WORLD TRADE WT/DS95/1
GPA/D3/1
ORGANIZATION 21July1997
(97-3107)
Original: English
UNITED STATES -MEASURE AFFECTING GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
Request forConsultations byJapan
Thefollowing communication, dated 18July1997, from thePermanent Mission ofJapan to
thePermanent Mission oftheUnited States andtotheDispute Settlement Body, iscirculated in
accordance withArticle 4.4oftheDSU.
_________________________
Ihereby extend arequest onbehalf oftheGovernment ofJapan forconsultations withthe
United States pursuant toArticle XXII oftheAgreement onGovernment Procurement (hereinafter
the"GPA") andArticle 4oftheUnderstanding onRules andProcedures Governing theSettlement
ofDisputes regarding theActRegulating State Contracts withCompanies doing Business withorin
Burma (Myanmar) enacted bytheCommonwealth ofMassachusetts on25June1996 (hereinafter the
"Act"). ThisActeffectively prohibits thepublic authorities ofMassachusetts, including alltheexecutive
officescoveredbytheGPA,fromprocuringgoodsorservicesfromanypersoncontainedintherestricted
purchase listsolely because thesaidperson doesbusiness withorisinMyanmar.
TheGovernment ofJapan considers thatthemeasure isinconsistent withtheobligations of
theUnited States under theWTO Agreement, including, inparticular, theGPA. Theprovisions of
theGPAwithwhich themeasure appears tobeinconsistent include, butarenotlimited to,thefollowing
Articles: paragraph 2ofArticle III,paragraph (b)ofArticle VIII, Article Xandparagraph 4of
Article XIII.
Withregard tothisrequest, Iregret topoint outthattheUnited States hasgiven noindication
ofareply totherequest dated 17March 1997 from myauthorities forinformation pursuant to
paragraphs 1and3ofArticle XIXoftheGPA. TheGovernment ofJapan hasalsobeenveryconcerned
about therecent legislative initiatives similar totheAct,which havebeentaken orproposed bythe
sub-federal authorities intheUnited States.
Ilookforward toreceiving yourreply tothisrequest andhopethatyoucanunderstand the
intention ofmyauthorities toholdtheconsultations atthesame timeastheEuropean Communities,
which arealready scheduled withtheUnited States for22July1997.