The World Trade Organization will establish an expert panel to investigate and rule on whether a U.S. ban on Chinese poultry imports violates international trade rules. The decision was made at a meeting of the WTO's dispute settlement body following a second request by the Chinese delegation.
Major U.S. meat companies want Congress to remove barriers to Chinese poultry imports to avoid potential retaliation by China on U.S. meat exports. Reports from trade groups indicate that Chinese importers already have begun to block shipments of U.S. chicken.
A statement out of Geneva, Switzerland, and posted on the Internet by the U.S. Trade Representative's office says, "We do not agree with China's assertions that the issue amounts to a discriminatory or protectionist measure. As we have stated, nothing in the measure identified by China prevents the relevant U.S. authorities from continuing to work together to reach an objective, science-based response to China's request for a declaration of equivalence with respect to poultry products."
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