Chilean kiwifruit exporters will be able to ship their produce to the U.S. without methyl bromide fumigation treatment from mid-October. 

In a posting on the U.S. Federal Register last week, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said the fruit would be allowed into the U.S. as of Oct. 19 subject to a 'systems approach'.

Under these measures, the fruit must be grown in an area certified as having a low prevalence of Brevipalpus chilensis, and must undergo pre-harvest sampling. Following post-harvest processing, the fruit will have to be inspected in Chile at an approved inspection site.

Chile is the largest supplier of kiwifruit into the U.S., supplying one half of the country's import volumes in 2012, up from approximately one-third of imports in 2008.

"Chile is expected to continue to dominate the supply of kiwi to the United States in the near term," APHIS said.

"Under this rule, Chile's kiwi exporters will have the option of using the systems approach rather than relying on fumigation with methyl bromide to meet import requirements."

AHPIS added it did not believe the larger volumes likely to be exported from Chile would have adverse market effects.

"Although kiwi production in the United States is expanding, it remains a relatively small agricultural industry, with fewer than 300 growers whose farms average about 13 acres," it said.

"Nevertheless, it is a vibrant industry with an expanding export market. This fact, together with the counter-seasonality of kiwi imports from Chile, suggests that the economic impact of the rule for U.S. small entities will be minor."

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