WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/347
23 October 2002
(02-5796)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
HONDURAS – RESTRICTION IN ABSOLUTE TERMS ON THE ENTRY
OF POULTRY MEAT FROM COSTA RICA
Questions Posed by Costa Rica
1. The Government of Costa Rica is requesting the Government of Honduras to explain how the
measure notified in document G/SPS/N/HND/3 is consistent with the provisions of the WTO
Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and
international standards recognized by the Organization for the sanitary control of animal products.
2. The Government of Costa Rica is requesting the Government of Honduras to provide
scientific evidence showing that the measure, which is restricting poultry meat imports from Costa
Rica, is the least trade-restrictive measure necessary to ensure the protection of avian health in
Honduras and therefore does not constitute an unnecessary and disguised barrier to trade, in
accordance with WTO disciplines.
3. In particular, the scientific evidence which the Government of Honduras is requested to
provide must include evidence showing that the diseases avian infectious laryngotracheitis and avian
salmonellosis can be introduced through the trade in poultry meat from Costa Rica, in as much as the
International Office of Epizootics (IOE) does not require these diseases to be subject to sanitary
control for the purpose of authorizing international trade in poultry meat.
4. The Government of Costa Rica is requesting the Government of Honduras to show that the
restriction imposed on the entry of its products has been applied on the same terms to imports from
other trading partners with similar sanitary conditions, in accordance with the principles of non-
discrimination and most-favoured-nation treatment established by the WTO in the SPS Agreement.
This implies that the Government Honduras has authorized imports of poultry meat only fromcountries that have been declared free of the four avian diseases.G/SPS/GEN/347
Page 2
HONDURAS -- RESTRICTION IN ABSOLUTE TERMS ON THE ENTRY
OF POULTRY MEAT FROM COSTA RICA
Communication by Costa Rica
A. BACKGROUND
In 1999, Costa Rica exported poultry meat worth a total of US$ 2.4 million and of these
exports 53 per cent went to Honduras; in 2000, exports amounted to US$ 2.5 million and 66 per cent
went to Honduras, while in 2001 exports totaled US$2.8 million, Honduras taking 86.1 per cent (see
Annex 1).
In March of this year, Honduras applied a measure restrictive in absolute terms on the entry of
poultry meat from Costa Rica, arguing that it would only admit imports of poultry meat from
countries whose avian health status was equivalent to its own, that is to say, countries that were free
from avian influenza, avian infectious laryngotracheitis, Newcastle disease and avian salmonellosis.1
This measure, especially as regards the diseases avian salmonellosis and avian infectious
laryngotracheitis, has no basis in the international standards recognized by the WTO via the
International Animal Health Code of the International Office of Epizootics (IOE), which for trade in
poultry meat requires only that the exporting country be free of avian influenza and Newcastle
disease.
Costa Rica is free of these two diseases, so that its avian health status fits within the
parameters recognized by the WTO.  Consequently, Costa Rican poultry meat exports do not
constitute a risk for the avian health status of Honduras.
Considering that the restriction imposed by Honduras is unjustified, unnecessary and
unsupported by the international standards in the field of sanitary and phytosanitary measures
recognized by the WTO, the authorities of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, in coordination with the
authorities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, have initiated a coordinated effort to show,
on the basis of scientific evidence, that Costa Rica is in compliance with the sanitary standards
required by the WTO for international trade in poultry meat.
Between March and August 2002, the two countr ies held technical-level meetings in the
course of which Costa Rica submitted reports providing evidence of the situation with respect to avian
health status, in accordance with international standards.
According to Article 12 of the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
(hereinafter SPS Agreement), the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures is the regularforum for consultations between Members in this fiel d and, in particular, is required to encourage and
facilitate them.
B. 
THE QUESTIONS
1. The Government of Costa Rica is requesting the Government of Honduras to explain how the
measure notified in document G/SPS/N/HND/3 is consistent with the provisions of the WTO
                                                     
1 On 12 October 2000, Honduras notified, in document G/SPS/N/HND/3 (see Annex 2) that it would
only admit poultry imports from countries whose avian health status was equivalent to its own and was thereforerequiring exporting countries to guarantee that they  were free of avian influenza and avian infectious
laryngotracheitis and that their farms were free of Newcastle disease and avian salmonellosis.G/SPS/GEN/347
Page 3
Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and
international standards recognized by the Organization for the sanitary control of animal products.
