The US-Mexico dispute on “dolphin-safe” tuna labelling continued on last week, after Mexico City rejected Washington’s first request for another compliance panel process to evaluate the recent March 2016 revision to its labelling policies. Last week also saw the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) establish a panel to review Russia’s complaint over Ukrainian anti-dumping measures on imported ammonium nitrate, following a second panel request from Moscow. US, Mexico spar over process, implications Earlier this month, the US asked that a compliance panel review the latest changes to Washington’s “dolphin-safe” tuna labelling regime, which were announced in March. (See Bridges Weekly, 14 April 2016 ) At the time, the US explained that the revisions were meant to bring its previous labelling measure in line with global trade rules, which it argues warrants the establishment of another compliance panel. (See Bridges Weekly, 24 March 2016 ) However, Mexico rejected the request during Friday’s DSB meeting, citing a series of procedural concerns over the US move – particularly since the case has already gone to arbitration. The ensuring discussion, source familiar with the meeting told Bridges, was whether arbitration should proceed in light of a new compliance panel process, or whether a compliance...
Theme: TRADE LAW
Tags: WTO Dispute Settlement, WTO Dispute Settlement