Argentina takes Chile to WTO on dairy safety

Argentina has filed a dispute complaint against Chile to WTO after a 23% safeguard imposed on several dairy products from Argentina.

A statement from the Argentine Foreign Ministry considers the imposed safeguard incompatible with the obligations within the GATT agreement and WTO safeguards agreement.
On 14 December, Chile decreed a definitive 23% safeguard on liquid milk, powder milk and Gouda cheese from Argentina. It was provisionally in force since October 6 as a consequence of an investigation requested by Fedeleche, Chile’s National Federation of Milk Producers, which claim imports are damaging domestic trade. Under the Safeguards Agreement, safeguards can only be applied with disregard of the origin of the product.
Other trade disputes between the two countries include price bands for imports of wheat and grain flour and Argentina suspending agreed natural gas exports to Chile after an energy shortage.