India loses poultry case against US at WTO

India has lost a case at the WTO, with the World Trade Organization on Thursday ruling that Indian ban on import of poultry meat, eggs and live pigs from the US was "inconsistent" with the international norms.

India will have 12-18 months to implement this ruling, after which the US can begin exports of these products to India.

"The appellate body agreed with the panel's finding that India's AI (avian influenza) measures are inconsistent ... because they are not based on a risk assessment," WTO said.

A WTO panel last year ruled that India's ban on imports of poultry products from US was inconsistent with global norms.

After hearing India's appeal against the ruling, the appellate body on Thursday said it has "found that the panel did not, as India contended, act inconsistently".

The appellate body also upheld the panel's findings that India's AI measures are neither "based on", nor "conform to", the relevant international standard.

It also endorsed the panel's finding that India's AI measures violated global norms on the grounds that the prohibition was limited to just one country and not to all imports from any country with AI risk. India filed an appeal in January 2015 with the dispute settlement board of the World Trade Organization (WTO).