Exhibit
1: Sample Letter to Domestic Stakeholders
Dear Sir,
I am writing to solicit your support in opposing Australia's
quarantine standards for imports of cooked chicken meat from Thailand.
To prevent the entry of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus into the
country, the Australian government has set overly stringent cooking
requirements—requirements that are commercially impracticable and
that reduce the competitiveness of the Thai product in Australia. This
measure is aimed at protecting Australian domestic producers from
foreign competition. The Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association
has been working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to
solve the problem with Australia.
The issue is of crucial importance to the Thai chicken industry
because if applied, this quarantine measure could set a precedent that
Australia might follow when it begins considering quarantine standards
for the importation of fresh frozen chicken. Adoption of excessively
stringent standards for both cooked and fresh frozen meat would
effectively exclude Thai chicken producers from the Australian market.
I invite you to explore with the Association opportunities for
coordinating our efforts on this matter. It is imperative that the
Thai government continue to give this issue a high priority. By
working together we can increase Thai government’s and the
Parliament’s awareness of this issue. Your support will strengthen
our coalition's efforts in moving this highly important issue forward.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely yours,
President, Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Associatio
Exhibit
2: Sample Letter to Senate Committee on Foreign
Affairs and Trade, and House of Representatives Committee on
Agriculture
Dear Senator,
I am writing to draw your attention to an important problem
confronting Thai chicken exporters who wish to enter the Australian
market. Concerned about the possible spread of Infectious Bursal
Disease Virus, the Australian government imposes excessively strict
quarantine standards on imports of cooked chicken meat from Thailand.
Although the Australian government’s concern is valid, the proposed,
excessively high temperature cooking regime is commercially
impracticable. It destroys the nutritional value of the cooked meat,
thereby reducing the competitiveness of Thai chicken products in the
Australian market.
Because the risk assessment used in determining the temperature
requirement was not based on sound scientific principles, Australia’s
quarantine measure unfairly discriminates against Thai exporters in
favor of domestic producers and violates the WTO Agreement on the
Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.
This issue is not new. Thailand first submitted an application to
export chicken meat to Australia in 1990. We fear that, if the issue
is not resolved soon, the existing, excessively high standard for
cooked meat might set a precedent that Australia could follow when it
begins considering imports of fresh frozen chicken. Overly stringent
standards on both cooked and fresh frozen meat would effectively shut
down the Australian market to Thai chicken products.
Boosting exports is crucial to Thailand’s economic recovery, and
resolving this issue favorably will help develop a large new market
for Thai chicken exporters. We estimate Thai cooked chicken exports
could capture some 10 percent of the Australian market (worth 920
million baht) during the first few years after receiving import
licenses. The Australian poultry market is estimated to be worth 46
billion baht annually. Cooked and further processed chicken products
account for 20 percent of the Australian poultry market, and sales of
these products are growing at an annual rate of 10 to 20 percent. It
is important that we penetrate this new market early to establish a
strong presence over the long term.
While we acknowledge the Thai government's efforts to solve this
issue with Australia, we wish to see a swift and satisfactory
resolution to the problem. Your support would help move the issue
forward.
Sincerely,
President, Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Associatio
Exhibit
3: Sample Letter to Thai Ministers of Foreign
Affairs, Commerce, and Agriculture and Cooperatives
Excellency,
The Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association appreciates the
attention that you and your staff have been giving to an issue of
great concern to the Thai chicken exporters: Australia’s quarantine
regulations for imports of cooked chicken from Thailand. As you are
well aware, Australia’s requirements for the heat treatment of
cooked chicken meat are commercially impracticable and discriminate in
favor of domestic producers. Although the WTO Agreement on the
Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures requires that
discriminatory measures be supported by sound science, the scientific
process used to establish Australia’s standard was flawed.
We encourage you to press the Australian government harder to lower
the specified temperature/time parameters to a commercially
practicable level that is justified by sound scientific evidence. We
attach an outline for building a negotiating strategy for this issue,
and we would be happy to meet with you to discuss this strategy
further.
Thank you again for your attention to this matter. We urge you to
continue to press the Australian government for a swift and
satisfactory resolution to this problem. Your leadership in promoting
the international trade interests of Thai chicken exporters is greatly
appreciated.
Sincerely yours,
President, Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association
Exhibit
4: Sample Letter to Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce
Dear Sir,
On behalf of The Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association, I
am writing to solicit your support for our Association’s position on
Australia’s quarantine regulations for imports of cooked chicken
meat from Thailand.
Australia lifted its ban on imports of cooked chicken meat from
Thailand in November 1997. Nevertheless, the heat treatment
requirements it set for imported chicken meat are so stringent they
prevent the Thai product from entering the Australian market.
This quarantine measure does not apply to domestically produced
chicken meat despite the fact that the Office International des
Epizooties 1997 yearbook reported an occurrence of Infectious Bursal
Disease Virus (IBDV) in Australia. Furthermore, the process of risk
assessment carried out by Australian Quarantine Inspection Services (AQIS)
was not based on a sound scientific approach.
This policy constitutes unfairly discriminatory treatment of Thai
chicken producers. It is designed to protect Australian chicken
producers, and it serves to curtail trade bilateral trade between
Thailand and Australia. If not satisfactorily resolved, the issue may
adversely affect Australian-Thai bilateral trade relationships. The
Thai government may consider a boycott or delay consideration of
certain imports from Australia in retaliation.
I encourage you to call on the Australian government to find a
swift and satisfactory solution to this problem. Your support will
help move the issue forward and avert undesirable repercussions. Thank
you for your time and attention.
