UAE files complaint against Qatar at WTO

CAIRO - 29 January 2019: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) filed a complaint against Qatar at the World Trade Organization (WTO) after the latter had banned the circulation of Emirati products in its markets. The timing of the measure was not announced by Emirati authorities.

The Emirates News Agency reported that the Qatari Ministry of Economy and Commerce banned the sale of consumer goods manufactured in the UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt. Furthermore, the Ministry of Public Health in the princedom prohibited pharmacies from selling medicine and other health products manufactured by any country of the quartet.

Qatar has also discarded the names of Emirati firms from the directory of accredited infrastructure suppliers.

Qatar has not waited for the WTO to issue its rule on a case it had filed against the UAE in August 2017 to settle disputes violating the organization’s rules by taking unilateral measures.

The quartet severed diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5, 2017 for supporting terrorism.