U.S. Organic Trade Pact with Switzerland Opens $2 Billion Market

• Get updates on trade, Customs and regulatory changes
• Stay informed on trade compliance seminars,
  workshops and industry events

x

By Carolyn Heneghan , Industry Dive Jul 14, 2015

The U.S. and Switzerland have signed a new organic equivalency arrangement to open up the European market to the U.S. organic food industry and to facilitate trans-Atlantic organic trade. The U.S. already had an organic equivalency pact with the European Union, signed in 2012, but Switzerland is not part of the EU, so the lack of an agreement had bottlenecked trade with the country.

"The new pact allows organic products certified in the U.S. or Switzerland to be sold as organic in either country, beginning July 10, and eliminates the need for two sets of fees, inspections and paperwork while still upholding high organic oversight standards," according to the Organic Trade Association.

The organic market in Switzerland, whose residents are the global leaders in consuming organic foods per person, is steadily growing, including a 12% jump in consumption in 2013 from the prior year — making it about $2 billion market.

U.S. organic food producers now have one of the most valuable markets for organic food consumption at their disposal. The arrangement could mean not only more sales but also easier trade between the U.S. and Switzerland and the EU as a whole.

Read Full Article on Industry Dive »