The Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act and GATT Treaty Obligations: On a Path of Harmony or Discord?
Autores/as
-
Uchenna Jerome Orji
American University of Nigeria
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1084-6953
Resumen
El Acta de Nigeria para el desarrollo de contenido de la industria del petróleo y el gas de 2010 prescribe requisitos de contenido local para promover el uso de productos y servicios nigerianos por parte de los operadores de esta industria. Sin embargo, los requisitos de contenido local parecen violar las obligaciones del Acuerdo General sobre Aranceles Aduaneros y Comercio (GATT) (1994) de la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC), del que Nigeria es miembro. En este artículo se examinan las disposiciones del Acta y las obligaciones de Nigeria en virtud del GATT para determinar si estas disposiciones infringen las obligaciones del GATT, y si esas infracciones están cubiertas por alguna de las exenciones previstas en el Acuerdo. El análisis determina que los artículos 10 (1) (a), 11 (1), 12 y 13 del Acta, que favorecen el uso de productos y materiales locales para proyectos en la industria del petróleo y el gas, contravienen las obligaciones de trato nacional en virtud del artículo III del GATT. El trabajo también determina que el artículo 53 del Acta infringe la obligación de garantizar la eliminación general de las restricciones cuantitativas en virtud del artículo XI:1 del GATT. Sin embargo, se estima que las exenciones del GATT justifican la aplicación de medidas de contenido local en la industria. Nigeria puede basarse en el artículo XVIII del GATT para aplicar medidas de contenido local con el fin de promover el desarrollo económico y mejorar el nivel de vida en el país. Además, Nigeria puede basarse en los artículos XII: 1/2 y XIX:1 del GATT para aplicar medidas de contenido local que restrinjan la importación de productos metálicos fabricados/soldados a fin de evitar una disminución grave de las reservas monetarias y también proteger a los productores nacionales de productos similares del "daño grave" que pueda derivarse del aumento de la importación de esos productos.Palabras clave:
GATT, requisito de contenido local, Nigeria, obligaciones OMC, gas y petróleoReferencias
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Alford, R. P., (2011) ‘The Self-Judging WTO Security Exception’, Utah Law Review, No.3, pp. 697-759.
Appellate Body Report (1999), Argentina – Safeguard Measures on Imports of Footwear, AB-1999-7, WT/DS121/AB/R at paragraph 91.
Appellate Body Report (1999), Korea – Definitive Safeguard Measure on Imports of Certain Dairy Products, WT/DS98/AB/R, (14 December 1999) at paragraph 84.
Appellate Body Report (2003), United States – Definitive Safeguard Measures on Imports of Certain Steel Products, WT/DS248/AB/R, WT/DS249/AB/R, WT/DS251/AB/R, WT/DS252/AB/R, WT/DS253/AB/R, WT/DS254/AB/R, WT/DS258/AB/R, WT/DS259/AB/R, (10 November, 2003) at paragraphs 276, 279, 296, 376, 383, 399, 452, 461,472, 473, 474, 482, 487, 513(a) and (b).
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Ayine, D., (2012), Consolidated Report on Proposed Petroleum Bills and Local Content Policy for the Petroleum Sector (A report submitted to the Ghana Research and Advocacy Programme (G-RAP), Accra, Ghana), p.47.
Balouga, J., (2012), ‘Nigerian Local Content: Challenges and Prospects’, International Association for Energy Economics, pp.23-26.
Binuomote S. O., and Odeniyi K. A., (2013), ‘Effect of Crude Oil Price on Agricultural Productivity in Nigeria (1981-2010)’, International Journal of Applied Agricultural and Apicultural Research, Vol. 9 (1&2), pp. 131-138.
Canada - Administration of the Foreign Investment Review Act, Report of the Panel adopted on 7 February 1984 (L/5504 - 30S/140).
Canada - Measures Relating to the Feed - in Tariff Program, WT/DS426/AB/R (6 May, 2013).
Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability, Oil and Gas and Conflict Development Challenges and Policy Approaches (Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability and United States Agency for International Development: United States, January 2006) pp.7-8.
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), TS 56 (1996) Cm 3282; 33 ILM 28 (1994).
Hahn, M. J., (1991), ‘Vital Interests and the Law of GATT: An Analysis of GATT's Security Exception’, Michigan Journal of International Law, Vol. 12(3), pp.558-620.
Iledare W. and Suberu R., (2010), ‘Oil and Gas Resources in the Federal Republic of Nigeria’, Conference Proceedings: The Management of Oil and Oil and Gas in Federal Systems (World Bank and Forum of Federations: Washington, D.C.).
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IMF, (2019), Nigeria - Selected Issues, IMF Country Report No. 19/93 (IMF: Washington, D.C, April, 2019), p.5.
India – Measures Affecting the Automotive Sector, WT/DS146/R, WT/DS175/R and corr. 1, adopted 5 April 2002: V. 1827.
Mähler, A., (2010) Nigeria: A Prime Example of the Resource Curse? Revisiting the Oil Violence Link in the Niger Delta (German Institute of Global and Area Studies Working Papers: Germany) p. 120.
Mohammed, K.A., (2009) ‘Nigerian Content Development: The Petroleum Technology Development Fund Initiatives’, Petroleum Technology Development Journal, Vol. 2.
National Bureau of Statistics, (2013) Measuring Better: Frequently Asked Questions on the Rebasing / Re-Benchmarking of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (National Bureau of Statistics: Abuja), p.13.
Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (March, 2010).
