Comment from frank messina

Bromeliads are not a known host for the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. So why do the US Bromeliad growers that export to the EU have to comply with regulations for a pest that the EU already has? If we are going to allow their Bromeliads in to the US they need to remove their requirements for Bemisia tabaci for US Bromeliad plant exports to the EU. This is creating a trade barrier with growers here in the US, because of the extra inspectional costs associated with the EU Bemisia tabaci regulations. You need to level the playing field and support fair trade between Countries. Having US Bromeliad growers do more than their foreign trading partners is not fair trade and this requirement needs to be removed. Please read below the Bemisia tabaci regulations from the EXCERPT database that we the US Tillandsia growers have to comply with for shipments going to the EU. See next post…