TLCAN

Tribunal de CIADI determina que inversor debe pagar CAD 9 millones al gobierno de Canadá tras fracasar su demanda bajo el TLCAN

MERCER INTERNATIONAL INC. VS. EL GOBIERNO DE CANADÁ, CASO DEL CIADI NO. ARB(AF)/12/3

TLCAN 2.0: las rondas de negociación entre Canadá, México y Estados Unidos pasan al primer cuarto de 2018

Las tres partes del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN) celebraron la tercera, cuarta y quinta ronda de renegociación (Ottawa, 23 al 27 de septiembre; Arlington, 11 al 17 de octubre; y Ciudad de México, 17 al 21 de noviembre). La próxima ronda de renegociaciones del TLCAN está programada del 23 al 28 de enero de 2018 en Montreal.

Canadá, México y Estados Unidos celebran primera y segunda ronda de renegociaciones del TLCAN

Después de que el Presidente Trump declarara su iniciativa de renegociar el TLCAN, se realizó la primera ronda de negociaciones en Washington, D.C. del 16 al 20 de agosto de 2017 y la segunda en la Ciudad de México del 1 al 5 de septiembre de 2017.

TPP-11 sigue adelante; Estados Unidos se concentra en negociaciones bilaterales y TLCAN

Los ministros de comercio de 11 países signatarios del Acuerdo de Asociación Trans-Pacífico se reunieron el 21 de mayo de 2017 en Hanoi, Vietnam, para discutir el futuro del acuerdo durante una reunión de APEC.

Laudo muy esperado del TLCAN no admite demanda sobre ley de patentes contra Canadá

Eli Lilly and Company vs. el Gobierno de Canadá, CNUDMI, Caso del CIADI No. UNCT/14/2

Trump pulls United States out of TPP; intends to pursue bilateral agreements

On January 23, 2017, fulfilling a campaign pledge, U.S. President Donald Trump formally withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), signed in February 2016. The Trump administration indicated that it would pursue bilateral agreements instead. In his campaign, the U.S. President also promised to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico. In a meeting […]

Awards and Decisions

ICSID tribunal dismisses claims brought against Indonesia based on forged mining licences Churchill Mining PLC and Planet Mining Pty Ltd v. Republic of Indonesia, ICSID Case No. ARB/12/14 and ICSID Case No. ARB/12/40 Inaê Siqueira de Oliveira [*] After rendering separate decisions on jurisdiction¾one for the case brought by British company Churchill Mining PLC under the United […]

NAFTA tribunal orders Canada to pay U.S. wind power developer more than CAD28 million

Windstream Energy LLC v. Government of Canada, PCA Case No. 2013-22  An arbitral tribunal under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has reached the award stage. Although dismissing the discrimination and indirect expropriation claims, the tribunal upheld the claim of failure to provide fair and equitable treatment (FET), and ordered Canada […]

Awards and Decisions

(English) The long-expected final award has been rendered in the high-profile case initiated by tobacco giant Philip Morris in early 2010 against Uruguay over its tobacco control measures.

NAFTA tribunal dismisses claims against Canada on green energy Feed-In Tariff program

(English) An arbitration tribunal constituted under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has issued its award subject to a dissenting opinion.

TransCanada initiates NAFTA arbitration against the United States over rejection of Keystone XL pipeline

(English) On January 6, 2016, TransCanada initiated arbitration against the United States for “unreasonably delaying approval” of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline and ultimately denying, in November 2015, the company’s application for the required Presidential Permit.

(English) NAFTA and Sustainable Development: The history, experience, and prospects for reform

(English) This book assesses the current state of environmental protection under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), outlining the scope and process of both agreements, their impact on specific environmental issues, and paths to reform.

