A senior US senator has welcomed the World Trade Organization’s decision against India’s ban on American poultry products, saying that the move would boost the country’s export of poultry products to India.
“This is a great victory for the United States and Georgia poultry, in particular. I have been working to open up India to US poultry since this issue was brought to my attention,” Senator Johny Isakson, ranking member on the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, said.
“I am pleased that the WTO panel affirmed that measures to ensure food safety must be based on science and not a desire to restrict market access. Georgia is the fourth largest poultry-producing region in the world, so this means a great deal to our state economy,” Isakson said.
In a setback to India, the WTO on Tuesday ruled in favour of the US in a dispute over India’s ban on various US agricultural products, including poultry meat, saying the Avian influenza restrictions imposed by New Delhi were imposed without sufficient scientific evidence.
Isakson said for over seven years, India imposed import restrictions on various US agricultural products, particularly poultry meat, eggs and pigs, purportedly to prevent entry of avian influenza into India.
The US, however, has not had an outbreak of high pathogenic avian influenza since 2004, he said.
“America has consistently explained to India that as reflected in relevant international standards there is no scientific basis to ban imports of US agricultural products,” he further said.
In 2011, Isakson with Senators Chris Coons, and 17 of his Senate colleagues had sent a letter to then-US Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk requesting that the US government to pursue the issue with India in bilateral talks.
The US initiated the dispute by requesting consultations with India in March 2012.
After consultations proved unsuccessful in resolving US concerns, the WTO established a panel at the US request to hear its claims that India’s avian influenza restrictions are inconsistent with India’s WTO obligations.
“In its report, the WTO panel found that India’s restrictions breached its obligations under the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures,” Isakson said.
“The US poultry industry, which directly employs over 3,50,000 workers and consists of nearly 50,000 family farms – has been particularly affected by India’s restrictions.
“The industry estimates that US exports to India of just poultry meat alone could easily exceed USD300 million a year once India’s restrictions are removed,” he said.