Senators Wyden and Carper Welcome WTO Decision Upholding U.S. Farmer’s Access to Indian Market

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator Tom Carper, D-Del., welcomed a World Trade Organization decision today that India’s ban on imports of various U.S. agricultural products – including a wide range of poultry products – without a scientific basis for doing so, violated international trade rules. 

Senator Wyden said, “When countries put up baseless barriers to American agricultural products, we need to stand up for strong enforcement of the rules.  Today’s decision is a well-deserved victory for hard-working American farmers across the country.”

Senator Carper said, “Today’s ruling is a welcome sign that trade barriers erected by unscientific restrictions on American agricultural exports will not stand. There is still work to be done to open India’s enormous market to American farmers, but this decision has the potential to restore great economic opportunity for them and our country. Agriculture has always been a vital part of Delaware’s economy and today about 70 percent of our state’s agricultural exports come from the poultry industry. In recent years we have been successful in addressing China and Mexico’s trade barriers that kept Delmarva poultry out of those important markets and my hope is we’re on our way to doing the same in India.”

The ruling is the first step to reopening the Indian market to U.S. ag and poultry products. The WTO now must formally adopt the report, which starts the clock for India to comply with the ruling.

More information is available from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative here.