A study by Horticulture New Zealand and the Horticulture Export Authority (HEA) has found that tariffs in other countries on our exports cost fruit and vegetable growers an average $34,000 a year.

The number has risen $6000 since 2008, and comes from a total cost of $235m; that number is also well up on 2008, when $197m was paid in tariffs.

HEA chief executive Simon Hegarty says tariffs aren’t the only cost on the industry.

“They can be issues around the pest and disease status of the products, for instance the situation with Australian trade, with apples.

"We’ve had [Closer Economic Relations] in place with zero tariffs, for many years, but we still can’t get our apples in there, on the back of [sanitary and phytosanitary] SPS issues."

Mr Hegarty says the SPS issue can’t always be solved with free trade agreements, and the cost to growers may continue for some time.

"It is clearly political as they try to protect their domestic industries – and it’s not just Australia that has done this in the past, as well.”