WTO notified by Argentina over US beef import restrictions

Argentina has officially lodged a dispute against US restrictions on imports of Argentinean beef and other meat products, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said today.

A week ago, the United States and Japan filed complaints against Argentina with the WTO, alleging that its import licensing rules are protectionist because they discriminate against foreign goods.

"Argentina has notified the WTO Secretariat of a request for consultations with the United States on measures applied to the imports of Argentinean meat and other products of animal origin. Argentina claims that the restrictions, applied on sanitary grounds, don't have scientific justification," the WTO said.

The European Union brought a complaint against Argentina in May, accusing it of limiting imports, and drew a tit-for-tat complaint from Buenos Aires in August denouncing a "de facto prohibition on imports of biodiesel from outside the Community".

Argentina is the world's third largest exporter of beef after Brazil and Australia.