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VI. TRADE DISPUTES AND CONSULTATIONS
(1) GATT andWTO Dispute Settlement
1. Thailand resolves itstradedisputes viaavariety ofchannels, including theWTO (andformerly
GATT) dispute settlement mechanisms, ASEAN fora,arrangements under bilateral agreements and
informal bilateral consultations.
(i) Cases under theWTO
2. Under theWTO, Thailand todatehasmade useofonlythedispute settlement procedures under
theTextiles Monitoring Body. Thecase,involving garments tradewiththeUnited States, wasresolved
when U.S.safeguard measures were rescinded.1InOctober 1995 Thailand requested consultations
withtheEuropean Communities concerning duties onriceimports.2
(ii) Cases under theGATT
3. Since Thailand 'saccession totheGATT in1982, itwasonlyoncesubject toacomplaint that
leadtotheestablishment ofadispute panel. In1990 theUnited States complained about Thailand 's
import restrictions andinternal taxesoncigarettes. Theresulting panel report stated thatthequantitative
import restrictions imposed byThailand werenotinconformity withThailand 'sGATT obligations,
including under Article XI:1.3InOctober 1991Thailand agreed toremove itsbanoncigarette imports
andtoensure thattherelevant national lawsandregulations conformed withitsnational treatment
obligations.
4. Thailand hasalsointervened asaninterested partyinpanels concerning U.S.import restrictions
onsugar andtuna.4AttheNovember 1992GATT Council meeting, Thailand, asparty toastatement
byASEAN, expressed concern overAustria 'smandatory labelling requirement fortropical timber;
themeasure wassubsequently replaced byvoluntary labelling.5
5. Together withanumber ofothercountries, Thailand inSeptember 1993requested consultations
withtheUnited States under GATT Article XXIII:1 onU.S.legislation concerning theuseofimported
tobacco bydomestic cigarette manufacturers. These consultations were notsuccessful inresolving
1Theproducts concerned were nightwear andundergarments (WTO document G/TMB/1, 26July1995 and
JournalofCommer ce,(1995),24August).PreviousdisputesinvolvingtheTextilesSurveillancebodyaredescribed
inGATT (1991), p.236.
2WTO document WT/D517/1, 11October 1995.
3GATT (1991), pp.235-236 andGATT document DS10/R, 5October 1990.
4GATT (1991), pp.235-236.
5GATT Activities 1992 and1993, pp.57 and74.WT/TPR/S/9 Trade Policy Review
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thedispute; consequently, apanel wasestablished inDecember 1993.6Thepanel, whose report was
adopted inAugust 1994, found thattheU.S.measures wereinconsistent withGATT Article III.5.7
6. InFebruary1994ThailandrequestedconsultationsunderGATTArticleXXII:1withtheEuropean
Communities concerning import restrictions oncanned tunaandsardines.8Theconsultations were
successfully concluded withajointEU-Thai notification totheGATT inJuly1994 stating thatthe
measures would beterminated inDecember 1996.9
(iii) Cases under theTokyo Round agreements
7. Thailand acceded totheTokyo Round Agreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade inNovember
1993. There havebeennodisputes involving Thailand since itsaccession totheagreement. Thailand
wasnotparty toanyother Tokyo Round agreement.
(2) Other Disputes
8. There arenoformal ASEAN dispute mechanisms; Thailand, however, doesconduct informal
consultationsthroughvariousASEANfora.Thailandalsoholdsbilateraldiscussionswithalargenumber
oftrading partners onawiderange ofissues.
6GATT documents DS44/1 andDS44/5, dated 7September 1993 and7December 1993.
7GATT documents DS44/R andC/M/275, 12August and24October 1994.
8GATT document DS49/1, 21February 1994.
9GATT document DS49/5, 28July1994.Thailand WT/TPR/S/9
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