WORLD TRADE WT/DS44/2
23September 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-3778)
Original: English
JAPAN -MEASURES AFFECTING
CONSUMER PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM AND PAPER
Request fortheEstablishment ofaPanel bytheUnited States
Thefollowing communication, dated 20September 1996, fromthePermanent Mission ofthe
United States totheChairman oftheDispute Settlement Body, iscirculated attherequest oftheUnited
States.
_______________
TheGovernment ofJapan hasimplemented andmaintains laws, regulations, requirements and
measures (collectively "measures") affecting thedistribution, offering forsale,andinternal saleof
importedconsumerphotographicfilmandpaper,including:liberalizationcountermeasures;distribution
measures, suchas,butnotlimited to,thecabinet decision, administrative guidance, andother measures
listedinAttachmentA;theLawPertainingtotheAdjustmentofBusinessActivitiesoftheRetailIndustry
forLarge Scale Retail Stores, No.109of1973 (Daiten Ho);Special Measures fortheAdjustment
ofRetail Business; No.155of1959 (Shocho Ho);theLawAgainst Unjustifiable Premiums and
Misleading Representations, No.134of1962; measures regarding dispatched employees pursuant
totheLawConcerning theProhibition ofPrivate Monopoly andMaintenance ofFairTrade, No.54
of1947; theLawConcerning Enterprise Reform forSpecified Industries, No.61of1995; theMinistry
ofInternational Trade andIndustry Establishment Law, No.275of1952; andrelated measures.
TheUnited States considers thatsuchmeasures nullify orimpair benefits accruing toit,within
themeaning ofArticles XXIII:1(a), asaresult ofthefailure oftheGovernment ofJapan tocarry out
itsobligations under Article IIIandXoftheGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1994(GATT).
More specifically, theJapanese Government measures:
- were implemented andmaintained soastoafford protection todomestic production
ofconsumer photographic filmandpaper within themeaning ofGATT Article III:1;
- conflict withGATT Article III:4byaffecting theconditions ofcompetition forthe
distribution, offering forsale,andinternal saleofconsumer photographic filmand
paper inamanner thataccords lessfavourable treatment toimported filmandpaper
thantocomparable products ofnational origin; and
- conflict withGATT Articles X:1andX:3because themeasures lacktransparency in
thattheywerenotpromptly published andwerenotadministered inauniform, impartial
andreasonable manner.
./.WT/DS44/2
Page2
Inaddition, theapplication ofthesemeasures bytheGovernment ofJapan nullifies orimpairs,
within themeaning ofGATT Article XXIII:1(b), thetariff concessions thattheGovernment ofJapan
made onblack andwhite andcolour consumer photographic filmandpaper intheKennedy Round,
Tokyo Round, andUruguay Round multilateral tariff negotiations.
On13June1996, theGovernment oftheUnited States requested consultations withthe
Government ofJapan under Article 4oftheUnderstanding onRules andProcedures Governing the
Settlement ofDisputes (DSU) andGATT Article XXIII:1. TheUnited States request wascirculated
totheMembersindocumentWT/DS44/1(21June1996).TheUnitedStatesandJapanheldconsultations
on11July1996 butfailed tosettle thedispute.
Accordingly, pursuant toArticles 4and6oftheDSU, theUnited States respectfully requests
theestablishment ofapanel withstandard terms ofreference assetoutinArticle 7oftheDSU.
TheUnited States further asksthatthisrequest fortheestablishment ofapanel beinscribed
ontheagenda ofaspecial meeting oftheDispute Settlement Body andthatsuchmeeting beheldon
orbefore 3October 1996.
_______________
ATTACHMENT A
MITI, "Administrative Guidance toPromote Rationalization ofDistribution System", 1966
Cabinet Decision, "Liberalization ofForeign Investment", 6June1967.
MITI Industrial Structure Council Distribution Subcommittee, "Distribution Systemization", 1969.
(Tsusansho Koho,13and14August 1969).
MITI Preparatory Survey, "The Actual State ofTrade Practices inPhoto Film", 1969.
MITI, "Film Trade Normalization Guidelines", 1970.
MITI, "Business Bureau Report onFilmPrices", 1970.
MITI, "Basic PlanforDistribution Systemization", 1971.
MITI, "Manual forSystemization ofDistribution", 1975.
MITI, "Guidelines forImproving Business Practices", 1990.
MITI andtheSmall andMedium Enterprises Agency, "Distribution Vision forthe21stCentury", 1995
(andearlier versions forthe1970s, 1980s, and1990s).
Photo Industry Distribution Information Systemization Council [Kyogikai],
"Comprehensive Manual forPhoto Distribution Industry Distribution Information Systemization", 1996
(and1989, 1990, 1991, and1992 versions).
Other related measures, including guidelines.