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Bangkok appeals WTO tobacco ruling in favor of PHL


Bangkok has appealed a World Trade Organization (WTO) decision favoring the Philippines in the two countries’ row over cigarettes. The Philippine permanent representative to the WTO, Manuel Teehankee, said Thailand on Tuesday submitted a partial appeal of the WTO’s panel report findings before the WTO appellate body. Teehankee added Thailand has the right to thwart the adoption of the WTO panel report as it filed an appeal ahead of the meeting of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body this Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2008, the Philippines lodged with the WTO a complaint on Thailand, saying the Bangkok violated WTO rules to protect its state-owned tobacco monopoly by designating higher customs values for Philippine cigarette exports and jacking up the maximum retail prices on imported cigarettes. The panel that looked into the dispute issued a report last November directing the Thai government to “bring its inconsistent measures on a par with its WTO obligations." http://www.gmanews.tv/story/206105/phl-lauds-wto-ruling-on-cigarette-row-with-thailand “The Philippines, being a major tobacco producer and a growing exporter of manufactured cigarettes to Thailand, will strongly defend the findings of the panel report, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo said. “We are confident that the appellate body will uphold the position of the Philippines and require Thailand to comply with its WTO obligations with respect to Philippine exports," Domingo added. — With Paterno Esmaquel II/VS, GMA News

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