Antigua and Barbuda Government : Antigua and Barbuda signals intentions to WTO

Antigua and Barbuda signals intentions to WTO

Posted On: January 28, 2013

Antigua and Barbuda's High Commissioner to London Dr. Carl Roberts and attorney Mark Mendel will represent the country at a meeting of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday, at which time the cross-border gaming trade dispute with the United States will be back on the agenda.

Specifically, the representatives from the twin-island nation will notify the WTO of intentions to take up the judgment to suspend the country's obligations under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), as ruled by the WTO Dispute Resolution Panel in December 2007.

The WTO ruled in Antigua and Barbuda's favour following a complaint, in 2003,  that the US violated the General Agreement in Trade and Services (GATS) by passing laws that made cross-border gambling and betting services illegal.

Antigua and Barbuda requested more than $3 billion in damages while the US would only concede that its laws had affected the local economy to the tune of $500,000. The WTO ruling granted Antigua and Barbuda $21 million by way of the suspension of TRIPS.

The country has spent the years since lobbying for an amicable solution, but it has not been forthcoming.

Since Antigua and Barbuda signaled intention to pursue the WTO ruling, the US has cautioned against the move, saying it would thwart any hopes for resolution.

Officials from Antigua and Barbuda have always maintained that they would prefer to return to the negotiating table with the United States Trade Representative.

This past Monday, representatives from Antigua and Barbuda met with officials from the US Embassy in Barbados in a session for which the progress made was described as "fair."