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WTO Disputes

172 posts

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

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:

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

Would Speeding up WTO Dispute Settlement Help With the Appellate Body Crisis?

Article 12 of the DSU specifies these time-frames for panels to issue reports: 8. In order to make the procedures more efficient, the period in which the panel shall conduct its examination, from the date that the composition and terms of reference of the panel have been agreed upon until

Communication from Honduras on the Issue of Precedent

This is another very helpful communication from Honduras on the functioning of the Appellate Body: 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1. In furtherance of the communication dated 23 July 2018 and reiterating the importance of the Dispute Settlement System within the broader WTO framework, Honduras would like to address the issue of

Panels Composed in the Section 232/Retaliation Cases

For the nine panels established to hear the complaints against the Section 232 measures, the panels have all been composed with the same panelists, as follows: Elbio Rosselli (Uruguay) Esteban Conejos (Philippines) Rodrigo Valenzuela (Chile) For DSC subscribers, you can click the link to see which past cases each has

U.S. Criticisms of the Tuna-Dolphin Rulings and Dispute Process

Here is an excerpt from some comments by the U.S. at the January 11th DSB meeting, focusing on the Appellate Body report in US - Tuna but also having broader implications: • Although the United States agrees with and welcomes the conclusion of these reports that the U.S. dolphin

How to Save WTO Dispute Settlement from the Trump Administration

How to Save WTO Dispute Settlement from the Trump Administration Steve Charnovitz The Trump Administration is trying to torpedo the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement system. According to the November 2, 2017 Wall Street Journal article "Has China Swallowed the WTO" by Jacob M. Schlesinger, "The

The Obama Administration's Attack on Appellate Body Independence Shows The Need for Reforms

By Steve Charnovitz, George Washington University Law School The Obama Administration has not yet apologized for its unilateral action in May 2016 to unseat Appellate Body Member Seung Wha Chang, a distinguished jurist from South Korea. Although this hostile act by the United States has been roundly criticized by other

Attribution of the measures of an international organization to a member in the Russia - Tariff Treatment panel report

I was curious to know why the panel report in Russia - Tariff Treatment found violations by Russia because of duties that it was 'required' to apply. It turns out that the reason for this terminology is that the duty rates at issue were adopted, as a Common