The World Trade Organisation has sent a welcome signal to the United States that trade rules must be honoured, National MP Lockwood Smith said today.

"The WTO interim decision against the United States' restrictions on lamb imports shows just how important the World Trade Organisation is to smaller countries like New Zealand.

"This is the third decision from the WTO in favour of New Zealand in the past few years.

"Smaller countries and developing countries can get hammered by larger nations, and the WTO has the important role of keeping a check on this.

"The United States' lamb restrictions were driven by internal politics and the WTO has taken the proper steps against this," Lockwood Smith said.

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