About the WTO
Procedural issues arising in appeals
This section summarizes the procedural issues that were addressed in the Appellate Body reports circulated during 2019 and the first quarter of 2020.
Appellate Body annual report for 2019-2020
Annual reports on the work of the Appellate Body and its Secretariat have been issued since 2003. These reports contain information about the composition of the Appellate Body the appeals filed and the Appellate Body reports circulated during the period covered as well as technical assistance and other developments. The annual reports also provide up-to-date information on a range of topics relating to appellate proceedings including the subject matter of disputes and procedural issues raised in appeals as well as statistics on the WTO agreements addressed the percentage of panel reports appealed and the participation of WTO Members in appeals. It also contains key speeches delivered by AB Members during the covered period.
Foreword
This annual report covers the cases the Appellate Body completed during 2019 and the first half of 2020.
Participants and third participants in appeals
A total of 44 WTO Members participated at least once as appellant other appellant appellee or third participant in appeals for which an Appellate Body report was circulated during 2019 and the first half of 2020. Thirteen WTO Members participated at least once as a main participant and 41 Members participated at least once as a third participant.
Introduction
This Annual Report summarizes the activities of the Appellate Body and its Secretariat for the year 2019 and the first half of 2020.
Composition of the appellate body
The Appellate Body is a standing body normally composed of seven members each to be appointed by the DSB for a term of four years with the possibility of being reappointed once for another fouryear term.
Appeals
Pursuant to Rule 20(1) of the Working Procedures and Article 16(4) of the DSU an appeal is commenced by a party to the dispute giving written notice to the DSB and filing a Notice of Appeal with the Appellate Body Secretariat. Rule 23(1) of the Working Procedures allows a party to the dispute other than the initial appellant to join the appeal or appeal on the basis of other alleged errors by filing a Notice of Other Appeal within five days of the filing of the Notice of Appeal.
Arbitrations under article 21.3(c) of the DSU
The DSU does not specify who shall serve as an arbitrator under Article 21.3(c) of the DSU to determine the reasonable period of time for the implementation by a WTO Member of the recommendations and rulings adopted by the DSB in dispute settlement cases. The parties to the arbitration select the arbitrator by agreement or if they cannot agree on an arbitrator the Director-General of the WTO appoints the arbitrator. In all but three arbitration proceedings44 those who have served as arbitrators pursuant to Article 21.3(c) have been current or former Appellate Body Members. In carrying out arbitrations under Article 21.3(c) Appellate Body Members act in an individual capacity.
Trade Policies for a Circular Economy
From its initial focus on minimizing waste generation the circular economy has evolved into a broad-based approach to make resource use more sustainable. A big part of the appeal of a circular economy is the opportunities it creates not only for resource savings and better human health and environmental outcomes but also for trade and economic diversification.
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of - Measures Concerning the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights
On 16 June 2020 the WTO circulated the panel report in the case brought by Qatar in “Saudi Arabia — Measures concerning the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights” (DS567).
Australia - Certain Measures Concerning Trademarks, Geographical Indications and Other Plain Packaging Requirements Applicable to Tobacco Products and Packaging
On 9 June 2020 the Appellate Body issued its reports in the cases brought by Honduras and the Dominican Republic in “Australia — Certain Measures Concerning Trademarks Geographical Indications and Other Plain Packaging Requirements Applicable to Tobacco Products and Packaging” (DS435 and DS441).
Introduction
There are a number of ways of looking at the World Trade Organization: as an organization for trade-opening a forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements and a place for them to settle trade disputes. It operates the global system of trade rules and helps developing countries to build their trade capacity. Essentially the WTO is a place where member governments try to sort out the trade problems they face with each other.
Annual Report 2020
The WTO’s Annual Report provides a comprehensive account of the organization’s activities in 2019 and early 2020. The Report opens with a message from Director-General Roberto Azevêdo and a brief overview of the year. This is followed by in-depth accounts of the WTO’s main areas of activity over the past 12 months.
The Role of WTO Committees through the Lens of Specific Trade Concerns Raised in the TBT Committee
In this paper we provide some evidence of the common claim that STCs improve transparency and monitoring as well as help mitigate trade conflicts.
Trade and Environment
In order to ensure transparency and to keep abreast of trade policies in support of sustainability the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) mandated the WTO Secretariat to compile and collate all environment-related measures notified to WTO. The database also includes environment-related entries found in Trade Policy Reviews (TPRs).
An Economic Analysis of the US-China Trade Conflict
This paper provides an economic analysis of the trade conflict between the US and China providing an overview of the tariff increases a discussion of the background of the trade conflict and an analysis of the economic effects of the trade conflict based both on empirics (ex post analysis) and on simulations (ex ante analysis).
Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead for the WTO Trade Monitoring Exercise
A little over a decade has passed since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008. Shortly after the collapse of the Lehman Brothers investment bank an internal Secretariat Task Force was established by the WTO Director-General to monitor the trade-related developments associated with the crisis. Meeting in London in early 2009 the G20 Leaders mandated the WTO together with other international bodies to monitor and report publicly on G20 adherence to resisting protectionism and promoting global trade and investment. Since then 22 G20 reports and 24 WTO-wide reports have been published.