2. The Government of Costa Rica is requesting the Government of Honduras to provide
scientific evidence showing that the measure, which is restricting poultry meat imports from CostaRica, is the least trade-restrictive measure necessary to ensure the protection of avian health in
Honduras and therefore does not constitute an unnecessary and disguised barrier to trade, in
accordance with WTO disciplines.
3. In particular, the scientific evidence which the Government of Honduras is requested to
provide must include evidence showing that the diseases avian infectious laryngotracheitis and avian
salmonellosis can be introduced through the trade in poultry meat from Costa Rica, in as much as theInternational Office of Epizootics (IOE) does not require these diseases to be subject to sanitary
control for the purpose of authorizing international trade in poultry meat.
4. The Government of Costa Rica is requesting the Government of Honduras to show that the
restriction imposed on the entry of its products has been applied on the same terms to imports fromother trading partners with similar sanitary conditions, in accordance with the principles of non-
discrimination and most-favoured-nation treatment established by the WTO in the SPS Agreement.
This implies that the Government Honduras has authorized imports of poultry meat only from
countries that have been declared free of the four avian diseases.
C. 
THE GROUNDS
Honduras has unilaterally declared itself free of four avian diseases: avian influenza,
Newcastle disease, avian infectious laryngotracheitis and avian salmonellosis.
The International Office of Epizootics (IOE), th e only international entity recognized in the
SPS Agreement (Annex A, paragraph 3) as an issuer of international standards, guidelines and
recommendations in the field of sanitary measures relating to animal health, has a mandate to
establish lists of member countries or zones officially recognized as free from certain diseases.  In
order to be declared a country free of a disease the veterinary administration of the interested country
must complete a procedure previously defined by the IOE, on the basis of specially designed,
scientifically based questionnaires.
The IOE is currently publishing lists of countries recognized by that organization as being
free from foot and mouth disease, rinderpest and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia;  the conditions
for bovine spongiform encephalitis are in process of adoption.  The preparation of lists of countries
recognized as free of these diseases has been given priority because of their impact on international
trade.
At present, the IOE does not have a list of countries recognized by that organization as being
free of the four avian diseases of which Honduras has declared itself to be free.  Honduras has
declared itself to be a country free of these four diseases by availing itself of the opportunity afforded
by the IOE for countries to declare themselves free of diseases for which there is still no specific IOEprocedure for the official recognition of the status of member countries with respect to the diseases in
question.
Although the IOE affords member countries the opportunity to declare themselves free of a
disease, in such an eventuality it is indispensable that the importing countries receive theepidemiological data necessary to convince them of the fact, in accordance with the requirements of
the IOE's International Animal Health Code relating to the diseases concerned.G/SPS/GEN/347
Page 4
As regards international trade in poultry meat, the International Animal Health Code
establishes the right of the importing country to require that the exporting country be free only of
avian influenza and Newcastle disease, both classified in the IOE's List A of diseases.2
However, the International Animal Health Code does not require the country exporting the
poultry meat to have been declared free of avian infectious laryngotracheitis or avian salmonellosis,
both of which are included in List B,3 as a prerequisite for the authorization of international trade in
that product.  Neither does the Code mention an obligation on the part of the exporting country to
produce certificates showing that its establishments are free of these diseases, as they are not
considered to be transmissible via poultry meat.
Under the International Animal Health Code, avian infectious laryngotracheitis and avian
salmonellosis must be subjected to sanitary controls  for international trade in domestic birds, day-old
birds and hatching eggs, but not for trade in poultry meat.
Consequently, the restriction imposed by Hondur as in requiring Costa Rica to guarantee that
it is free of the four above-mentioned avian diseases before it will authorize trade in poultry meat isnot supported by any international standard and is co ntrary to the requirements laid down by the IOE.
