Growing agricultural trade between the United States and Argentina has created a vital role for APHIS ensuring that new trade opportunities are realized and that existing trade between the two economies flows smoothly.
The APHIS Buenos Aires office maintains technical working relationships with the Argentinean counterparts to resolve Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) issues whenever they arise. This relationship contributes to maintaining the success of agricultural trade-related commercial activities between the two economies, helping ensure they thrive.
In addition, the office maintains direct contact with industry trade groups, such as the ABC, importers and exporters in order to assist and facilitate resolution of trade related issues as they occur at Argentine ports of entry.
In an interview held with Mr. Jorge Fischer, Preclearence Inspector of USDA’s Argentine office, provided details of the performance of the entity in the country that seeks safety and quality control of the commercial partner’s products that enter the United States.
Jorge Fischer, Preclearence Inspector of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US Agricultural Department (USDA in Spanish) in Argentina, indicates that the entity he belongs to operates in the country thanks to COPEXEU (Fresh fruit and vegetable producers and exporters for the US Committee), which, through the exports of Río Negro and Neuquén pome fruits in 1983, saw the need of entering into a tripartite agreement, as many other countries, in order to facilitate Argentine exports to the U.S. At that time, the main commodities were pears and apples.
In 1999, the blueberry was incorporated as a consequence of doing the treatment in origin. As from that moment, a protocol was intended to be set forth so as to be able to fumigate with methyl bromide and thus avoid controls and other requirements in destination, which facilitated the exports. COPEXEU made the presentations to SENASA and this national organ ultimately requested the USDA to incorporate this exports protocol.
When asked about the implementation of the protocol, Fischer stated that it may have variations as a consequence of the dynamics of the different productions and trading. But the core of the protocols doesn’t have significant variations. “When there is a requirement, a need to solve some contingency that may damage the protocol, the entities discuss, reach an agreement, and take the necessary measures to give clear signs to the export “ explains Fischer.
USDA- APHIS has two main ways of providing services; one is sending American inspectors to the different places per specific requirement, such as for instance, mango in Brazil, which needs three months of service. Another one is the one Argentina has, where it established a local office with American heads and local staff, so as to provide services all year round. We started with pears and apples from January to July, we continued with blueberries from August to December, and cherries from mid-November to January. We are an office with annual activity, therefore, COPEXEU requires services for its associates based on an agreement in that sense.
Argentina and Chile have this system with permanent offices all year round. The rest of the countries have temporary inspectors who come from abroad.
Jorge Fischer highlights the dynamics of Argentine exporters, the ability to comply with the demands that year after year increase, having an excellent product, which is required and bought by the U.S., and a great attitude towards doing things well.