The World Trade Organization’s appeals body ruled on Tuesday that Australia’s tight laws on tobacco packaging were justified, rejecting complaints by Honduras and the Dominican Republic that they are unfair restrictions on trade. A panel of the WTO had in 2018 ruled on a case brought by Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras and Indonesia against Australia over its rules on tobacco packaging. The complainants argued that Australia’s Tobacco Plain Packaging Act constituted an unjustified barrier to trade, but the panel found Australia’s measures were not more restrictive than was necessary to achieve the public health goal of reducing smoking.
