United States Antiboycott Laws: An Assessment of Their Impact Ten Years after Adoption

Authors

Howard N. Fenton III

Abstract

Since 1945, Arab states have prohibited trade with Israel. In the mid-1970s the sudden economic leverage of the countries participating in this boycott forced the United States to confront the asserted jurisdiction over American businesses. Concerned with the extraterritorial impact of the Arab boycott, Congress enacted two antiboycott laws. This Article adopts a new four-part analysis of boycott participation by American firms. Then, it examines the history of the Arab boycott and the United States government's responses, including the Arab reaction to the antiboycott laws and the record of the United States agencies responsible for enforcing the laws. The author concludes that, despite the lack of credibility created by the frequent refusal of the United States to abide by its own standards, the antiboycott laws have significantly reduced participation in the Arab boycott by Americans.

Recommended Citation

Howard N. Fenton III, United States Antiboycott Laws: An Assessment of Their Impact Ten Years after Adoption, 10 Hastings Int'l & Comp. L. Rev. 211 (1987).
Available at: https://repository.uclawsf.edu/hastings_international_comparative_law_review/vol10/iss2/1