Trade Minister Tim Groser has welcomed the ruling of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Appellate Body, which has found in New Zealand’s favour in Australia’s 90-year apple import ban.

“The appeal report upholds the thorough analysis undertaken by the WTO dispute panel around risk assessment and the science at issue,” Mr Groser said. These findings – reached by independent external arbiters – settled any debate, he said.

Australia’s near 90-year ban on New Zealand apple imports has finally been ruled illegal by a World Trade Organisation panel and the onus is on that country to conform to the finding.

Trade Minister Tim Groser has welcomed the decision, saying: “There are some procedural choices ahead of both parties in Geneva before the panel report has the force of international law, such as the right of appeal and cross appeal.

“However, fundamentally the ball is in Australia's court.”

Discussions between new faces from India and the US have given hope that the Doha round of trade negotiations could be reignited sooner rather than later, despite the recent reintroduction of protectionist measures by the EU and US.

New Indian minister of commerce and industry Anand Sharma and US trade representative Ron Kirk met at the Cairns Group meeting in Bali, with positive results.

Specifics weren't released but both parties agreed on principles.

New Zealand trade diplomat Crawford Falconer, who leads the agriculture negotiators in the stalled Doha Round, has urged other participants to show changed positions “within days” if they are to fulfil pledges made by world leaders at the G-20 financial summit in Washington last weekend.

One of the main outcomes at the summit was a commitment to “strive to reach agreement this year on modalities” in the Doha Round as one means to resolve the crisis in financial markets and the world economy..