Canaryseed exports to Mexico are set to resume, at least for the time being.Gordon Bacon of the Canadian Special Crops Association said Canada has received word from Mexican authorities that shipments of Canadian canaryseed would be allowed under interim trade rules until June 21, 2011.“On Jan 4., we received confirmation that Mexico had granted Canada’s request to resume exports…,” Bacon said.“We’ll be using the same interim rules that were put in place when we were trying to clean up the problems we were having with exports back in August.”Under the rules, all shipments of Canadian canaryseed will be subject to inspection when they arrive in Mexico.If Mexican inspectors find shipments that contain quarantined weed seeds, the Canadian exporter will have the option of returning the shipment to Canada or sending it to a Mexican handling facility for recleaning.The trade dispute affecting Canadian canaryseed exports emerged last June when Mexican authorities raised concerns about the presence of buckwheat seeds in canaryseed shipments.Agriculture authorities from Canada and Mexico met in July and agreed to take steps to clear the backlog of shipments at the Mexican border.The backlog was cleared and exports continued but Mexican concerns remain and little progress has been made toward a permanent solution.Since September, exports to Mexico have been virtually non-existent.Mexico is the largest importer of Canadian canaryseed, accounting for about 25 percent of sales.
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