GATT Article XX(a) permits otherwise trade-restrictive animal welfare measures

There is ample support in the literature (primarily recent academic commentary) for the proposition that trade restrictions aimed at protecting animal welfare can be justified under Article XX(a) of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 and thus are complimentary to and compliant with the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) free trade agenda, particularly in light of the EC – Seal Products case and the way it has affected interpretations of GATT Article XX(a).