restrictions on table grapes apples and pears in october 2011 south africa indicated that its exports of fresh fruit particularly table grapes apples and pears had been stopped as a result of thailands new plant quarantine act no. 3. the act prohibited imports of certain fresh produce until a pest risk analysis pra was completed. an interim provision allowed the entry of products imported to thailand prior to the prohibition pending completion of the pra. south africa had sought to invoke this provision which allowed for a case-by-case approval and had proposed certain minimum requirements until the pra was completed. south africa urged thailand to apply the interim arrangement to its exports and to conclude the pra so that trade in the affected products could resume. thailand confirmed that the importation of certain fresh fruit and plants was prohibited until the national plant protection organization nppo had completed a pra. south africa had been granted an interim exemption for its corn exports but had not requested exemptions for any other fresh produce within the set deadline. thailand suggested that the nppos of both countries engage directly to find a mutually satisfactory solution to the issue. in october 2012 south africa recalled that its exports of fresh fruit particularly table grapes apples and pears had been stopped as a result of thailands new plant quarantine act. the act prohibited imports of certain fresh produce until a pra was completed. an interim provision allowed the entry of products imported to thailand prior to the prohibition pending completion of the pra. since its application to be recognized as an historical exporter had not been submitted within the first deadline south africa had sought to invoke this provision under the case-by-case approval process and had proposed certain minimum requirements until the pra was completed. despite this south african fresh fruit although historically exported to thailand was now excluded from the thai market. although south africa had provided the information necessary to conduct the required pras the thai authorities had not indicated when the pras were likely to be concluded. consultations at technical and diplomatic levels had been pursued over the past four and a half years in order to resume trade under the interim provision for historical exporters to thailand. although south africa welcomed the recently concluded agreement which allowed its exports of fresh citrus fruit into thailand it remained concerned that the ban on table grapes apples and pears as well as stone fruit continued. the ban had disrupted successful safe fruit exports to thailand depriving south african producers and exporters of a growing market and limiting the choice of thai consumers. south africa urged thailand to lift the ban so historic trade could resume and to conclude the required pras with urgency. senegal asked for information on the phytosanitary reason for this ban on table grapes and apples. thailand confirmed that the importation of certain fresh fruit and plants was prohibited under the thai plant quarantine act until the nppo had completed a pra. all of the relevant measures had been notified to the wto. south africas request to export table grapes and other fruits to thailand was now in the pra process by the thai nppo. the pra process required different treatments of different pests which could involve a lengthy technical discussion. thailands exports of fresh produce to south africa such as mangosteen and longan were subject to a similar pra process. thailand indicated that it had approved the pra for citrus from south africa allowing importation of citrus fruits. thailand suggested that the nppos of both countries engage directly to find a mutually satisfactory solution to the issue. in november 2017 the secretariat informed that in september 2017 it had contacted all members who had raised specific trade concerns stcs that had not been discussed i