RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/DS8/2
17July 1995
ORGANIZATION
(95-2021)
Original: English
JAPAN -TAXES ONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Request toJoin inConsultations under Article 4.11 oftheDSU
Communication from theUnited States
Thefollowing communication, dated 7July1995, from theOffice oftheUnited States Trade
Representative tothePermanent Mission ofJapan andthePermanent Delegation oftheEuropean
Commission iscirculated attherequest oftheOffice oftheUnited States Trade Representative.
______________
Pursuant toparagraph 11ofArticle 4oftheUnderstanding onRules andProcedures Governing
theSettlement ofDisputes (DSU), theUnited States Government hereby notifies theDispute Settlement
Body that, inlight ofthesubstantial trade interest oftheUnited States, itdesires tobejoined inthe
consultations under Article XXII:1 ofGATT 1994 requested bytheEuropean Communities ina
communication circulated toWTO Members on29June 1995 (WT/DS8/1), entitled "Japan -Taxes
onAlcoholic Beverages".
TheUnited States hasasubstantial trade interest inthealcoholic beverages thatarethesubject
oftheECrequest. Japan isthesecond largest market forU.S. distilled spirits exports. U.S. exports
ofdistilled spirits were valued atUS$ 93million in1994, orapproximately 25percentofU.S. distilled
spirits exports totheworld.