WORLD TRADE WT/DS114/2
29January 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-0300)
Original: English
CANADA -PATENT PROTECTION OF
PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS
Request toJoinConsultations
Communication from theUnited States
Thefollowing communication, dated 22January 1998, from thePermanent Mission ofthe
United States tothePermanent Mission ofCanada, tothePermanent Delegation oftheEuropean
Commission andtotheDispute Settlement Body, iscirculated inaccordance withArticle 4.11ofthe
DSU.
_______________
Pursuant toparagraph 11ofArticle 4oftheUnderstanding onRules andProcedures Governing
theSettlement ofDisputes (DSU), theUnited States Government hereby notifies theEuropean
Communities that,inlightofthesubstantial trade interest oftheUnited States, itdesires tobejoined
intheconsultations under Article 64oftheAgreement onTrade-Related Aspects ofIntellectual Property
Rights (totheextent thatitincorporates byreference Article XXII ofGATT 1994) requested bythe
European Communities inacommunication circulated toWTO Members on12January 1998
(WT/DS114/1), entitled “Canada -Patent Protection ofPharmaceutical Products ”.
TheUnited States hasasubstantial tradeinterest inthemarket affected bytheCanadian patent
legislation referred tointheEuropean Communities ’request. In1996, theUnited States exported
toCanada 1,008 million U.S. dollars inpharmaceutical products, andimported from Canada
426million U.S.dollars ofsuchproducts.
__________