April 30, 2009
WTO not notified of pork import bans
No countries have officially notified the World Trade Organisation (WTO) of bans on pork imports amid the swine flu outbreak, according to a spokesman Wednesday (Apr 29).
The WTO has not been formally notified of any measures, said WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell.
The swine flu outbreak has led several countries to impose bans on pork imports even though the disease has so far infected people not pigs. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had also said the disease cannot be spread through pork consumption.
Officials in the US and Europe are calling for the disease to be given a different name to prevent consumers being put off eating pork.
WHO officials said the disease was given the name because it derives from a swine flu virus, but the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said the disease has pig, bird and human flu components therefore the name 'swine flu' is a dangerous misnomer.
WTO rules in the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement allow countries to suspend food imports for health and safety reasons, but they must inform other countries through the WTO and consider any comments submitted by other member governments.
Russia is not a member of the WTO therefore is not liable to international trade rules. The country has since banned meat imports from Mexico and several US states.
Other countries that have imposed bans include China, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Ukraine, Jordan, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The EU, where swine flu has spread to member states Spain, Britain, Germany and Austria, said it has no plans to restrict US pork imports.
