The World Trade Organisation granted requests by cigar producing countries Cuba and the Dominican Republic for dispute panels to hear their complaints against the Australian law mandating uniform packaging for tobacco products.

In a statement, the Dominican Republic said plain packaging, “precludes our producers from differentiating their premium products from competitors”. Three other countries, Ukraine, Indonesia and Honduras, have challenged plain packaging. Australia in 2012 became the only country to require uniform colours and branding on tobacco packaging mostly covered with graphic warnings.