In 2012 there was a ban placed on the import and export of Neem oil and related products due to the fact that Neem oil was never registered as a pesticide in Canada (Celli, 2016). According to the Canadian government, there were never any submissions regarding Neem oil as a pesticide, therefore no data analysis could be made to conclude whether or not any related products would be safe within Canadian chemical parameters (Celli, 2016). There is however, a Canadian Neem oil product being sold by the name of TreeAzin, which is produced by Bio Forest Canada and is used specifically for the control of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (Celli, 2016). It is likely that this product is exempt from Ontario’s Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Act, as the chemical is not applied to crops that could be consumed by humans; therefore, the acceptable levels of toxicity are higher (Celli, 2016). It costs around $250,000 US to register a new insecticide ingredient and Neem oil insecticides were easily accepted for they contained harmless components to consumers (Isman, 1997). In Canada, a question of standardization is asked, as the process of simply proposing a new ingredient for an insecticide or fertilizer requires the screening of each component, a lengthy and costly process (Isman, 1997).
International Competition
As Neem oil is still available in the US, a comparison can be made to similar products sold in the US and internationally. Internationally, National Exports Private Ltd. is the only company in Nepal to be selling Neem oil, however; the product does not come as an insecticide and is sold through a private wholesaler (National Exports Private Ltd., 2016). In India, there are multiple companies manufacturing Neem oil including Apex International, a company that sells a Neem oil insecticide for between $2-7 US dollars with the price varying based on the quantity purchased (Alibaba, 2016). In the US, there are also a variety of companies selling Neem oil insecticides including the patented Neemix® product from Certis USA (Certis USA, 2016). Safer Brand is another company that sells a Neem oil insecticide with their product BioNEEM® costing around $14.99 US dollars per 16 ounces which is around $30 per acre in US dollars (Safer Brand, 2016). The price indicates that it costs around $30 less to buy Neem oil in the US compared to in Canada making any products distributed from the US more competitive and more preferable for overall cost.
As Neem oil is still available in the US, a comparison can be made to similar products sold in the US and internationally. Internationally, National Exports Private Ltd. is the only company in Nepal to be selling Neem oil, however; the product does not come as an insecticide and is sold through a private wholesaler (National Exports Private Ltd., 2016). In India, there are multiple companies manufacturing Neem oil including Apex International, a company that sells a Neem oil insecticide for between $2-7 US dollars with the price varying based on the quantity purchased (Alibaba, 2016). In the US, there are also a variety of companies selling Neem oil insecticides including the patented Neemix® product from Certis USA (Certis USA, 2016). Safer Brand is another company that sells a Neem oil insecticide with their product BioNEEM® costing around $14.99 US dollars per 16 ounces which is around $30 per acre in US dollars (Safer Brand, 2016). The price indicates that it costs around $30 less to buy Neem oil in the US compared to in Canada making any products distributed from the US more competitive and more preferable for overall cost.
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