Japan will join the European Union as early as next week in filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization about a Massachusetts law that denies state contracts to companies doing business in Myanmar, government sources said July 4.
"We have so far waited for the United States to reconsider the Massachusetts law, but we cannot wait for so long," one of the sources said. "We will make a final decision, probably next week, to take the case to the WTO unless we receive a firm commitment from the U.S. by then to abolish the law."
Last month, the 15-nation EU requested "bilateral consultations" with the U.S. in the first stage of the WTO's dispute-settlement procedures. The EU can request establishment of a neutral panel to rule on the dispute if the consultations fail to resolve the case within 60 days of the complaint being filed.