Japan To Sue Massachusetts (r)

[GGalanek@xxxxxxxxxxx]

where would this go busi- japan-??

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	RANGOONP@xxxxxxx [SMTP:RANGOONP@xxxxxxx]
> Sent:	Tuesday, September 08, 1998 4:53 PM
> To:	Recipients of burmanet-l
> Subject:	Japan To Sue Massachusetts
> 
> Japan seeks WTO panel to repeal Massachusetts law
> 
> 
> .c Kyodo News Service    
> 
> World Trade Organization (09/09/98-WTO) on Tuesday to set up a dispute
> settlement panel to review a law passed by the U.S. state of Massachusetts
> that bars from state contracts with firms that do business with Myanmar,
> Japanese government sources said. 
> 
> Tokyo argues that the state law is not consistent with the government
> procurement agreement of the WTO -- in which the United States is a
> participating nation -- that among other things mandates nondiscriminatory
> treatment of companies in government procurement. 
> 
> This is the first Japanese request to set up such a panel with the WTO
> targeting U.S. trade practices. On the same day, the European Union (EU)
> also
> filed a request for a dispute settlement panel on the same matter. 
> 
> After the EU filed a complaint June 20, 1997 with the WTO against the U.S.
> on
> the matter, Japan participated in consultations between the EU and the
> U.S. as
> a third party. 
> 
> Along with the EU, Japan requested that Washington act to eliminate the
> Act
> Regulating State Contracts with Companies Doing Business with Burma
> (Myanmar).
> 
> But because Washington did not eliminate the act, Japan decided to seek
> the
> judgment of a multilateral trade panel, the sources said. 
> 
> Massachusetts enacted the law June 25, 1996, as a protest against the
> crackdown on democratic movements by Myanmar's military government. 
> 
> In conformity with the law, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts lists firms
> that
> do business with Myanmar and bans them from participating in bids for
> state
> contracts. Some 50 Japanese companies from trading houses, construction
> companies and travel agencies are on the list, the sources said. 
> 
> AP-NY-09-08-98 1950EDT