How was the GATT case resolved?
Chitanondh: The GATT case is a landmark case. The GATT ruled that Thailand could not keep its market closed. But it also ruled that Thailand could take measures to limit the health consequences of the introduction of foreign cigarettes. Acceptable measures included: number one, a total ban on advertising; number two, a tax on tobacco products which can be set at any level, as long as it is applied equally to domestic and foreign cigarettes; number three, controlled distribution of cigarettes (for example, a prohibition on sales to people who are under the age of 18); and number four, a requirement that cigarette ingredients be disclosed. So it seems that the United States won the case, because Thailand had to open the market to foreign cigarettes. But in reality, Thailand won the health aspects of the case. After that case, the United States would no longer dare to use Section 301 to pressure other countries over cigarettes. They planned to use this to pressure China to open the cigare
