On October 14, 1998, WLF scored a victory when the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts struck down a Massachusetts state law that prohibits any business from providing goods or services to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts if that company does business with the Union of Myanmar, formerly known as the Nation of Burma. In its brief filed with the court on July 7, 1998, WLF argued that the state law, commonly known as the Massachusetts Burma Law, violates the Foreign Commerce Clause of the Constitution and improperly intrudes on the federal government’s power to conduct foreign affairs with other governments. The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of businesses, agriculture groups, and trade associations, which also alleged that the Massachusetts Burma Law was preempted by federal law under Article VI of the Constitution.
