India appeals to DSB over import of U.S. farm products

India has appealed to the Dispute Settlement Board of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for a panel decision on its issues with the U.S. over agricultural imports.

“WTO Secretariat received today a notice by India announcing its decision to appeal certain issues of law and legal interpretation in the panel report in the case ‘India —— Measures concerning the importation of certain agricultural products’,” the WTO said on Monday.

India had in 2012 imposed some prohibitions with regard to importation of various agricultural products from the U.S. because of concerns related to Avian Influenza.

This import prohibition is maintained through India’s Avian Influenza (AI) measures, mainly, the Indian Livestock Importation Act, 1898.

The U.S. contended that India’s AI measures amounted to an import prohibition that was not based on the relevant international standard or on a scientific risk assessment.

Panel view

The dispute settlement panel (DSP) ruled that India’s AI measures were inconsistent with the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement because they were not based on the relevant international standards. India claimed that the panel committed several legal errors in its interpretation and application of numerous articles of the SPS agreement. — PTI

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/india-appeals-to-dsb-over-import-of-us-farm-products/article6827945.ece