Antigua and Barbuda back in negotiations with USTRO?

The almost decade-long internet gambling dispute between Antigua and Barbuda and the United States Trade Representative Office (USTRO) in Washington DC is reportedly back on the table following the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body’s sanction for the Caribbean island to infringe on US intellectual property in a bid to recoup damages awarded of US$21 million per year .

Antigua and Barbuda’s stance was officially backed by statements from Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago (speaking on behalf of CARICOM), Haiti, Jamaica and Barbados, the People’s Republic of China, Cuba and Brazil during the most recent meeting held in Geneva with the Dispute Settlement Body.

According to the Antigua Observer, Harold Lovell, Antigua’s Minister of Finance confirmed that Ambassador Collin Murdoch is once again engaging with officials at the USTRO in a bid to reach agreement and bring the long-running dispute to an end.

“Discussions are continuing” Lovell said, while noting a compromise in the matter is still the “preferable” course of action.