India to Appeal WTO Panel Reports in Spat Over Support for Sugarcane Producers

India will appeal a World Trade Organization panel's reports that support cases brought by sugarcane producers, to the Dispute Settlement Body, the WTO said. Brazil, Australia and Guatemala brought the initial cases, which resulted in a panel report finding that India was not acting in line with its agricultural commitments. In the Dec. 14 panel reports, the WTO said that for five consecutive sugar seasons, India gave nonexempt product-specific domestic support to producers in excess of the permitted 10% level of the total value of sugarcane production via three assistance programs (see 2112140081). India's appeal will fall on deaf ears, however, since the U.S. has routinely blocked efforts to fill the vacancies on the Appellate Body, precluding the possibility of an appeal at the Appellate Body.