WORLD TRADE WT/DS90/1
G/L/172
ORGANIZATION G/AG/GEN/5
G/LIC/D/6
22July1997
(97-3073)
Original: English
INDIA -QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS ONIMPORTS OF
AGRICULTURAL, TEXTILE AND INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS
Request forConsultations bytheUnited States
Thefollowing communication, dated 15July1997, fromthePermanent Mission oftheUnited
States tothePermanent Mission ofIndiaandtotheDispute Settlement Body, iscirculated inaccordance
withArticle 4.4oftheDSU.
_________________________
MyauthoritieshaveinstructedmetorequestconsultationswiththeGovernmentofIndiapursuant
toArticle 4oftheUnderstanding onRules andProcedures Governing theSettlement ofDisputes,
Article XXII:1 oftheGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1994 ("GATT 1994"), Article 19of
theAgreement onAgriculture (totheextent itincorporates byreference Article XXII ofGATT 1994),
andArticle 6oftheAgreement onImport Licensing Procedures (totheextent itincorporates byreference
Article XXII ofGATT 1994) concerning quantitative restrictions maintained byIndia onimportation
ofalarge number ofagricultural, textile andindustrial products.
TheUnited States considers thatquantitative restrictions maintained byIndia, including, but
notlimited to,themore than2700 agricultural andindustrial product tariff linesnotified totheWTO
inAnnex I,PartBofWT/BOP/N/21 dated 22May1997, appear tobeinconsistent withIndia's
obligations under thefollowing:
- Articles XI:1andXVIII:11 oftheGATT 1994;
- Article 4.2oftheAgreement onAgriculture; and
- Article 3oftheAgreement onImport Licensing Procedures.
Thequantitative restrictions referred toabove include allimport prohibitions, bans, restrictions,
import licenses, special import licenses andtheprohibition ofnon-commercial (sample) quantities as
wellastheprocedures toimplement andadminister these measures.
Welookforward toreceiving your reply tothepresent request andtofixing amutually
convenient dateforconsultations.