Sincerely yours,
President, Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association
Exhibit
5: Sample Letter to Potential Allies in Australia
Dear Sir,
Now that the Australian government has decided to lift its ban on
imports of cooked chicken meat from Thailand, your company may be
interested in importing our products in order to provide another
alternative to your customers. To our regret, your government’s very
stringent quarantine requirements effectively prevent Thai chicken
processors from serving the Australian market. As it stands, the
cooking requirement results in overcooking that, in turn, depletes the
nutritional value of the cooked meat.
I am writing to solicit your support of a revised cooking
requirement that neither destroys the nutritional value of the meat
nor puts Australian consumers or bird populations at risk.
Our industry is committed to providing good-quality, safe products
for domestic and international customers alike. Although Canada,
Japan, and the EU impose strict quarantine standards on imports of
foreign meat, our chicken products, fresh frozen or cooked, have long
been available in these and other international markets.
We ask you to urge the Australian government to consider reviewing
the existing cooking regime so that our chicken producers will be able
to supply your company with their relatively inexpensive yet high
quality products.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
President, Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association
Exhibit
6: Sample Letter to Potential Allies in the United States and Denmark
Dear Sir,
As you are well aware, the Australian government maintains a very
stringent policy toward imports of cooked chicken meat from the Unites
States, Denmark and Thailand. Apparently, this quarantine measure is
aimed at protecting Australian domestic producers. Only foreign
suppliers are subject to this commercially impracticable cooking
regime.
We hope that you will join our effort to increase the political
awareness of the importance of this issue in our respective
governments and encourage them to coordinate their efforts in
pressuring the Australian government to lower the core
temperature/time parameters for the treatment of cooked chicken meat.
If unresolved, this problem will likely set a precedent for Australia
to adopt an equally stringent sanitary standard when it begins
considering importation of other poultry products. Excessively high
standards on both cooked and fresh frozen meat will effectively bar
foreign suppliers from entering the A$ 2 billion Australian poultry
market.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
President, Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association
Exhibit
7: Sample Op-Ed for Local Australian Newspapers
Although
Australia lifted its ban on imports of cooked chicken meat from
Thailand in 1997, Thai chicken producers are still unable to export to
the Australian market because the Australian government requires Thai
chicken meat to be treated at commercially impracticable core
temperature/time parameters. The specified cooking regime puts Thai
chicken meat at a competitive disadvantage. It results in overcooking
which, in turn, destroys the nutritional value of the meat.
Canberra’s quarantine measure is aimed at ensuring the total
inactivation of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) in the chicken
meat. We share Australia’s concern about the spread of IBDV, which
could threaten the Australian domestic poultry industry and its native
bird population. However, Canberra is discriminating against Thai
chicken producers in favor Australian domestic producers on the
grounds that IBDV is an exotic disease in Australia. In fact,
Australia is not free of this disease; the World Animal Health
Organization reported an IBDV case that occurred in Australia in 1997.
Important as it is, heat treatment addresses just one stage of the
production process. Preventive measures such as effective veterinary
inspections and risk management play a no less important role in
reducing risk. Our chicken products, fresh frozen or cooked, have long
been available in many other international markets, including Canada,
Japan and the EU even though these countries impose quite strict
quarantine standards on imports of foreign meat. This alone should
prove the effectiveness of quality control in the production of Thai
chicken. However, Thai producers have also taken action to improve
their processing facilities and meet Australia’s sanitary
requirements.
The Australian government’s quarantine measure not only restricts
Australians’ choices for relatively inexpensive yet high quality
foreign chicken meat, it also provides a disincentive for Australian
producers to enhance efficiency. Foreign competition will encourage
the domestic poultry industry to adjust itself, enabling it to produce
more competitive products for the domestic market and to take fuller
advantage of the export opportunities in overseas markets.
Moreover, this discriminatory policy goes against Australia’s
leadership role in promoting free trade. Like Thailand, Australia is a
major agricultural and food exporter. It is in our interests to ensure
that our trading partners use sanitary and phytosanitary standards
only to the extent necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or
health. Equally important is that we remain committed to our
obligations under the WTO’s Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary
Measures to preserve the integrity of the multilateral trading system.
We
urge Canberra to stop its discriminatory treatment of foreign chicken
suppliers to enable them to supply Australia
with their high quality yet inexpensive products.
A satisfactory solution to the problem will also help promote
mutual understanding and bilateral trade between Thailand and
Australia.
Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and
NewZealand. 1996.
Australian
Veterinary Energy Plan (AUSVET PLAN 96) http://www.dpie.gov.au
Australian Parliament Library.1996. Quarantine Response to Importation Proposal http://www.aph.gov.au
Bangkok Post Thailand
threatens Aust dairy boycott September 8 1997.
___________
Aust promises end to chicken barrier October 16, 1997.
Department of Primary Industries and Energy November 7, 1997 Media
Release Qurantine Decision on
Cooked Chicken Meat Imports http://www.dpie.gov.au
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. Department of American and
Oceania Affairs. 1998. Background
Paper on Exports of Cooked Chicken Meat to Australia. Bangkok..
Rural Industries Research&Development Corporation. 1998. R&D
Plan for Chicken Meat Program 1998/99-20002-3 http://www.rirdc.gov.au
Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association. 1998. Minutes
of a meeting on Exports of Thai Cooked Chicken Meat to Australia.
Bangkok
University of Florida. Florida Cooperative Extension Service,
Institute of Food and Agricultural Science. Infectious
Bursal Disease (Gumboro) in Commercial Broiles
http://hammock.ifas.u./fl.edu
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