National Foreign Trade Council v. Natsios
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
181 F.3d 38 (1999)
- Written by Jamie Milne, JD
Facts
In 1996, Massachusetts adopted a law that prohibited the state and its agencies and authorities from purchasing goods or services from persons or companies that engaged in business with Burma, a country later known as Myanmar. The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) (plaintiff), an organization whose members engaged in foreign trade, filed suit against two Massachusetts officials (defendants), one of whom was Andrew Natsios. The NFTC sought declaratory relief deeming the Massachusetts law unconstitutional and an injunction prohibiting its enforcement. The NFTC made several arguments in support of its position, one of which was that the Massachusetts law violated the Foreign Commerce Clause. The district court granted the requested declaratory and injunctive relief but on other grounds. The Massachusetts officials appealed the district court’s ruling.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Lynch, J.)
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