Brazil to Request WTO Consultations on Canadian EmbargoThe government of Brazil could request the World Trade Organization (WTO) for consultations on the Canadian embargo on Brazilian beef, a local diplomatic source said on Friday.The consultations would be the first step by the South American country prior to submitting an application to the WTO to create an investigative panel on the case. The panel is a kind of court in which the WTO judges and settles commercial disputes among member countries. On February 2, Canada decided to ban the import of Brazilian beef and beef products, over concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease. Canada, which along with Mexico and the United States signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), called on its trade partners to act accordingly. As a response to the Canadian measure, Brazil decided to take steps in the WTO against the North American country, based on sanitary regulations of the world organization. On Friday, a delegation of sanitary specialists sent by NAFTA inspected local cattle, ranches and the refrigeration industry. They are scheduled to leave Brazil on Sunday. Brazil "is eager to start the WTO consultation once the delegation departs," said the source. |
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