Publication

The paper discusses the case of Brazil’s import ban on used tires (retreaded tires) and the subsequent court case, with the EC as complainant. The ban was issued because although recycling used tires through retreading is generally environmentally friendly, by exporting used and retreaded tires to foreign markets, the responsibility for the tire disposal is also transferred to the importing country and can have negative environmental and public health impacts in that country. Even though the Appellate Body eventually ruled that the ban measures were WTO inconsistent, the case constitutes a major landmark ruling and is often considered as a great success for environmental policies.