Below, with a view to defining the terms of the consultation more precisely, we examine the
measure applied by Honduras as a sanitary requirement for authorizing the importation of poultry
meat from Costa Rica and its specific relationship wi th the rules of the International Animal Health
Code.
According to the measure notified by Honduras in document G/SPS/HND/3 of
12 October 2000, imports of live poultry, that is to say, fowls of the species Gallus domesticus ,
chicks, fertile eggs, ducks, geese, turkeys, and guinea fowl, as well as meat and edible offal of suchpoultry, eggs, feathers and other poultry parts, and fat and foods (sausages) made with meat of such
poultry, will be authorized only if:
1. The exporting country can guarantee that its farms are free of Newcastle disease and
avian salmonellosis
Newcastle disease
Article 2.1.15.4 of the International Animal H ealth Code specifies that the veterinary
administrations of Newcastle disease-free countries may prohibit importation of domestic and wild
birds, day-old birds, hatching eggs, semen of dom estic and wild birds, fresh meat of domestic and
wild birds, meat products of domestic and wild birds which have not been processed to ensure the
destruction of the Newcastle disease virus, and produc ts of animal origin intended for use in animal
feeding or for agricultural use from countries that have not been declared free of the disease.
                                                     
2 The diseases included in the IOE’s List A are transmissible diseases which have the potential for very
serious and rapid spread, irrespective of national borders, which are of serious socio-economic or public healthconsequence and which are of major importance in the international trade of animals and animal products.
Reports on these diseases are submitted to the IOE with the frequency indicated in Articles 1.1.3.2 and
1.1.3.3 of the International Animal Health Code. Because of the seriousness of these diseases and the severity of
their repercussions on international  trade, States are under strict obligations to notify the first occurrence of a
disease and any event relating thereto, in accordance with Article 1.1.3.3 of the International Animal HealthCode.
3 List B diseases are transmissible diseases which ar e considered to be of socio-economic and/or public
health importance within countries and which are signif icant in the international trade of animals and animal
products. Reports are normally submitted once a year, although more frequent reporting may in some cases be
necessary to comply with Articles 1.1.3.2 and 1.1.3.3 of the International Animal Health Code.G/SPS/GEN/347
Page 5
Costa Rica is a country free of Newcastle disease and accordingly is in compliance with the
above-mentioned international standard for auth orizing international trade in poultry meat.
Honduras has recognized Costa Rica as a country free of this disease.
Avian salmonellosis
Chapter 2.7.5 of the International Animal Health  Code makes this disease subject to sanitary
controls for international trade in domestic birds (article 2.7.5.2), day-old birds (Article 2.7.5.3) and
hatching eggs of domestic birds (Article 2.7.5.4).
The chapter does not establish any sanitary requirement with respect to trade in poultry meat
with which the exporting country must comply in rela tion to this disease, in as much as the disease in
question is understood not to be transmissible through trade in this product.
Thus, as the restriction imposed by Honduras on poultry meat from Costa Rica is based on it
not having been declared a country free of salmonellosis and/or not having provided a guarantee that
its establishments are free of this disease, the measure has no basis in any international standard and
may therefore be presumed to be an unnecessary restriction on trade, under article 3.2 of the SPS
Agreement.
Accordingly, Costa Rica is requesting Honduras to prove that this restriction is justified, by
producing scientific evidence showing that the disease can be transmitted through trade in poultry
meat.
2. The exporting country has been declared free of avian influenza and avian infectious
laryngotracheitis
Avian influenza
In accordance with Article 2.1.14.4 of the International Animal Health Code, the veterinary
administrations of importing countries should require the exporting country to have been declared free
of this disease before admitting domestic and wild birds, day-old birds, hatching eggs, semen of
domestic and wild birds, fresh meat of domestic and wild birds, products of animal origin (from birds)intended for use in animal feeding or for agricultural or industrial use, and pathological material and
biological products (from birds) which have not been processed to ensure the destruction of the highly
pathogenic avian influenza virus.
In this respect, the measure imposed by Honduras is consistent with the international
standards. Costa Rica has been declared free of this disease and is therefore in a position to export
poultry meat to international markets.
