The complaint accuses Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates of violating the trade group's "core laws and conventions on trade of goods and services, and trade-related aspects of intellectual property," according to a statement from Qatar's ministry of economy and commerce. REUTERS/Naseem Zeitoon

By formally “requesting consultations” with the three countries, the first step in a trade dispute, Qatar triggered a 60 day deadline for them to settle the complaint or face litigation at the WTO and potential retaliatory trade sanctions. ""We have always called for dialogue, for negotiations, and this is part of our strategy to talk to the members concerned and to gain more information on these measures, the legality of these measures, and to find a solution to resolve the dispute," al-Thani added.In June, four Arab countries - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Egypt cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and allying with regional enemy Iran.They demanded Doha shut down its Al Jazeera news channel, and end support for the Muslim Brotherhood, downgrade ties with Iran, and close a military base housing Turkish troops.Doha has denied all the charges relating to terrorism and has refused to accept the demands, claiming they were an infringement on its sovereignty. There was also no explanation for why the WTO suit does not include Egypt, the fourth country involved in the boycott, although Egypt did not expel Qatari citizens or ask Egyptians to leave Qatar. The government said it didn't fear retaliatory measures following its refusal to comply.According to Reuters,Although Cairo has suspended diplomatic relations with Qatar, it did not expel Qatari citizens or ask Egyptians to leave the country. "We remain hopeful that the consultations could bear fruit in resolving this," he said. There was no immediate reaction from the three to Qatar’s complaint, which is likely to be circulated at the WTO later this week.
Qatar files a legal complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO) concerning the embargo imposed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates in June. The parties have 60 days to settle the complaint to avoid WTO litigation.