India closes ports to Washington apple imports

In September the Indian government took the decision to close all but one of the country's ports to…

In September the Indian government took the decision to close all but one of the country's ports to apple exports. This decision could have a huge effect on Washington which has been India's third-largest apple exporter in recent years.

The Indian government’s decision was a surprise, and despite diplomatic efforts, it’s still not clear if the order will remain in place, said Mark Powers, vice president of the Yakima-based Northwest Horticultural Association.

Last year, Washington exported 
5.6 million boxes of apples to India, worth about $100 million, he said. Roughly half those apples went through the ports that have recently been closed.

“India’s obviously a huge country and it’s very diverse. But the infrastructure, the road system, the cold storage are not well developed, so the different ports are critical to servicing different parts of the country,” Powers said. “At a minimum, you’ve got a significant hit.”

The port closure appears to be an act of protectionism because only apples were affected, he said, and it applies to apples from all origins.

There is a significant apple industry in northern India.

The Nhava Sheva port that remains open to apple imports is near Mumbai.

The major shipping season for Washington apples is January through March.