Friday, October 13, 2017

Pulse exporters to India in limbo – again

Canadian pulse exports to India are in limbo again because 13 days have gone by with no word on whether a fumigation exemption will be renewed.

Canada has argued that fumigating pulse exports is risky and not necessary because of Canada’s cold weather.

The pesticides the Indians want Canadians to use for fumigation are not allowed to be used in Canada.

The Indians have previously banned Canadian pulses over the fumigation issue, but relented to grant special short-term exemptions.

Gord Bacon of Pulse Canada said shipments now en route to India are fine if they were loaded Sept. 30 or earlier.

Those have clearly-spelled-out regulations and the exemption that permits Canadian shippers to forego fumigating their cargoes with methyl bromide still applies — but the rules for product loaded after that are unclear.

“So, any bills of lading from Oct. 1 on, we don’t know, as of today, we don’t know,” he said.


Bacon said he couldn’t say what effect it would have on shippers — whether it might cause them to delay shipments or if it has made it more difficult to execute new sales under the uncertainties that persist.