A World Trade Organization panel has largely sided with Mexico in a dispute with Costa Rica over import restrictions on Mexican avocados. Costa Rican representatives said they accepted the decision. The panel found that the sanitary risk assessment presented by Costa Rica lacked sufficient scientific basis. Some of Mexico's additional claims were dismissed or were not reviewed by the panel.
In 2017, Mexico complained that Costa Rica was improperly restricting the import of fresh avocados, and a dispute settlement panel has been considering the case since 2019. Costa Rica's government said in a statement following the decision that it accepted the outcome, and that it would be "analyzing possible alternatives" to be able to comply with the decision.
Costa Rica's agricultural and livestock minister, Renato Alvarado, said he had given instructions "to prepare the necessary adjustments to the phytosanitary protection measures related to avocado imports, in order to comply with our obligations in the framework of multilateral trade."
Source: reuters.com