US poultry import : India appeals against WTO rejection of ban

India has  filed  an appeal against a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling of October 2014, in favour of the US over New  Delhi’s  ban on poultry import from America.

The appeal was filed on Monday, a commerce  department source said  here. The appeal was  filed at the WTO appellate body. India banned import of poultry meat and chicken legs from the US on fears that this could result in spread of  bird flu, in 2007. WTO's dispute settlement body, ruling on a petition filed by the US, found the restrictions violative of global trade rules.

The commerce department says it held discussions with the department of animal husbandry and concluded  there was enough ground to appeal, the source said.  

The WTO ruling of October was that India's restrictions were not based on scientific principles and were imposed without sufficient evidence. However, the government here believes it  can prove its fear of low pathogenic strains of bird flu are valid.

The ruling had repercussions for the domestic poultry sector, as India could no longer restrict import of cheap chicken legs from the US.

The poultry industry had urged the government to appeal.

The ban was not supported by the World Organisation for Animal Health.

With annual production of 3.5-4 million tonnes, India is the fourth largest producer of chicken in the world, after the US, China and Brazil.

US consumers generally prefer chicken breasts. Chicken legs are frozen for export to other markets.