QATAR – CERTAIN MEASURES CONCERNING GOODS FROM THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES REQUEST FOR CONSULTATIONS BY THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Document: REQUEST FOR CONSULTATIONS BY
Date: 31 January 2019
Document codes: WT/DS576/1; G/L/1291
Complainant: UAE
Respondent: Qatar
Third parties: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, EU, India, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, U.S.
Dispute stage: Panel
Agreements cited: Art. I:1, III:4, X:1  GATT 1994

QATAR – CERTAIN MEASURES CONCERNING GOODS FROM THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
REQUEST FOR CONSULTATIONS BY THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The following communication, dated 28 January 2019 , from the delegation of the United Arab
Emirates to the delegation of Qatar, is circulated to the Dispute Settlement Body in accordance with
Article 4.4 of the DSU.

With regard to measures maintained by Qatar in relation to the importing, stocking,
distribution, marketing, or sale of goods originating in the Un ited Arab Emirates (hereinafter
"UAE"), this letter constitutes a request for consultations with the Government of the State of
Qatar (hereinafter "Qatar") pursuant to Articles 1 and 4 of the Understanding on Rules and
Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes ("DSU") and Article XXIII:1 of the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 ("GATT 1994").

A. Measures at Issue

The measures maintained by Qatar prohibit various sales outlets in Qatar, including
distributors, retailers, and pharmacies, from importing, stocking, distributing, marketing or
selling goods, medicines, and other products originating in or exported from the UAE. The
measures are reflected in legal instruments that include, but are not limited to, the following,
operating separately or collectively:

a. Notice to sales outlets issued on 26 May 2018 by the Ministry of Economy and
Commerce of Qatar;

b. Notice to pharmacies issued on 6 June 2018 by the Ministry of Public Health of Qatar;
c. Unpublished embargoes on products from the UAE;

d. Statement of 26 May 2018 issued by the Government Communications Office of
Qatar on Protecting the Safety of Consumers and to Combat Improper Trafficking
of Goods;

e. Removal of UAE companies from the approved vendor list for infrastructure projects
in Qatar;

f. Other rationally-related or similar measures; and

g. Any modification, replacement or amendment to the measures identified above, and
any subsequent measures.

B. Legal Bases of the Complaint

The above measures appear to be inconsistent with Qatar's obligations under the GATT 1994,
including but not limited to:

a. Article I:1 of the GATT 1994 because the measures fail to accord immediately and
WT/DS576/1 • G/L/1291

unconditionally to like products originating in the UAE advantages, favours, privileges
or immunities that are granted by Qatar to products originating in other countries.

b. Article III:4 of the GATT 1994 because the measures are laws, regulations, or
requirements affecting the internal sale, offering for sale, purchase, or distribution of
products and fail to accord products imported into Qatar treatment no less favorable than
that accorded to like products of Qatari origin.

c. Article X of the GATT 1994 insofar as the measures have not been published promptly
in such manner as to enable governments and traders to become acquainted with
them and were enforced before such measures have been officially published;
d. Article XI:1 of the GATT 1994 insofar as the measures institute or maintain prohibitions
or restrictions, other than duties, taxes or other charges, on the importation of
products of the territory of the UAE;
e. Article 23.1 of the DSU insofar as through the measures Qatar appears to be seeking
the redress of an alleged violation of obligations or other nullification or impairment
of benefits under the covered agreements or an impediment to the attainment of any
f. objective of the covered agreements, without having recourse to, and abide by, the
rules and procedures of the DSU; and
g. Article 23.2(a) of the DSU insofar as through the measures Qatar has made a
determination to the effect that a violation has occurred, that benefits have been
nullified or impaired, or that the attainment of any objective of the covered
agreements has been impeded without recourse to dispute settlement in accordance
with the rules and procedures of the DSU, and Qatar has failed to make any such
determination con sistent with the findings contained in a panel or Appellate Body
report adopted by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body or an arbitration award rendered
under the DSU.

In addition to the violations of obligations under the GATT 1994 identified above, the UAE
considers that benefits accruing to the UAE directly and indirectly under the GATT 1994 are
being nullified and impaired as a result of the application of the measur es identified above,
within the meaning of Article XXIII: 1(b) of the GATT 1994.

The UAE reserves its rights to raise additional matters during the course of these consultations
and in any future request for panel proceedings.

The UAE looks forward to rec eiving a reply from Qatar to this request within 10 days after
receipt of this request, as contemplated by Article 4.3 of the DSU, and to fixing a mutually
acceptable date for consultations.