US trade officials Monday appealed a World Trade Organization ruling ordering the US to drop some subsidies to producers of cotton and other commodities. The WTO ruled last month that US payments to cotton producers were illegal export subsidies that should be removed "without delay." Brazil brought the complaint against the US, arguing that the US had only remained the second-largest cotton producer in the world through $12.5 billion in government subsidies between 1999 and 2003. The appeals body of the WTO must issue its decision within three months, and the outcome will be final. The Office of the US Trade Representative has a press release on last month’s WTO ruling. Documents in the case, including the trade group's ruling last month, are available here (scroll down to case number DS267). AP has more.