A World Trade Organisation (WTO) arbitrator today gave the United States until April 3 rdnext year to comply with a ruling that a ban on Internet gambling services offered by Antigua violates the body's rules.
US officials, arguing the legislation needed was complicated, had sought a July deadline to come into line. The arbiter's decision was the latest stage in a long-running "David against Goliath" case brought by the small Caribbean island which has invested heavily in the electronic gambling industry to boost its economy and job opportunities.
A WTO dispute panel and an appeals body both found largely in favour of Antigua's complaint over the ban, which has kept US banks and major Internet search engines from doing business with gambling firms on the island.
The arbitrator, German trade expert Claus-Dieter Ehlermann, said he recognised the US task would be difficult due to the highly regulated nature of Internet gambling and betting in the country, but was not convinced a July deadline was needed.
Antiguan officials say they are confident the United States will conform, but trade diplomats say they could do little if the legislative changes were not made on time, or at all.
WTO countries whose trade partners are found to have failed to implement dispute rulings can be authorised to impose sanctions, usually in the form of extra tariffs, on goods or services from the offending nations.
But small economies often find retaliating against larger ones rebounds, as in a dispute when the European Union was found to have failed to change its banana import rules in line with a decision in a case brought by Ecuador.