Shapiro hailed the WTO ruling to void the law as an example of the WTO's effectiveness and impartiality. The powerful U.S., he said, had been held in check on behalf of the interests of some developing countries in Asia, which, the WTO ruled, were not given sufficient time by the U.S. to upgrade to turtle-friendly nets.
Wallach responded that the original U.S. law had been enacted to comply with an international environmental treaty. The WTO's action, she said, prevented an important environmental protection from being enacted.
"We need to put commercial rules back in the box they should be in," Wallach said in her concluding remarks, which, like many of her comments throughout the event, drew brief applause.
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