NEW DEADLINE AGREED IN WTO DISPUTE
US and Antigua reset deadline for agreement to June 20
The US Trade Representative and a delegation from the government of Antigua and Barbuda have agreed a fresh deadline for the resolution of their World Trade Organisation dispute over online gambling (see previous InfoPowa reports) Representatives of the two nations have been negotiating an alternative to WTO arbitration, currently on hold.
The previous deadline set by all parties was June 6, but this was allowed to pass after Antiguan Finance Minister Dr. Errol Cort felt that there was a chance of an amicable settlement. Cort repeated his hope this week in announcing the new deadline, saying that he felt a resolution was achievable, and that the new deadline would “…allow both parties additional time to see whether we’re able to meet some amicable resolution.”
Sean M. Spicer, a spokesperson for the office of the US Trade Representative, said the US and Antigua were trying in good faith to settle the dispute through a mutual agreement.