Japan to call for WTO panel ruling on Seoul’s nuclear disaster-related fishery import ban

28/08/2015 12:00 - 672 Views

Japan plans to ask the World Trade Organization to set up a panel to rule on Tokyo’s complaint over South Korea’s import ban on Japanese fishery products following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdowns, sources said Wednesday.
The move, to be made Thursday at the earliest, to seek establishment of the dispute settlement panel comes as Tokyo and Seoul remain apart over the issue in bilateral consultations that have taken place under WTO procedures.
It will be the first time for Japan to take such action against other countries over import restrictions imposed since the start of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant disaster, which resulted in massive radiation leakage to the environment.
Since the nuclear crisis began in March 2011, South Korea banned imports of 50 kinds of marine products from Fukushima and seven other nearby prefectures. In September 2013, Seoul expanded the restrictions to bar all fishery products from the eight prefectures.
Last May, Japan notified South Korea that it wants to start bilateral consultations over the issue. But the two sides have remained at odds and Tokyo has decided to ask that the trade dispute panel be set up.
Japan is calling for the removal of Seoul’s trade restrictive measures, saying they have no scientific justification, while South Korea is arguing they are legitimate steps to ensure food safety for its people.
Once the dispute settlement panel is established, possibly in September, it is unlikely to take more than a year for a ruling to be issued and finalized.

Aug 20, 2015
Source: Kyodo