Author: Iliya Rachkov
Keywords: countermeasures; GATS; GATT; international responsibility; sanctions; World Trade Organization
Abstract
On 17 April 2014 after key trade partners of Russia introduced individual sanctions against certain Russian legal entities and natural persons, Russia sent a communication to the WTO Councils for Trade in Services and in Goods. Russia expressed the view that the actions of the USA are contrary to GATS Articles II, VI and XI and violate specific commitments of the United States under GATS. This article tries to answer the question how Russia can challenge those sanctions using the WTO dispute settlement mechanism.