Lebanon: Import ban on live pigs
Description
On 15 June 2009, with immediate effect, Lebanon has banned all imports of live pigs in a bid to tackle the threat of swine flu. The Ministry of Agriculture released a circular banning all imports regardless of their origin.
Even though this measure appears to be motivated by a legitimate public policy concern, it is still classified as discriminatory because the measure introduces asymmetric treatment between Lebanese and foreign sellers of live pigs.
Currently, no single trading partner has more than the GTA minimum threshold of USD 1 million worth of trade on the affected tariff line.
Any Evidence-Based Deliberation:
| Question | Result |
|---|---|
| Is there anything in the public record to suggest that evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed measure was considered during official deliberations? | No |
| Is there any evidence that alternatives to the proposed measure were considered? | Yes |
| Is there anything in the public record that suggests that empirical evidence informed the comparison across the alternatives available to government? | No |
| Was such evidence identified? | No |
| Is such evidence publicly available? | No |
| Did the official decision-maker in question provide an explanation as to why a chosen measure was favoured over alternatives? | No |
| Is there any evidence to suggest that potentially affected trading partners were consulted before the measures were taken? | No |
| Is there any evidence that safeguards have been put in place to ensure that implementation of the initiative is transparent and non-discriminatory? | No |
| Did the government state its intention to review the measure within one year of implementation? | No |
Date Discovered:
Implemented: Yes
Date of inception: 15 Jun 2009
GTA Evaluation: Red
Source:
Ministry of Agriculture circular No. (291/1) dated 15 June 2009
http://www.agriculture.gov.lb/news_ministry/year_09/Decision%20291-%20Or...
Government Response:
- 890 reads