(English) UNCITRAL tribunal finds Canada’s environmental assessment breached international minimum standard of treatment and national treatment standard

(English) William Ralph Clayton, William Richard Clayton, Douglas Clayton, Daniel Clayton and Bilcon of Delaware Inc. v. Government of Canada, UNCITRAL

News in Brief

Canada receives investor complaints over provincial energy and environment policies In recent months the government of Canada has received two complaints related to energy and environmental policies adopted by its provinces. Both investors have served Ottawa with notices of intent to submit a claim to arbitration under NAFTA’s investment chapter. A Delaware-based energy firm is […]

Trends in Investor Claims Over Feed-in Tariffs for Renewable Energy

As governments increasingly turn to renewable energy to mitigate climate change, domestic climate-related policies in the form of price support measures such as feed-in tariffs (FiTs) have played an important role in stimulating the much needed investment—public and private, domestic and foreign—in the sector. Feed-in tariffs are characterized by guaranteed electricity purchase prices (set higher […]

News in Brief

Australia to reject investor-state dispute resolution in TPPA The Australian government will not sign on to investor-state dispute resolution provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), according to an Australian government official. “We have made it clear that we will no longer be seeking investor-state dispute settlement provisions in trade agreements,” said the Australian Minister […]

Awards and Decisions

US court vacates award against Argentina BG Group Plc v. Argentina Lise Johnson A US appellate court has vacated an award against Argentina in a decision that may give investors pause before attempting to bypass treaty provisions requiring that they first pursue their claims in the host state’s courts. The long course of the dispute […]

News in Brief

More legal woes for Canada’s Feed-in Tariff program for renewable energy Canada could soon be faced with arbitration for alleged breach of its obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). On 6 July 2011, a Texas-based company, Mesa Power Group LLC, served Canada with a Notice of Intent to Submit a Claim to […]

Federalism and international investment disputes

One of the more politically controversial aspects of international investment protection treaties is the liability of a State when political sub-divisions are found to have breached that State’s treaty obligations to foreign investors. This issue is particularly significant in federal States, such as Canada, the United States, Australia or Germany, among others, where sub-national governments […]

News in Brief

Canada and Dow Chemical settle claim over pesticide ban A controversial NAFTA investment dispute between Dow AgroSciences and the government of Canada was settled this May. The settlement agreement involves no money exchanging hands, and the Province of Quebec will continue to restrict the use the lawn pesticides – the measure that prompted Dow to […]

News in Brief

Working group moves slowly on agreement for transparency in UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules A working group of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) met from 7-11 February 2011 in New York to discuss public access to information about disputes between investors and states under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. The meeting marked the second […]

The transparency requirement in the new UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules: A premonitory view

Ignacio Torterola  In October, State delegations are expected to discuss the issue of transparency in the UNCITRAL Rules of Arbitration.  Ignacio Torterola, ICSID Liaison at the Argentine Embassy in Washington, DC, and Argentine Delegate to the UNCITRAL Working Group II, explains why greater openness would benefit the investment arbitration system.  Some preliminary considerations Working Group […]

Michigan owner and operator of busy trade route prepares to file a second NAFTA claim against Canada

By Elizabeth Whitsitt May 11, 2010 A Notice of Intent forwarded to Canada earlier this year by US owner and operator of the Ambassador Bridge contends that the Canadian government has violated its obligations under NAFTA Chapter 11. Facilitating a significant amount of trade between the US and Canada, the Ambassador Bridge is an international […]

A merits hearing takes place in protracted NAFTA dispute over US tobacco settlements

By Elizabeth Whitsitt March 11, 2010 (NOTE: two corrections have been made to this article.  See explanations below.) A three-member tribunal, composed of Mr. Fali S. Nariman, Professor S. James Anaya, and Mr. John R. Crook, has heard arguments on the merits of the dispute between Grand River Enterprises Six Nations, Ltd., et al. and the […]

Canadian mining firm accused of links to murder of protester, threatens arbitration over mine closure in Chiapas

By Fernando Cabrera Diaz March 11, 2010 Calgary-based mining firm Blackfire Exploration has reportedly threatened Mexican officials in Chiapas with NAFTA Chapter 11 arbitration in response to the closure of its barite mine in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas.  The mine’s closure came on the heels of intense local protests against the mine following […]

In Brief: New arbitrator nominated in NAFTA dispute over thwarted Canadian garbage site

By Eliabeth Whitsitt February 14, 2010 Canada has nominated Mr. Laurent Lévy to act as arbitrator in its Chapter 11 NAFTA dispute against US investor Vito G. Gallo. Canada’s original nominee, Mr. J. Christopher Thomas Q.C., resigned from his appointment as an arbitrator in October, 2009 after ICSID Deputy Secretary-General, Nassib G. Ziade, determined that […]

