Peruvian avocado association ProHass says it will go to the World Trade Organization (WTO) if it cannot reach a solution with Chile over import requirements, website Gestion.pe reported.

ProHass general manager Arturo Medina told the website that the United States had sent 176 containers of Hass avocados to Chile this year without certification, yet authorities were applying treatment requirements to Peruvian fruit due to sunblotch concerns.

"We believe this can only translate as discriminatory treatment that we don't accept, because the United States and Mexico also have this virus in their seeds and Chile doesn't apply any health measures to them," Medina was quoted as saying.

He said Peruvian growers would not stop their push until Chile showed the same principles of reciprocity demonstrated by Peru.

However, authorities in northern Chile have reported that Peru has blocked apples from their southern neighbor as a retaliatory measure.

Medina told the website he would urge a petition to the WTO if negotiations between Peruvian authorities and their Chilean counterparts did not find a solution.

"Only then would we ask for intervention from Mincetur (Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism) and the president himself Ollanta Humala," he was quoted as saying.

He claimed the real reason for the restrictions was that Chilean growers didn't want Peruvian fruit arrive during the period of highest demand.

"The Peruvian export supply arrives in the Chilean market in the counterseason, when they don't have national production and so there is high demand and the prices paid are extremely high and attractive.

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