WORLD TRADE WT/DS58/1
G/L/116
14October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4163)
Original: English
UNITED STATES -IMPORT PROHIBITION OFCERTAIN SHRIMP
AND SHRIMP PRODUCTS
Request forConsultations byIndia, Malaysia, Pakistan andThailand
Thefollowing communication, dated 8October 1996, fromthePermanent Delegations ofIndia,
Malaysia,PakistanandThailandtothePermanentMissionoftheUnitedStatesandtheDisputeSettlement
Body, iscirculated inaccordance withArticle 4.4oftheDSU.
_______________
ThePermanent Missions inGeneva ofIndia, Malaysia, Pakistan andThailand wishtoconvey
toyou,onbehalf oftheirrespective governments, arequest forconsultations withtheGovernment
oftheUnited States pursuant toArticle 4oftheUnderstanding onRules andProcedures Governing
theSettlement ofDisputes (DSU) andArticle XXII:1 oftheGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade
1994 (GATT) regarding thebanimposed upon importation ofshrimp andshrimp products from the
respective countries bytheUnited States under Section 609ofU.S.Public Law101-162 (codified at
16U.S.C. S1537 note) andtheguidelines issued thereunder for"Determining [the]Comparability
ofForeign Programs fortheProtection ofTurtles inShrimp Trawl Fishing Operations". See61Fed.
Reg.17342 (April 19,1996).
Weconsider that,through thelawsandregulations referred toabove, theGovernment ofthe
United States failstocarry outitsobligations andcommitments under several provisions oftheGATT
andWTO Agreements, including butnotlimited toArticle I,Article XIandArticle XIIIoftheGATT,
andthatsuchfailure isnotjustified byanyprovision ofthesaidagreements, including theexceptions
setforthinArticle XXoftheGATT. Wealsoconsider thatthese measures nullify orimpair benefits
accruing tousdirectly orindirectly under theGATT. Wereserve therighttoraiseadditional factual
orlegalclaims during thecourse oftheconsultations andanyother subsequent actions under theWTO
dispute settlement process.
Welookforward toestablishing amutually convenient dateforconsultations onthismatter.