RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/DS38/1
G/L/71
S/L/21
ORGANIZATION 13May1996
(96-1850)
Original: English
UNITED STATES -THE CUBAN LIBERTY AND
DEMOCRATIC SOLIDARITY ACT
Request forConsultations bytheEuropean Communities
Thefollowing communication, dated 3May1996, from thePermanent Delegation ofthe
EuropeanCommissionandthePermanentMissionofItalyfortheCounciloftheEuropeanCommunities,
tothePermanent Mission oftheUnited States iscirculated inaccordance withArticle 4.4oftheDSU.
_______________
TheEuropean Community anditsMember States wish toconvey toyouarequest for
consultations withtheUnited States ofAmerica pursuant toArticle 4oftheUnderstanding onRules
andProcedures Governing theSettlement ofDisputes (DSU), Article XXIII:1 oftheGeneral Agreement
onTariffs andTrade 1994 (GATT 1994) andArticle XXIII:1 oftheGeneral Agreement onTrade in
Services (GATS) concerning theCuban Liberty andDemocratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Actof1996,
other legislative provisions consolidated therein, andanyimplementing measures taken thereunder.
TheEuropean Community anditsMember States wishtoexpress theirprofound concern about
theapparent lackofconformity ofcertain aspects ofthisAct,including other legislative provisions
consolidated therein andanyimplementing measures taken thereunder, totheinternational obligations
oftheUnited States under GATT 1994andGATS. Thisconcern relates inparticular, butnotnecessarily
exclusively, tothefollowing aspects:
TheCuban Democracy Actanditscompanion theCuban Liberty andDemocratic Solidarity
Actcontain anumber ofprovisions which havetheintent andeffect torestrain theliberty oftheEC
toexport toCuba ortotradeinCuban origin goods, aswellastorestrict thefreedom ofECregistered
vessels andtheircargo totransit through USports.
Inaddition, thereareprovisions which require theprovisions ofcertificates inrespect oftrade
inCuban sugar. Ifsuchcertificates arenotprovided, access totheUSsugar quota isdenied.
Finally, therearemeasures which mayleadtotherefusal ofvisasandtheexclusion ofnon-US
nationals from USterritory inawaywhich maycontravene UScommitments under GATS.
TheEuropean Community anditsMember States areoftheviewthatthese andcomparable
measures taken under thetwolawsmentioned above maynotbeinconformity withatleastthefollowing
provisions: Articles I,III,V,XIandXIIIofGATT 1994 andArticles I,III,VI,XVIandXVII of
GATS andinparticular inrelation totheAnnex onMovement ofNatural Persons Supplying Services
under theAgreement.
Ilookforward toreceiving yourreply tothisrequest fromtheEuropean Community andits
Member States andtosetting amutually convenient dateforthese consultations.