July 23, 2013
WTO to hearcase of India''srestrictionon US poultry imports
Due to unsettled disputes, the World Trade Organization (WTO) is set to hearthe caseon India''s restrictionson US poultry and egg imports.
In May 2012, the US requested the WTO to establish a dispute settlement panel to resolve claims of India''s restrictions against US agriculture products. The US requested formal talks with India in March 2012. Consultations were held in April, but without a resolution of the claims.
The decision of the panel will determine if India can continue restricting import of cheap chicken legs from the US, due tobird flu fears.
The hearing on July 24-25 will be followed by a second hearing at the end of the year, after which the panel will give its draft report. Once the draft report is discussed and argued by both sides, the panel will give its final judgement.
The US had disputed India''s decision last year for banning poultry products on unscientific grounds. It had argued that the ban imposed on countries'' reporting outbreaks of low pathogenic avian influenza had no basis in science and was not supported by the World Organisation for Animal Health.
While there is no ban on import of chicken or poultry products from the US at the moment, the bancould beimplemented againif low-pathogen virus is detected in US farms.Due tothe unpredictability of supply, Indian buyers are not willing to source US chicken despite the fact that it is available at less than half the domestic price.
India has argued that restrictions are crucialtowards preventing the spread of avian influenza in India.