Canada to Challenge WTO Ruling on EU Seal Ban

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Canada has openly vowed to soon appeal against ruling recently issued by the World Trade Organization, implying that though an European Union ban on seal products undermines international trade obligations it is still justified due to “public moral concerns” over the animals’ welfare. The WTO ruling announced on Monday concluded a years-long dispute, asserting that despite the ban largely complying international trade rules, it does contain inconsistencies that need fixing.

The ruling exemplified that exceptions for aboriginal hunts are “not equally available to all Inuit or indigenous communities” and are “not designed and applied in an even-handed manner.” Whereas, the WTO also found that the ban “fulfills the objective of addressing the EU public moral concerns on seal welfare to a certain extent, and no alternative measure has been demonstrated to make an equivalent or greater contribution” to that goal.

Canada has a window of 60 days to file an appeal, and the International Trade Minister Ed Fast officially confirmed on Monday morning that Canada “will appeal to the WTO Appellate Body any findings that would allow this unfair ban to continue.” He alleged that “the WTO panel confirmed Canada’s long-standing position that the EU ban is discriminatory and treats Canadian seal products unfairly. However, the panel also took the view that such a ban can be justified due to some of the public’s concerns regarding seal harvesting.” It was added that Canada “remains steadfast in its position that the seal harvest is a humane, sustainable and well-regulated activity. Any views to the contrary are based on myths and misinformation and the panels’ findings should be of concern to all WTO members.”