RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/L/158
11July1996
ORGANIZATION(96-2714)
Original: English
JAPAN -BUSINESS PRACTICES AFFECTING CONSUMER
PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM AND PAPER
Communication from theEuropean Communities
Thefollowingcommunication,dated5July1996,fromthePermanentDelegationoftheEuropean
Commission tothePermanent Missions oftheUnited States andJapan, iscirculated toMembers at
therequest oftheEuropean Communities.
_______________
TheUnited States on13June1996 requested consultations withtheGovernment ofJapan
concerning certain business practices intheJapanese consumer photographic filmandpaper markets
thatareconsidered torestrict competition ininternational trade forconsumer photographic filmand
paper byadversely affecting thechannels ofdistribution andlimiting pricecompetition intheJapanese
market.
Theconsultations arerequested pursuant totheDecision on"Restrictive Business Practices:
Arrangements forConsultations" under theGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1994assetforth
inBISD 9S/28. Thisdecision recommends that,attherequest ofanycontracting party, acontracting
party should enterintoconsultations onsuchpractices onbilateral ormultilateral basisasappropriate.
TheEuropeanCommunityherebyrequeststhatitbejoinedintheconsultationsundertheDecision
on"Restrictive Business Practices: Arrangements forConsultations". TheEuropean Community has
considerable exports inconsumer photographic filmandpaper toJapan, andtherefore hasaninterest
intheissues which willbediscussed intheconsultations.