RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/ADP/Q1/URY/1
G/SCM/Q1/URY/1
10March 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0954)
Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices Original: Spanish
Committee onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures
NOTIFICATION OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS UNDER
ARTICLES 18.5AND 32.6OFTHE AGREEMENTS
Replies ofURUGUAY1toquestions posed byAUSTRALIA,
HONG KONG andtheUNITED STATES2
Thefollowing communication, dated 24February 1997, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofUruguay.
_______________
ThePermanent Mission ofUruguay considers thatthegeneral aspects ofthequestions by
Australia, theUnited States andHong Kong canbeanswered withthefollowing explanation about
theUruguayan legalsystem.
InUruguay, when aninternational treaty oragreement isadopted byParliament itbecomes
partofUruguay 'spositive law,because thetreaty oragreement isalaw.Inthisrespect, theprocedures
fortheadoption ofinternational agreements areexactly thesame asthose usedfortheadoption of
anyother law.
Inthecaseinpoint, theAnti-Dumping andtheSubsidies andCountervailing Measures
Agreements were adopted under Law No.16671 of13December 1994, which approved the
Uruguay Round Agreements. Accordingly, theyform partoftheUruguayan legal system andare
directly applicable byalldomestic authorities, including theJudiciary. ThisLawentered intoforce
on1January 1995.
Consequently, theobligation setoutinArticle 18.4oftheAnti-Dumping Agreement andin
Article 321.5 oftheSubsidies andCountervailing Measures Agreement hasbeenfulfilled.
Again, theadoption ofLaw16671 means that,asfarassubsidies andcountervailing measures
areconcerned, theprovisions oftheUruguay Round Agreements revoke theprevious legalprovisions
inthisregard, inother words, theTokyo Round Subsidies Code.
1G/ADP/N/1/URY/1-G/SCM/N/1/URY/1.
2G/ADP/W/119-G/SCM/W/128, G/ADP/W/96-G/SCM/W/105 andG/ADP/W/118-G/SCM/W/127.
./.G/ADP/Q1/URY/1
G/SCM/Q1/URY/1
Page2
With reference toanti-dumping, there wasnolegislation prior to1January 1995.
Without prejudice tothissystem ofdirect incorporation, aprocess offormulating regulations
ontheapplication ofanti-dumping duties andcountervailing measures isunder way. Theregulations,
which obviously ranklower thanthelawthatadopted theUruguay Round Agreements, willnecessarily
comply withtheprovisions contained intheAgreements.
Astothequestions about thepossibility ofrecourse tojudicial bodies, theNational Constitution
stipulates thatanyone whose direct right orinterest isaffected byanadministrative actmay, after
procedures with therelevant administrative authorities have been exhausted, bring suitinthe
Administrative Court. ThisCourt isabletorescind, either wholly orinpart,anyadministrative act
bythenational administration orthelocaladministrations.
Even ininstances inwhich theAdministrative Court doesnotsetaside anadministrative act,
itmaydetermine theexistence ofinjury andopenthewayforfinancial compensation fortheclaimant.
Astothequestions about thebody orbodies forinvestigating, notifying andapplying anti-
dumping duties orcountervailing measures, while therearenospecific procedures atthepresent time,
thepossibility doesexistofresorting totheapplication ofgeneral administrative andjudicial procedures.
Anyprocedure undertaken onthebasis oftheUruguay Round Agreements, aswehavealready said,
constitutes alawfordomestic purposes.
Lastly, withreference toquestion 6bytheUnited States, theanswer isthatthereisnospecific
provision governing suchapossibility.