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Australia to Seek Immediate Lift of US Barriers After WTO Ruling
Australia would seek the immediate removal of unfair barriers to lamb exports to the United States following a favorable World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling overnight, Trade Minister Mark Vaile said Thursday, December 7.
Vaile said the WTO panel on lamb meat found against US tariff measures placed on imports of Australian and New Zealand lamb.
"This is a great outcome for the Australian lamb industry and I appreciate its close involvement in the case," he told reporters.
"The WTO panel has reaffirmed its interim findings that the tariffs imposed by the United States on our lamb exports were unjustified and were inconsistent with WTO rules," he said.
The United States could appeal against the ruling, but Vaile vowed the Australian government would vigorously defend the finding.
The restrictions, put in place in July, 1999, included an initial tariff of nine percent on an annual quota of 31,851 tonnes of Australian and New Zealand lamb.
Above-quota exports attracted a tariff of 40 percent.
The tariffs were set for progressive reduction to 24 percent for above-quota imports over the three years of the plan that aimed to increase returns for domestic sheep producers in the Unite States.
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