The Dispute Settlement Board of World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 4 June 2015 ruled against the India’s ban on import of meats from the United States (US). The ban on imports of meat covered poultry meat, eggs and live pigs.

The appellate body upheld the October 2014 ruling of three-member dispute settlement panel of WTO, which ruled that India’s avian influenza-related measures were inconsistent with the international norms.

It further ruled that India’s measures were arbitrary and unjustifiably discriminated between members where identical or similar conditions prevailed. In essence, these measures constituted trade-restrictive measures.

Further, India’s measures violated Article 3.1, 6.1 and 6.2 of the Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Agreement of WTO as they were not based on international standards.

Now, India will have 12 to 18 months time to implement the ruling after which US will be able to export its product to India.