WTO body okays ruling in favor of Phl vs Thailand

MANILA, Philippines - The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) has approved a ruling in favor of the Philippines against Thailand in customs valuation of cigarettes from the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

Citing a report from the Philippine Mission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, the WTO DSB formally adopted on July 15 the reports of the Panel and the Appellate Body in the dispute brought by the Philippines against Thailand regarding the customs and tax treatment of cigarettes imported from the Philippines.

In a panel ruling issued on Nov. 12, 2010, and affirmed by the appellate body in a report issued on June 17, the WTO upheld the claims of the Philippines that Thailand has failed to respect its WTO commitments regarding customs valuation of cigarettes from the Philippines, equal tax treatment of domestic and imported cigarettes, and the transparency of trade rules.

In welcoming the adoption of the two reports, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario said that “the Philippines welcomes today’s adoption of the panel and appellate body reports in this dispute and would like to express its deep satisfaction with the outcome.”

“The Philippines prevailed on virtually all the claims it made in this dispute. But this is not about counting victories. This is about providing fair treatment for Philippine exports that directly and indirectly benefit many Filipinos from leaf growing through to manufacturing,” Del Rosario said.