WORLD TRADE WT/DS61/1
G/L/130
G/TBT/D/11
G/VAL/9
ORGANIZATION 4November 1996
(96-4632)
Original: English
UNITED STATES -IMPORT PROHIBITION OFCERTAIN SHRIMP
AND SHRIMP PRODUCTS
Request forConsultations bythePhilippines
Thefollowing communication, dated 25October 1996, from thePermanent Mission ofthe
Philippines tothePermanent Mission oftheUnited States andtheDispute Settlement Body, iscirculated
inaccordance withArticle 4.4oftheDSU.
_______________
Onbehalf oftheGovernment ofthePhilippines, Ihavethehonour torequest forconsultations
withtheGovernment oftheUnited States pursuant toandunder Article 4oftheUnderstanding on
Rules andProcedures Governing theSettlement ofDisputes ("DSU") andArticle XXII:1 ofGATT
1994 (asusedherein, "GATT 1994" refers totheGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade dated
30October 1947, asincorporated intheGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1994).
The measure subject oftheconsultations isSection 609ofPublic LawNo.101-162, as
implemented bytherelevant guidelines including, butnotlimited to,theU.S.Department ofState
Public Notice 2368 entitled "Revised notice ofguidelines fordetermining comparability offoreign
programs fortheprotection ofturtles inshrimp trawl operation", andasinterpreted byU.S.courts
ofappropriatejurisdiction(suchlaw,guidelinesandjudicialinterpretationshallhereinafterbecollectively
referred toasthe"Measure").
ThePhilippines isoftheview thattheMeasure, asinterpreted andimplemented, imposes
prohibited barriers andundue restrictions ontheentry ofshrimp andshrimp products intotheUnited
States andisinviolation oftheWTO Agreement including, butnotlimited to,Articles I,II,IIII,VIII,
XIandXIIIofGATT 1994, andArticle 2oftheAgreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade.
ThePhilippines considers thattheapplication oftheMeasure nullifies orimpairs thebenefits
accruing toitdirectly orindirectly under GATT 1994, andthatanobjective ofthatagreement isbeing
impeded asaresult thereof. ThePhilippines reserves therighttoraiseadditional legalorfactual claims
inthecourse oftheconsultations andanyother appropriate subsequent action.
Pursuant toArticle 4oftheDSU, thisrequest isbeing notified totheDispute Settlement Body,
theCouncil onTrade inGoods, theCommittee onTechnical Barriers toTrade andtheCommittee
onCustoms Valuations.