Sovereign states that are members of international commodity organizations must bear responsibility for the actions taken by their cartels. Without the threat of legal action and punishment as a deterrent, member states have little incentive to properly administer the international trading organizations to which they belong. This Comment will first review the factual background of the International Tin Council and the court’s decision in Maclaine Watson & Co. v. Department of Trade & Industry. It will then discuss the charges that the ITC administration was mismanaged. Lastly, it will analyze some legal bases that support a decision imposing member state liability.
