Malaysia and Indonesia to take EU palm oil ban to WTO

Mahathir tells industry forum 'we must not hesitate to take countermeasures'

A worker unloads palm oil fruit bunches from a lorry inside a palm oil mill in Bahau, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. © Reuters

P PREM KUMAR, Nikkei staff writer

November 19, 2019 17:33 JST

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia will lodge a WTO complaint against the EU's plan to ban its member states from using palm oil-based biofuel as tensions escalate in a clash between environment-conscious Europeans and Southeast Asian exporters.

In addition, Indonesia will file a separate WTO complaint against the European Union, whose ban is to take effect by 2030, according to Teresa Kok, Malaysia's primary industries minister.