Argentina has lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the U.S. for not allowing the South American country's citrus or meat products to enter the market.

The complaint claims the U.S. has violated WTO rules by not allowing the entry of the products, giving the North American country 60 days to give an official response.

In a release, Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Relations and Culture said if the U.S. did not provide a satisfactory response, it would demand an analysis of the country's protectionist practices by a panel of experts.

The ministry highlighted Argentine lemons were approved for U.S. entry in 2000, with citrus exports of 20,000 metric tons (MT) to the market. However, after a short period a U.S. court reinstated the prohibition after the requests of 'protectionist lobby groups'.

"Argentine lemons are currently the victims of a judicial trade barrier," the release said.

"Argentina exports citrus to destinations with very high health standards such as the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, which don't have a doubt about the excellent quality of the Argentine product."

Related story: Argentina cries foul to WTO over U.S. lemon market restrictions

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