A printer-friendly version of this document is available.
Joint Media Release
Australian Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Warren Truss
AFFA01/237WTJ / 29 August 2001
Quarantine is helping Australia reach the world's markets
The Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile, and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Warren Truss, today launched a series of brochures to help Australia's agricultural exporters understand the benefits of quarantine in gaining access to new markets.
The Ministers said the series of 19 brochures cover key agricultural areas in each State and Territory, and explain how Australia's agrifood producers benefit from World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules on quarantine and Australia's rigorous quarantine system.
"Our quarantine regulations, and our adherence to the WTO rules on quarantine, help Australian exporters," Mr Vaile said.
"Most people think quarantine is just about keeping things out of Australia, but it is also one of the unsung strengths of Australia's export performance.
"We have used the WTO's quarantine rules to achieve more than 240 market access gains for Australian exporters over the past five years. Each time we secure access for another of our agrifood exports this flows directly into jobs and economic growth in rural areas.
"As the brochures show, the WTO requires that quarantine barriers be based on science and not on industry protection. This science-based approach to quarantine gives greater security to our producers accessing new and existing markets because Australia does not have many of the diseases and pests found in other countries."
Mr Truss said the WTO's quarantine agreement, the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement), ensured that countries like Australia can take a highly conservative approach to quarantine while ensuring that trade is not obstructed by unfair restrictions.
"Our freedom from many pests and diseases that are endemic in other parts of the world, and the importance of our agriculture industries, demand that we take a conservative approach to quarantine," Mr Truss said.
"However, a 'zero risk' approach is not possible and would hurt Australia's agricultural industries far more than it would benefit them. As a major exporting nation we simply cannot afford to have a 'zero risk' approach to quarantine because it would mean that no trade, tourism or travel could take place into or out of Australia.
"The SPS Agreement gives us the freedom to have a very conservative quarantine regime while allowing trade to proceed."
The 19 brochures will be distributed widely throughout the relevant regions.
Local Date: Friday, 21-Nov-2008 00:50:55 EST