A European Union judge has refused to suspend a ban on commercial seal products, delivering a blow to Canada's trade.

On Thursday, Judge Marc Jaeger rejected the argument the embargo of seal products would cause severe financial damage to Inuit communities.

The decision can be appealed. But a total ban will now be in effect until the European Court of Justice decides on the import ban's legality.

The EU's ban originally took effect in August, but a temporary exemption was granted to Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), which represents Canada's 53,000 Inuit people, and 15 other groups from Canada, Greenland and Norway, who argued in court the ban is unfair and discriminatory.

The European ban is aimed at the commercial seal hunt, which animal rights groups have denounced as cruel and inhumane.

The EU ban does exempt seal products harvested by Inuit, non-profit population management culls and products for travellers' personal use.

About $2.5 million worth of Canadian seal products are shipped to Europe annually.

Canadian officials have called the EU import ban "flagrant discrimination" and "illegal and immoral."

Canada has requested additional World Trade Organization consultations with the EU about the ban.