Thailand – Subsidies on Sugar

Request for Consultations by Brazil

The following communication, dated 4 April 2016, from the delegation of Brazil to the delegation of Thailand and to the Chairperson of the Dispute Settlement Body, is circulated in accordance with Article 4.4 of the DSU.

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My authorities have instructed me to request consultations with the Kingdom of Thailand ("Thailand") pursuant to Articles 1 and 4 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes ("DSU"), Article XXII:1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 ("GATT 1994"), Article 19 of the Agreement on Agriculture, and Articles 4, 7, and 30 of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures ("SCM Agreement") concerning the subsidies provided by Thailand to the sugar sector.

By means of its sugar regime, Thailand strictly controls virtually every aspect of its sugar sector, including the production, storage, transport, sale, import, export, and other activities applicable to cane, raw sugar, white sugar, molasses, and sugar by-products.