The National Foreign Trade Council is planning to sue the state of Illinois in connection with a law recently passed by the state requiring pension schemes to divest Sudan-linked assets.

Daniel O'Flaherty, vice president of the group, said it is using a federal court victory against Massachusetts in June 2000 as a model for its litigation. In 2000 the group successfully forced the overturning of a law restricting the purchase of goods or services from companies doing business with Burma.