Mexican blasts WTO over lingering pork bans

 

The United States, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Brazil and others stressed that trade restrictions in response to the flu "have no scientific justification", officials said.

 

Formerly known as swine flu, the virus is spreading globally in people and a pandemic has been declared in humans and not in pigs.

 

Ukraine, Indonesia, China and Jordan are among the countries that imposed pork bans and barriers in response to the outbreak of AH1N1.

 

All four countries advised the WTO committee that their measures were only temporary and would be lifted once scientific evidence was further examined.

 

China defended its aggressive moves to limit pork imports, citing its large vulnerable population and the importance of pigs and pork in the Chinese diet, diplomats said.

 

Mexico listed China among seven countries that kept trade-restricting measures in place in spite of the evolution of the flu and repeated statements from United Nations and scientific officials that pork posed no H1N1 risks.

 

The others cited were Armenia, Bahrain, Gabon, Indonesia, Jordan and Surinam, a WTO official said.