New Delhi: India is likely to challenge a WTO panel’s ruling which had described the country’s ban on American poultry product imports as inconsistent with global norms. The commerce department is working on the “feasibility of filing an appeal against the WTO’s panel report” in consultation with the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries, sources said.
In its ruling on October 14, the WTO panel had said that India’s measu-res are “arbitrarily and unjustifiably discriminate between members where identical or similar conditions prevail and are applied in a manner which constitutes a disguised restriction on international trade”. India has 60 days to appeal before the appellate body of the WTO against the decision of the dispute settlement panel.
In March 2012, the United States had dragged India to the WTO against India’s ban on imports of certain American farm products, including poultry meat and eggs. India had banned imports of various agricultural products from the US in 2007, as a precautionary measure to prevent outbreaks of Avian Influenza in the country.India is one of the potential market for the US which is one of the world’s largest exporter of chicken meat.
