From WATTAgNet:
India’s government is examining ways to comply with an order from the World Trade Organization (WTO) to end its ban on U.S. poultry and poultry products.
The country’s commerce secretary, Rajeeve Kher, told reporters the commerce department was in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture so it can abide by the ruling.
The WTO on June 4 upheld its ruling that India’s ban on U.S. poultry and egg imports is unfair. The initial decision was issued by the WTO in October 2014, but officials from India appealed the ruling on January 26.
The dispute between India and the U.S. dates back to 2007, when India banned imports of various agriculture products from the United States in what it called a precautionary measure to prevent outbreaks of low pathogenic avian influenza. The USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) and National Chicken Council (NCC) disagreed, calling India’s ban “thinly veiled protectionism” in a joint statement, and that India provided no scientific evidence to support the ban.
Once the ban is fully removed, the U.S. is likely to benefit as India’s broiler meat consumption has been steadily increasing. Broiler consumption in India was estimated to have reached 3.72 million metric tons in 2014, up from an estimated 3.45 million metric tons consumed in 2013.
