U.S. Does Not Appeal WTO Decision On Chinese Poultry Imports

A trade dispute between China and the U.S. over chicken import restrictions has ended with the U.S. accepting without appeal a World Trade Organization (WTO) censure of U.S. limitations on imports of cooked chicken. China had filed a complaint against the U.S. over a congressional ban imposed in an appropriations bill that prevented the U.S. from allowing imports of Chinese chicken. At its core, the problem originated as a food safety issue rather than a trade issue, as one congresswoman said. The U.S. had banned imports from China after bird flu outbreaks and other food scares several years ago. China retaliated with its own restrictions on U.S. poultry imports. But after imports were formally allowed, the congressional spending ban tied the hands of U.S. officials.