The Australian government has decided to lift its anti-dumping measure on the Philippines that it imposed in 2006.

This means that the country can already export canned pineapples duty-free to Australia starting Oct. 17 and can send canned pineapples to consumers for the Food Service Industrial (FSI) starting Nov. 13.

For the first time in 15 years, the Philippines can now export canned pineapples to Australia.

Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar welcomed the latest development, saying he lifting of the anti-dumping measure will further improve the trading relationship between the two countries.

“Our trading relationship with Australia has been a healthy one. Except for this kind of impediment that had blocked the entry of Philippine agriculture exports to that country. This is a most propitious opportunity for the Philippine pineapple sector, given its dramatic growth performance this past couple of years," said Dar.

“Pineapple is the next fruit, following banana, that could capture a big slice of the export market given the country’s comparative advantage in producing said commodity,” he added.

In 2006 the Australian government first imposed the anti-dumping measure for a period of five years after Golden Circle Limited – the sole producer of canned pineapples in Australia – lodged an application with its government requesting for the imposition of the said measure on canned pineapples imported from the Philippines.

The measure was extended for another five years in 2011, and subsequently for another five years in 2016.

In its two reports issued last Wednesday, Oct. 6 Australia’s Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC) decided to discontinue the said measure on canned pineapples from the Philippines after findings showed that its expiration will neither lead to the dumping of the products concerned nor cause material injury to the domestic industry.

The ADC initiated an expiry review last Jan. 25 after Golden Circle sought for another extension of the imposition of the anti-dumping measure.