SCM Agreement Article 1.1(a)(1)(iii) identifies the following as a "financial contribution":
a government provides goods or services other than general infrastructure, ...
I was helping out as a panelist in a WTO dispute settlement simulation in Amy Porges' WTO law class, and I came across an argument I had not thought of before: Goverment provision of "public goods" is covered by this provision. Now, as it turns out, this was not the argument being made, and I had misunderstood. But regardless, it got me thinking, are public goods covered by this language? I had always assumed that "goods" meant physical, tangible goods (although electronic goods are probably covered too). But what about a public good like, say, national defense? What does the text, context, object and purpose, etc. tell us about whether government provision of public goods is covered by this provision?
