Apple industry leaders aren’t worried by a last ditch Australian appeal to stop New Zealand apples being exported across the Tasman.

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) overturned a longstanding Australian ban on our apples earlier this week, a decision the Aussies are contesting.

Pipfruit New Zealand chief executive Peter Beaven says the appeal was expected, but is only delaying the inevitable.

“We’re pretty confident about the outcome of the appeal. The grounds for appealing are pretty limited – they can only be on points of law or procedure, they can’t revisit the facts.

"The findings, on that basis, will remain intact, we’d be very surprised if there was any lessening of the outcome that we’ve got from the panel to date.

It won’t set the timeline back at all, we predicted that with an appeal in mind.”

And the apple decision has evoked a new sense of camaraderie among the fruit industry.

Kiwifruit Growers president Peter Ombler is celebrating a major victory for his apple colleagues.

“Trade agreements and the work that Mr Groser has done have a massive impact on us – look at trade agreements involving China, Malaysia and work going on in Korea and India.

"If we get a situation where we can reduce tariffs or get free trade in those areas it’s a massive thing.

"This ruling from the WTO will really do us a world of good in that area.”