Nwaokoro, Joseph E., (2011), ‘Nigeria’s National Content Bill: The Hype, the Hope and the Reality’, Journal of African Law, pp.128-155.
Nwaokoro, Joseph E., (2011), ‘Signed, Sealed but will it Deliver? Nigeria’s Local Content Bill and Cross-Sectoral Growth’, The Journal of World Energy Law &Business, pp.40-67.
Ogunyomi, G., et al, (2010), ‘Overview of the Nigerian Content Development Act 2010’, Aina Blankson LP Newsletter, p.2.
Orji, U.J, (2017a) ‘The WTO Agreement on Subsidies and the Fiscal Incentive Regime under the Nigerian Local Content Act: a Compatibility Assessment’, International Energy Law Review (2017) Vol. 35, Issue 5, pp.143-147.
Orji, U.J., (2017b) ‘Assessing the Conformity of Nigeria’s Local Content Act with GATS Obligations’, International Trade Law & Regulation (2017) Vol. 23, Issue 1, pp.12-24.
Orji, U.J., (2014), ‘Towards Sustainable Local Content Development in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry: An Appraisal of the Legal Framework and Challenges Pt I’, International Energy Law Review (2014) Vol. 32, Issue 1, p.41.
Orji, U.J., (2014), ‘Towards Sustainable Local Content Development in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry: An Appraisal of the Legal Framework and Challenges Pt II’, International Energy Law Review (2014) Vol. 32, Issue 2, pp.68-75.
Orji, U.J., (2018a) ‘The Nigerian Oil and Gas Local Content Regime and its (Non-) Compliance with the TRIMS Agreement’, Afe Babalola University Journal of Sustainable Development Law & Policy (2018) Vol. 9, Issue 2, p.157.
Orji, U.J., (2018b) ‘Promoting Technology Transfers in Nigeria’s Extractive Industries: A Review of the Legal Regime, the Challenges and Proposals for Responses’, Journal of World Trade and Investment (2018) 19(2) 248-292.
Proshare, (2017), Evaluating the Adequacy of Nigeria’s External Reserves Level, available at <https://www.proshareng.com/news/Nigeria%20Economy/Evaluting-The-Adequacy-of-Nigeria’s-External-Reserves-Level/36781>.
Report on the Withdrawal by the United States of a Tariff Concession under Article XIX of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (October, 1951) at paragraph 9.
SNF, Enhancement of Local Content in the Upstream Oil & Gas Industry in Nigeria, SNF Report (2003) cited in Mohammed, K.A., ‘Nigerian Content Development: The Petroleum Technology Development Fund Initiatives’, Petroleum Technology Development Journal (July, 2009) Vol. 2,p.2.
The Blacks’ Law Dictionary (8th Edition), p. 1535.
UNDP, Human Development Report 2015 (UNDP: New York, USA, 2015) pp.61 &219.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Elimination of TRIMS: The Experience of Selected Developing Countries (United Nations: New York and Geneva, 2007) 9-10.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Human Development Report 2016: Human Development for Everyone (UNDP: New York, USA, 2016), p.219.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Human Development Report 2016: Human Development for Everyone (UNDP: New York, USA, 2016), pp.200, 204,208, 212, 216, & 271.
United Nations, (2014), ‘Country Classification’, available at <https://www.un.org/en/ development/desa/policy/wesp/wesp_current/2014wesp_country_classification.pdf>.
United States - Measures Affecting the Importation, Internal Sale and Use of Tobacco, Report of the Panel adopted by the Council on 4 October 1994 (DS44/R).
United States Energy Information Administration, ‘Nigeria’, (26 May, 2016), available at <https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis.php?iso=NGA>.
Vaaland, T.I., et al, (2012), ‘Local Content and Struggling Suppliers: A Network Analysis of Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry’, African Journal of Business Management, Vol.6 (15), pp.5404–5405.
World Bank Macroeconomic and Fiscal Management Global Practice (Nigeria Team) (2017), Nigeria Bi-Annual Economic Update: Fragile Recovery, No. 1 (World Bank: Washington, D.C), p.15.
WTO – Committee on Trade-Related Investment Measures, ‘Nigeria - Certain Measures Taken in the “Act to Provide for the Development of Nigerian Content in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry” of April 2010’, Minutes of Meeting of the WTO Committee on Trade-Related Investment Measures held on 16 April, 2015 (G/TRIMS/M/38) (27 July, 2015), at paragraphs 111-117.
WTO – Committee on Trade-Related Investment Measures, ‘Nigeria - Certain Measures Taken in the “Act to Provide for the Development of Nigerian Content in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry” of April 2010’, Minutes of Meeting of the WTO Committee on Trade-Related Investment Measures held on 30 April, 2013 (G/TRIMS/M/34) (19 June, 2013), at paragraphs 56-62.
WTO Legal Affairs Division, (2012) WTO Dispute Settlement One Page Case Summaries 1995-2011 (WTO: Geneva) p.60.
WTO Panel Report, Argentina – Definitive Safeguard Measure on Imports of Preserved Peaches, WT/DS238/R, (14 February 2003) adopted on 15 April 2003, DSR 2003:III, 1037.
WTO Panel Report, Canada - Certain Measures Affecting the Renewable Energy Generation Sector, WT/DS426/R (19 December, 2012).
WTO, ‘Nigeria and the WTO’, available at <https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/countries_e/ nigeria_e.htm>.
WTO, WTO Analytical Index Guide to WTO Law and Practice – GATT 1994, XXI. Article XIX, Paragraph B at 816, available at <https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/analytic_index_e/ analytic_index_e.htm>.
