With all due respect, Australia and New Zealand (I'll presume to speak for
both, though some might say there are a few differences :)) are simply
asking for the same sort of market access that the US expects and generally
receives from us.  The issue is restrictions on trade based on matters other
than sanitary and phyto-sanitary, restricting trade because of non-technical
reasons.

Down here, we regularly hear of the US's respect and regard for free trade,
trade that is not manipulated or managed by unfair subsidies, dumping,
protectionism and the like.  On the basis of that, we are expected (by both
our government and the US) to accept things such as the grapes that Trevor
referred to.  If there is a disgruntled aspect here, it would be that the
exporters of those grapes have continually failed quarantine requirements,
with the result that we have on a number of occasions had to use our own
biosecurity facilities to stop such things as (to us) exotic spiders, etc.
In spite of this *technical* reason for now refusing the grapes, or imposing
higher standards of expected behaviour by the exporters involved, we are
expected to bear the demonstrated and significant risk involved...

Me?  I'm a reluctant supporter of many of the concepts of free trade, given
the US's intransigent and bullying behaviours.  I'm a supporter because we
are being obliged to play by those rules that have been to a great extent
imposed/supported by the US.  I'm a supporter as long as we all play by
those rules.  I'm kind of tired of being told we have to accept US goods
under these rules while being put into 30 year loops by the US while they
'consider' the issues we have raised regarding our own possibilities for
export.

Nick Wallingford
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http://www.beekeeping.co.nz