Qatar launches WTO complaint against boycott countries

Qatar filed a wide-ranging legal complaint at the World Trade Organisation today to challenge a trade boycott by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates, Qatar’s WTO representative Ali Alwaleed Al-Thani told Reuters.

By formally “requesting consultations” with the three countries, the first step in a trade dispute, Qatar triggered a 60 day deadline for them to settle the complaint or face litigation at the WTO and potential retaliatory trade sanctions.

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Qatar is also raising the boycott at a meeting of the UN International Civil Aviation Organisation today, Al-Thani said.

On 5 June, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed economic, diplomatic and transport links with Qatar over its support to extremist groups and has since made 13 demands – later condensed into six principles – for Doha to meet in order for the crisis to be healed. Qatar has denied all the claims made against it.