International Economic Law and Policy Blog (Page 119)

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Annual Update on WTO Dispute Settlement is Today!

The Graduate Institute's Annual Update on WTO Dispute Settlement is today, Wednesday, April 10, 5-7pm Geneva time. If you cannot be there in person, we are live-streaming the event here: http://tinyurl.com/y5g3beww PROGRAMME 17:00 to 17:30 OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND DEVELOPMENTS IN 2018 WTO

The Evolving Role of Precedent in WTO Dispute Settlement

Here are some snippets from today's panel report in the DS534 case (report, addendum with interim review section): 7.56. .... We recall that the panel in US – Washing Machines concluded, relying on the definition of pattern as a regular and intelligible form or sequence, that prices that are

DSU Reform Proposals from Andy Stoler

Former WTO DDG Andy Stoler has some proposals for changes to WTO DS in response to the Appellate Body crisis. I don't agree with all of them, but they are certainly interesting. Some of them are pretty bold! Here are a few: Review of facts / treatment of municipal

A WTO’s “Kompetenz-Kompetenz” Moment

This is a supplemental post to Simon’s earlier one that provides an excellent summary of the Russia – Traffic in Transit panel report. Here are some aspects of the panel report that I found interesting and worth further reflection. First, one might say that this landmark decision is characteristic of

The Russia - Traffic in Transit Panel Report

The Russia - Traffic in Transit panel report was circulated today. The big systemic issue here is the interpretation of GATT Article XXI, and the question of to what extent panels or the AB can scrutinize challenged measures when Article XXI has been invoked. Recall that GATT Article XXI says:

My New Article Criticizing the Trump Administration's Trade and Climate Policies

Blog readers may be interested in my new article titled "How American Rejectionism Undermines International Economic Law" published in 2019 in Volume 10 of Trade, Law and Development. Abstract: The completion of the Trump Administration’s first two years is an appropriate moment to take stock of the

New Proposal to Strengthen WTO Notification Requirements: From Dispute Settlement to Compliance Regime?

In a period where “trade wars” and the Appellate Body (AB) deadlock are getting most of the airtime, an April 1 proposal by nine WTO Members, including the EU and the US, but also Argentina and Costa Rica, to “strengthen notification requirements under WTO agreements” is both refreshing and intriguing

Planning for Life Without the Appellate Body

This is from the Agreed Procedures under Articles 21 and 22 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding between Indonesia and Viet Nam in the Indonesia – Safeguard on Certain Iron or Steel Products (DS496) dispute: 7. The parties agree that if, on the date of the circulation of the panel report under

Tobacco Etc. Carveout in the New Australia-Hong Kong Investment Agreement

Recall that the tobacco carveout originated in the TPP, but has now spread to new FTAs/IIAs involving Singapore. Interestingly, the tobacco carveout was not in the recent Australia-Indonesia FTA (there was a broader public health exclusion instead), but it does appear in the revised Australia-Hong Investment Agreement (their original

The CIT Opinion in the Section 232 Constitutionality Case

The opinion is here. The court rejected the plaintiffs' argument that Section 232 is unconstitutional. Here is a key part of the reasoning: Most importantly for the challenge here, in Algonquin, the Supreme Court found that section 232 “easily” met the intelligible principle standard because [i]t establishes clear