Law360 Quotes Partner Paul C. Rosenthal on Russian Food Import Case

Partner Paul C. Rosenthal was quoted in the Law360 article Russian Food Import Fight Could Go Either Way At WTO.” The article discusses how Russia’s blockage of food imports from countries levying punitive economic sanctions is almost certainly a flagrant violation of World Trade Organization commitments, but experts say the high geopolitical stakes and uncertainties in the body’s exception for national security measures cloud the future of a formal WTO challenge. Mr. Rosenthal speculated that Russia’s approach to the national security exception would likely not pass the WTO’s smell test, even with a lack of precedent on the books. When it comes to what is clearly a retaliation using imports that have not been shown to be causing any national security concern, I think the WTO dispute settlement bodies would have trouble justifying the Russian claims.”