United States Membership in the

World Trade Organization

Poses Little Threat to National Sovereignty

Ralph E. Nollner

Opponents of the Uruguay Round of GATT agreements claimed they represented a threat to U.S. sovereignty. They believed that the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes, and the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures would result in the repeal of U.S. laws protecting the environment and human, animal and plant life and health. A careful reading of these agreements, and the U.S. response as set forth in the Uruguay Round Agreements Act of 1994 and the Statement of Administrative Action accompanying this legislation fails to support this claim.