Russia might argue the ban was based on a security interest that was permissible under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement exceptions. Regardless of the defense, a complaint almost certainly would be tied up in dispute resolution for a long time. In short, this is far beyond what WTO was designed to handle.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Is the Russian Ban on US and EU Food Imports a Violation of the WTO Agreements?
I doubt the US would ever challenge the Russian ban on United States and European Union food imports as a violation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements because the ban will likely hurt Russia more than the US.