Avian infectious laryngotracheitis
Chapter 2.7.7 of the International Animal H ealth Code establishes sanitary regulations
relating to this disease for international trade in the following products: chickens (Article 2.7.7.2),
day-old birds (Article 2.7.7.3) and hatching eggs (Article 2.7.7.4).
This chapter does not contain any provision concerning sanitary controls for this disease as a
precondition for authorizing international trade in poultry meat nor does it mention the right of the
importing country to require the exporting country to have been declared free of the disease. IncludingG/SPS/GEN/347
Page 6
for the products mentioned above, the Code requires a certificate attesting that the establishments are
disease-free, but makes no mention of the country being free of the disease.
Therefore in relation to this disease the Honduran measure is unsupported by any
international standard.  Consequently, it may be presumed to be an unnecessary obstacle tointernational trade, under Article 3.2 of the SPS Agreement.
We are requesting the Honduran Government to provide scientific evidence showing that the
requirement that a country must be free from avian infectious laryngotracheitis is necessary to
guarantee the avian health status of that country, in as much as the disease can be introduced through
the importation of poultry meat.
D. 
LEGAL BASIS OF CONFORMITY WITH THE WTO AGREEMENTS
These consultations are being held in conformity with the rights and obligations assumed by
Honduras and Costa Rica under WTO trade rules.
In particular, they are being held in conformity with the SPS Agreement, according to which:
• The Agreement applies to all sanitary and phytosanitary measures which may,
directly or indirectly, affect international trade (Article 1); Members have the right to
take sanitary measures provided that they are consistent with the provisions of the
Agreement, are based on scientific principles, are not maintained without sufficientscientific evidence, do not arbitrarily or unjustifiably discriminate between Members
where similar conditions prevail, do not constitute a disguised restriction on
international trade and are based on international standards issued by the
organizations recognized in the SPS Agreement (Article 2);
• Members may introduce a sanitary measure which results in a higher level of
protection than would be achieved by measures based on the relevant international
standard if there is a scientific justification, or as a consequence of a risk assessment
for the purpose of determining the appropriate level of protection, carried out in
accordance with Article 5 of the SPS Agreement;
• Members must ensure that the measures adopted are not more trade-restrictive than
required to achieve their appropriate level of sanitary protection (Article 5);
• When a Member has reason to believe that a specific sanitary measure introduced by
another Member is constraining its exports and the measure is not based on an
international standard, it may request an explanation of the reasons for that measure
and the Member maintaining the measure must provide one (Article 5);
• Members are fully responsible for the implementation and observance of all
obligations set forth in the SPS Agreement (Article 13);
• The Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures is the regular and appropriate
forum for consultations on sanitary matters (Article 12).G/SPS/GEN/347
Page 7
E. C ONCLUSION
In view of these considerations, the Government of Costa Rica formally requests the
Honduran authorities to withdraw the restriction in absolute terms on the entry of poultry meat from
Costa Rica and to reply in due course to the questions posed in this communication.G/SPS/GEN/347
Page 8
ANNEX 1
Costa Rica
Honduras’s Share of Poultry Meat Exports
1999-2001, in US$
Country of destination 1999 2000 2001
Honduras 1,306,833 1,653,404 2,481,891
% share of total 53.6% 66.0% 86.1%
Rest of world 1,129,532 853,608 402,027
Total exports 2,436,364 2,507,012 2,883,917
Source:  PROCOMER.G/SPS/GEN/347
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ANNEX 2
WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/HND/3
12 October 2000
(00-4191)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  HONDURAS
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Agricultural Health
Service (SENASA)
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable: 0105.11.00;  0105.12.00;  0105.19.00;  0105.92.00;  0105.93.00; 0105.99.00;
0207.11.00;  0207.12.00;  0207.13.10;  0207.13.91;  0207.13.99; 0207.14.10;  0207.14.91;
0207.14.99;  0207.24.00;  0207.25.00;  0207.26.10;  0207.26.90;  0207.27.10;  0207.27.90;
0207.32.00;  0207.33.00;  0207.34.00;  0207.35.10;  0207.35.90;  0207.36.10;  0207.36.90;
0210.90.10;  0210.90.20;  0210.90.30;  0210.90.90;  0407.00.10;  0407.00.20;  0407.00.90;
0408.11.00;  0408.19.00;  0408.91.00;  0408.99.00;  0505.10.00; 0505.90.00; 1501.00.00(poultry only);  1601.00.20; 1601.00.90; 1602.10.20 (poultry only);  1602.10.90;
1602.31.00; 1602.32.00; 0602.39.00
These restrictions apply to the following:  live poultry, that is to say, fowls of the
species Gallus domesticus,  chicks, fertile eggs, ducks, geese, turkeys, and guinea fowl.
