Japan has appealed against a World Trade Organisation ruling that said its quarantine measures on imported apples from the USA could not be justified on health grounds under the rules of the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

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Tokyo claims that the WTO panel made various “erroneous interpretations” regarding its conclusions about how Japanese rules broke this agreement, for instance over its risk assessment procedures.


Washington had been complaining about the quarantine restrictions imposed on US apples since 1994 to protect against the introduction of fire blight. They include requirements that export orchards are inspected three times yearly for the disease and given post-harvest chlorine treatment.

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