Cuba, Indonesia, Honduras, Dominican Republic and Ukraine have contested the standardised packaging laws, calling them an illegal restriction on trade, but the panel of judges said there won’t be a WTO ruling until at the first half of 2016 at the very earliest.
Both supporters and opponents, including many in the packaging industry, say such restrictions could spread to other industries such as alcohol and confectionery, making the WTO case far broader than Australia’s tobacco policies.
Many other countries around the world, which are considering similar restrictions on tobacco packaging, are waiting for the outcome of the case.
Even if the panel’s decision is announced in early in 2016, the result can be appealed by either side, delaying the final outcome possibly until 2017.