WTO ruling favors Mexico in US 'dolphin-safe' tuna spat

The World Trade Organization ruled Tuesday that Mexico's tuna industry has been harmed by U.S. "dolphin-safe" labeling rules and says the country can seek retaliatory measures worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The decision said Mexico's economic damages from the labeling rules amounted to $163 million a year. The Mexican government issued a statement saying it would "immediately ask the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body for authorization to suspend benefits" and also begin an internal process of targeting imports from the United States. In past decisions, the WTO has held that the U.S. "dolphin-safe" labeling improperly interfered with trade. Mexico's statement said its tuna industry meets "the highest international standards for the protection of dolphins and sustainability."