Arbitrator forced to choose in NAFTA dispute over thwarted Canadian garbage site

By Elizabeth Whitsitt December 6, 2009 Mr. J. Christopher Thomas Q.C. has resigned from his appointment as an arbitrator in a Chapter 11 NAFTA dispute initiated by US investor Vito G. Gallo against the Canadian government. Canada’s nominee to the tribunal resigned on October 21, 2009, one week after ICSID Deputy Secretary-General, Nassib G. Ziade, […]

Claim by Cargill leads to another loss for Mexico

By Elizabeth Whitsitt 2 October 2009 Mexico has suffered another loss in a series of investor-state arbitral disputes involving its sugar industry. While attempts have been made by Mexico to consolidate similar cases involving its sugar trade, such efforts have been unsuccessful resulting in a number of separate arbitral decisions. Most recently, a tribunal convened […]

Oral hearings held in NAFTA arbitration over Canadian pesticide ban

By Fernando Cabrera Diaz 2 October 2009 Chemtura Corporation’s dispute with Canada over the phase-out of the agro-chemical Lindane headed to oral hearings in September after 8 years of legal wrangling. Chemtura, a U.S.-based chemical manufacturer, claims that Canada violated Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) when it banned Lindane in […]

Claim by Corn Products International results in a sour result for Mexico and its sweetener industry

By Elizabeth Whitsitt 2 September 2009 The United Mexican States has suffered yet another setback in its long and protracted dispute with the United States of America over the sugar trade and the Mexican sweetener industry. As noted in the May 2009 edition of ITN*, a NAFTA tribunal found Mexico liable to Corn Products International […]

Glamis Gold Ltd. v. United States of America: Tribunal sets a high bar for establishing breach of “Fair and Equitable Treatment” under NAFTA

By Elizabeth Whitsitt and Damon Vis-Dunbar 15 July 2009 A protracted dispute between the United States of America and Glamis Gold Ltd., a Canadian gold mining company, was settled in June by an arbitral tribunal constituted under Chapter 11 of NAFTA. In a unanimous 355-page decision, the Tribunal dismissed Glamis’ claims that the US expropriated […]

US forestry company and Canada dispute British Columbia logging regulations

By Elizabeth Whitsitt 8 June 2009 Oral hearings were held in May over a claim by an American forestry and land management company against the Government of Canada for damages of US$25 million for alleged breaches of NAFTA Chapter 11. At the heart of Merrill & Ring’s complaint is a complex regulatory regime in Canada […]

Grupo de transportistas mexicanos lanza diferencia contra EUA bajo el Capítulo 11 del TLCAN sobre prohibición de transporte terrestre

Por Fernando Cabrera Diaz 28 de Abril, 2009 El grupo industrial de transportistas mexicanos, CANACAR, ha iniciado un arbitraje bajo el Capítulo 11 contra Estados Unidos, alegando que EUA violó sus compromisos del TLCAN al prohibir a las empresas transportistas mexicanas operar libremente dentro de sus fronteras. La diferencia en torno al servicio de transporte […]

¿Derribando el TLCAN?

Por Howard Mann, Asesor Senior en Derecho Internacional del Instituto Internacional de Desarrollo Sostenible 2 de Mayo 2009 El 31 de marzo de 2009 Dow AgroSciences LLC, subsidiaria de la Empresa Química Dow de EUA, inició un arbitraje bajo el Capítulo 11 del TLCAN contra Canadá debido a la prohibición de productos químicos del césped […]

DOWning NAFTA?

By Howard Mann, Senior International Legal Advisor to the International Institute for Sustainable Development 2 May 2009 On 31 March 2009 Dow AgroSciences LLC, a subsidiary of the U.S. Dow Chemical Company, initiated its NAFTA Chapter 11 arbitration against Canada due to the banning of cosmetic lawn chemicals in the province of Quebec. This is […]

Mexican truckers group launches NAFTA Chapter 11 dispute against the U.S. over trucking ban

By Fernando Cabrera Diaz 28 April 2009 The Mexican trucking industry group CANACAR has initiated Chapter 11 arbitration against the United States, alleging that the U.S. has violated its NAFTA commitments by barring Mexican trucking companies from operating freely within its borders. The cross-border trucking services dispute between Mexico and the United States originated in […]

