On December 17, the European Union (“EU”) announced its agreement with the United States (“US”) on a compensation package offered by the US in response to its withdrawal in WTO of GATS commitments on gambling and betting services, including on-line gambling. This bilateral agreement provides EU service suppliers with new trade opportunities in the US postal and courier, research and development, storage and warehouse sectors. The US also made concessions in the testing and analysis services sector. Other WTO members, like Canada, Australia, Japan and India had previously settled with the US. Countries like Macau and some Caribbean nations have more difficulties to come to an agreement with the US as the US withdrawal of its GATS commitments has a more immediate impact on their economies. Eventually, we expect that there will be agreements with them as well. The US needs to accept the international trade consequences of the fact that there are nations in the world who have a different view on regulating gambling services, and that this will remain a source of likely trade conflict as long as no international solutions on this and other similar activities are available.
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