Story: International economic relations

New Zealand apples were banned from the Australian market in 1924 on the grounds they were subject to fireblight, but the ban was widely judged in New Zealand to be due to protectionist lobbying. The ongoing litigation was a gift to cartoonists, as here in 2007 when New Zealand planned to take the dispute to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The cartoon refers to an incident in a cricket match in 1981 when Australian Trevor Chappell unsportingly bowled the last ball of the match underarm to deny New Zealand the chance of equalling Australia’s score. The WTO found in New Zealand’s favour, but the ban remained.