Tribunal rejects the Defense of Countermeasures in recently published Corn Products International Inc. v. The United Mexican States award

By Elizabeth Whitsitt 28 April 2009 In a recently published ICSID award, a tribunal found Mexico liable to an American company, Corn Products International Inc. (CPI) and its wholly-owned Mexican subsidiary, Corn Products Ingredientes (CPIng) for violating NAFTA Chapter 11.  While the 15 January 2008 decision does not address the extent of Mexico’s liabilities, it […]

TLCAN quince años después: Logros, fracasos y prospectos futuros del Capítulo 11

Por Elizabeth Whitsitt 16 de Febrero 2009 Hace quince años entró en vigencia el Tratado de Libre Comercio de America del Norte (TLCAN) y se convirtió en el primer tratado de comercio regional entre un país en desarrollo (México) y dos naciones desarrolladas (Canadá y los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica). Si bien surgieron un número […]

Canadian First Nations Chief intervenes in NAFTA Chapter 11 tobacco dispute

By Damon Vis-Dunbar 27 February 2009 The head of the Canadian Assembly of First Nations Peoples has voiced his support for a group of Canadian investors in a tobacco company who are suing the U.S. government for alleged violations of NAFTA Chapter 11. As ITN reported in January, the claimants – the tobacco company Grand […]

NAFTA fifteen years later: the successes, failures and future prospects of Chapter 11

By Elizabeth Whitsitt 16 February 2009 Fifteen years ago the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) entered into force and became the first regional trade agreement between a developing country (Mexico) and two developed nations (Canada and the United States of America).  While a number of criticisms and controversies have arisen with respect to different […]

Parties file memorials in long-running NAFTA dispute over U.S. tobacco settlements; Canada intervenes with opinion on customary international law related to aboriginal rights

By Fernando Cabrera and Damon Vis-Dunbar 29 January 2009 The Canadian tobacco manufacturer Grand River Enterprises Six Nations and the United State have filed memorials in a long-running NAFTA Chapter 11 dispute.  The arbitration proceedings, which began in April of 2004, have been delayed several times due to challenges to jurisdiction and to one of […]

Canadian pharmaceutical company alleges denial of justice in claim against the United States

By Damon Vis-Dunbar 15 January 2009 A Canadian pharmaceutical company delivered a notice of arbitration to the United States government in December 2008 under NAFTA’s Chapter 11 on investment. The US$8 million claim is rooted in the complicated legislation that governs how generic medications can be introduced to the U.S. market. Apotex Inc., which claims […]

Se Debaten Méritos de Arbitraje entre Inversor-Estado en Seminario de Arbitraje Internacional auspiciado por Fiscal General ecuatoriano

Por Fernando Cabrera Díaz 9 de Diciembre, 2008 El 1-2 de diciembre Noticias sobre Tratados de Inversión asistió a un seminario de dos días sobre arbitraje internacional en Quito, Ecuador, auspiciado por la Procuraduría General de Ecuador. El seminario se enfocó en el arbitraje internacional de inversión y su relación con la soberanía estatal. Se […]

Merits of investor-state arbitration debated at international arbitration seminar hosted by Ecuador’s Attorney General

By Fernando Cabrera Diaz 9 December 2008 On 1-2 December Investment Treaty News attended a two-day seminar on international arbitration in Quito, Ecuador, hosted by Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office. The seminar focused on international investment arbitration and its relation to state sovereignty. Opinions from different sides of the debate were voiced, including from Ecuadorean government […]

Disgruntled fishing outfitters put Canada on notice

By Damon Vis-Dunbar 13 November 2008 The Canadian government has been sent two letters from outdoor tour companies signaling intent to sue for alleged breaches of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Both outfitters complain that their businesses suffered when the Province of Quebec changed the rules for distributing fishing licenses. The two businesses led […]

Chemical company warns Canada of a potential lawsuit over pesticide ban

By Damon Vis-Dunbar 23 October 2008 One of the world’s largest chemical manufacturers may sue the Canadian government over the ban of a lawn pesticide in the Province of Quebec. The Canadian government revealed on 21 October that, some two months earlier, it was served with a “Notice of Intent” by Dow AgroSciences LLC, a […]