Qatar has no support for WTO litigation

Qatar took the final step yesterday to start litigation at the World Trade Organisation in its row with the UAE, but no other WTO members supported its move, which many trade experts see as a dangerous precedent.

The UAE was one of four countries — along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt — that cut ties with Qatar, a major gas supplier and site of the biggest US military base in the Middle East, on June 5. They accused Qatar of financing militant groups in Syria and allying with Iran.

Qatar denied the allegations and opened WTO dispute proceedings against the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. It pressed its case against the UAE alone, and last month it asked the WTO to set up an adjudication panel.

The UAE has already said that it plans to thwart the Qatari litigation by resorting to the WTO’s national security exception — something that’s never been tested as a defence in WTO litigation.

At a meeting of the WTO’s dispute settlement body yesterday, no other member backed Qatar’s move to litigate. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt backed the UAE’s position.

“We continue to be astounded by Qatar’s inconsistent and contradictory accusations on this matter, the latest being that these clearly stated security measures can somehow achieve commercial objectives,” Bahrain’s representative said.