit fly surveillance has continued since that date.  The surveillance
programme comprises 3,400 cuelure traps, 3,400 trimedlure traps and 700 methyl eugenol traps
nationally.  The traps are operated to a government specification that includes the requirement for
traps to be checked every 14 days, and the trimedlure traps are re-sited at least every 6 weeks.  There
have been no fruit fly detections in this period.
5. A number of WTO Members instituted emergency restrictions on the importation of fresh
fruit from New Zealand, as a result of this incursion.  These restrictions were progressively lifted, as
evidence of New Zealand’s freedom from Mediterranean fruit fly was re-established .
6. Following New Zealand’s notification to Indonesia of the incursion, Indonesia imposed a
prohibition on the importation of fruit produced within a 15 km radius of the incursion, and requiredcold treatment of all fruit from all other parts of New Zealand.
7. In the period since the eradication of Mediterranean fruit fly, New Zealand has made
numerous representations to Indonesian authorities requesting the removal of the additional measures
imposed following the incursion.  Indonesia has maintained the measures despite agreeing in principle
that "any requirements for all host materials relating to Mediterranean fruit fly can be withdrawn".  Ithas requested a "formal report" on the eradication, and funding for two Indonesian plant quarantineG/SPS/GEN/219
Page 2
officers to visit New Zealand.  The statements made by the New Zealand National Plant Protection
Organisation constitute formal reports, and we have indicated to Indonesia that they are welcome to
send officers to New Zealand but at Indonesia’s expense.
8. Indonesia is the only WTO Member maintaining restrictions on the importation of fresh fruit
from New Zealand in respect of Mediterranean fruit fly.  We consider these restrictions to beunjustified, and request Indonesia to reconsider and withdraw them.  In  the meantime, in this
Committee we ask the delegation of Indonesia two questions:
• Were Indonesia’s emergency measures in respect of fresh fruit from New Zealand
notified to WTO Members in accordance with Article 7 of the SPS Agreement?
• In terms of Article 5.8 of the SPS Agreement, would Indonesia please provide an
explanation of the phytosanitary measures it maintains in respect of fresh fruit from
New Zealand?
9. New Zealand is pleased to report on consultations held this week with the delegation of
Indonesia.  In them New Zealand was able to clarify its concerns, and Indonesia undertook to reviewthe information New Zealand had already provided and clarify what additional information, if any,
was still required.  New Zealand reiterated its commitment under Article 6 of the SPS Agreement to
give Indonesian officials all reasonable access, on request, to visit New Zealand at their own expense
for inspection, testing and other relevant procedures.
10. Following these consultations New Zealand is confident that there will be a prompt resolution
of this problem, and will report progress to future meetings of this Committee.
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