WTO sides with Norway on salmon pricing

OSLO, Norway, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store says the World Trade Organization has backed his country in its salmon pricing dispute with the European Union.

Store said a WTO panel had upheld 22 of Norway's key points on the issue, in comparison to only 15 for the European Union, Aftenposten reported Saturday.

Based on these findings, Store said, Norway would be asking the European Union to withdraw all of its related anti-dumping measures.

"The panel has found that the EU's anti-dumping measures conflict with WTO regulations on so many decisive points that we expect the EU will quickly remove their measures," the foreign minister said.

The European Union has disagreed with Store's stance that Norway is cleared of all wrongdoing in the matter and an appeal of the panel's decision is possible.

European Union officials had accused Norwegian salmon producers of dumping their goods on the EU market and imposed emergency restrictions to curb such efforts.

Norwegian salmon producers have accused EU officials of attempting to protect Scottish salmon producers with the restrictions and told Aftenposten that the panel's findings were indicative of a victory for Norway.