They also apply to meat and edible offal of such poultry, eggs, feathers and other poultryparts;  as well as to the fat and foods (sausages) made with meat of such poultry.
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:
- Plant and Animal Health Law.  Decree No. 157-94, published in La Gaceta
(Official Journal) of 13 January 1995.
- Regulations for the Campaign for the Prevention, Control and Eradication of
Velogenic Newcastle Disease.  Executive Resolution No. 998-99, published in
La Gaceta  of 29 September 1999.
- Regulations for the Campaign for the Control and Eradication of Avian
Salmonellosis.  Executive Resolution No. 997-99, published in La Gaceta  of
28 September 1999.
- International Office of Epizootics (IOE) procedures to prove the non-existence
(absence) in Honduras of infectious laryngotracheitis and avian influenza.G/SPS/GEN/347
Page 10
5. Description of content:  These Standards contain the legal, administrative, technical and
scientific instruments for the prevention, control and eradication of the avian diseases
mentioned, the aim of which is to declare Honduras free of these diseases.
Only poultry, products and by-products th ereof, from countries with equivalent
legally-established animal health programmes for the prevention, control and eradication ofavian diseases may be imported.  The exporting country must be able to guarantee that its
farms are free of Newcastle disease and avian salmonellosis (S. gallinarum and S. pollorum)
and that the country is free of  avian influenza and avian infectious laryngotracheitis.
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [  X ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pests:   Honduras is currently affected by avian salmonellosis, and in
March 2000 six cases of Newcastle disease, velogenic, viscerotropic form, were detected in
chicken-fattening farms and commercial egg fa rms.  Consequently, Honduras' current status
is that of a country affected by sporadic outbreaks of Newcastle disease, with an animalhealth campaign at the control stage.  The aim of these health campaigns is therefore to
eradicate and declare areas free of or with a low prevalence of Newcastle disease and avian
salmonellosis, while at the same time, following the procedures established by the
 IOE, to show that Honduras is free of avian influenza and infectious laryngotracheitis.
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [     ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
- Animal Health Code of the Intern ational Office of Epizootics (IOE).
- Programmes for the Control and Eradication of Avian Diseases in the
United States, Mexico, Chile and Costa Rica, adapted to the circumstances
of the animal health status of Honduras.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:
(a) Plant and Animal Health Law.  Decree No. 157-94, published in La Gaceta
of 13 January 1995 (available in Spanish).
(b) Regulations for the Campaign for the Prevention, Control and Eradication
of Velogenic Newcastle Disease.  Executive Resolution No. 998-99,
published in La Gaceta  of 29 September 1999 (available in Spanish).
(c) Regulations for the Campaign for the Control and Eradication of Avian
Salmonellosis.  Executive Resolution No. 997-99, published in La Gaceta
of 28 September 1999 (available in Spanish).
(d) International Office of Epizootics (IOE) instructions to prove the non-
existence (absence) of infectious laryngotracheitis and avian influenza
(available in Spanish).
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Entry into force upon publication in La Gaceta .
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  1 November 1999G/SPS/GEN/347
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11. Final date for comments:           
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [  X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:  National Agricultural Health Service (SENASA)
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Secretaría de Agricultura y Ganadería
Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (SENASA)
Telephone/Fax: (504) 231-0786
(504) 232-1096
E-mail:  sanimal@hondudata.com
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