The importance of dispute resolution in international trade

As the usual suspects rail against ISDS (which is essentially just a dispute resolution system), David Parker hails a WTO ruling in NZ’s favour:

Minister for Trade and Export Growth, David Parker, today welcomed the World Trade Organisation (WTO) decision to uphold New Zealand’s case against agricultural trade barriers imposed by Indonesia.

On 9 November, the WTO’s Appellate Body confirmed that a number of Indonesian agricultural trade barriers are inconsistent with global trade rules. The decision upholds key findings of a WTO dispute settlement Panel, which in December last year ruled in New Zealand’s favour and was subsequently appealed by Indonesia.

New Zealand and the US initiated the case in 2013 in response to a range of next-generation agricultural “non-tariff” barriers applied by Indonesia to imports since 2011. They include import prohibitions, behind-the-border use and sale restrictions on imports, restrictive import licensing, and a domestic purchase condition.

Isn’t this a terrible undermining of Indonesia’s sovereignty, using the logic of those opposed to ISDS clauses?