The Development of Trade Policies in the Asia and Pacific Region Over the Past 30 Years Since 1989
This paper reviews the main developments of trade and related policies and measures in the Asia and Pacific region during the 30 years since establishment in 1989 of the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM). The objectives of the TPRM include facilitating the smooth functioning of the multilateral trading system by enhancing the transparency of WTO Members' trade policies.
The WTO's TPR Coverage of SPS Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa
The main purpose of the paper is to present the coverage of SPS systems in SSA countries by TPR reports and their main findings. It also opens the discussion as to whether the SPS analytical framework in TPR reports has been sufficiently comprehensive and beneficial in guiding technical assistance (TPR follow-up) activities in SSA. At the outset we briefly present the strategic importance of agriculture in SSA countries with a description of the link between an effective SPS regulatory system and the performance of agriculture.
The evolution of services trade policy since the great recession
Are changes in services markets provoking reform restrictions or inertia? To address this question we draw upon a new World Bank-WTO Services Trade Policy Database (STPD) to analyse the services trade policies of 68 economies in 23 subsectors across five broad areas—financial services telecommunications distribution transportation and professional services respectively.
United States - Countervailing Measures on Supercalendered Paper from Canada
On 6 February 2020 the Appellate Body issued its report in the case brought by Canada in “United States - Countervailing Measures on Supercalendered Paper from Canada” (DS505).
Russian Federation - Measures affecting the importation of railway equipment and parts thereof
On 4 February 2020 the Appellate Body issued its report in the case brought by Ukraine in “ Russia - Measures affecting the importation of railway equipment and parts thereof” (DS499).
Gender-specific differences in geographical mobility
The gains from trade depend on the reallocation of resources including labour across firms and sectors. However workers are unlikely to be fully mobile since there are barriers to sectoral and geographical mobility due to social reasons such as family or existing private and professional networks. If these barriers depend on specific characteristics of workers such as education gender or race this has important implications for inequality.
Applied Services Trade Policy
Better information on how services policies vary across economies and sectors over time would improve the empirical analysis of their impact. This paper describes the Services Trade Policy Database (STPD) a joint initiative by the World Bank and the WTO Secretariat which builds on a database developed by the World Bank nearly ten years ago and draws on a recent OECD database.
Morocco - Anti-Dumping Measures on Certain Hot-Rolled Steel from Turkey
On 10 December 2019 the Appellate Body issued its report in the case brought by Turkey in “Morocco - Anti-Dumping Measures on Certain Hot Rolled Steel from Turkey” (DS513). On 4 December Morocco notified the Appellate Body that it had withdrawn its appeal in this dispute.
International health worker mobility and trade in services
Despite its substantial and increasing importance to health systems and inclusive economic growth the relationship between international trade in services and health worker mobility has been largely unexplored. However international health worker mobility and trade in services have both been increasing rapidly and at a growing pace in recent years.
How do natural disasters affect services trade?
This paper is the first in the literature to examine the impact of natural disasters on trade in services. We measure the magnitude of natural disasters using two distinct sets of variables and quantify the effect of natural disasters on trade in services using a structural gravity model.
Australia - Anti-Dumping Measures on A4 Copy Paper
On 4 December 2019 the WTO circulated the dispute panel report in the case brought by Indonesia in “Australia - Anti-Dumping Measures On A4 Copy Paper” (DS529).
European communities and certain member states - Measures affecting trade in large civil aircraft (Boeing - Airbus) - Recourse 2
On 2 December 2019 the WTO circulated the compliance panel report in the case brought by the European Union in “European Communities and Certain Member States - Measures Affecting Trade in Large Civil Aircraft - Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by the EU” (DS316)
Footloose Global Value Chains
The geography of global value chains (GVCs) depends crucially on trade costs between countries hosting various stages of production. Some stages might be more sensitive to trade costs than others. In this paper we exploit a value-added decomposition of bilateral trade flows to distinguish low value-added GVC trade typically associated with production stages such as assembly from high value-added GVC trade associated with stages such as R&D and design. We test the hypothesis that low value-added stages will more easily reroute given changes in trade costs between importing and exporting countries than high value-added stages.
United States - Countervailing measures on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from India - Recourse 1
On 15 November 2019 the WTO circulated the compliance panel report in the case brought by India in “United States — Countervailing Measures on Certain Hot Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from India - Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by India” (DS436).
The WTO Global Trade Model
This document provides a technical description of the WTO Global Trade Model developed by the Center for Global Trade Analysis (GTAP) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The model can be used to generate global trade projections and to assess the medium and long run effects of a wide range of global and national trade policies.
United States - Certain methodologies and their application to anti-dumping proceedings involving China - Recourse 2
On 1 November 2019 a WTO arbitrator issued its decision on the level of countermeasures China may request with respect to the United States in “United States - Certain Methodologies and their Application to Anti-Dumping Proceedings Involving China” (DS471).
India - Export Related Measures
On 31 October 2019 the WTO circulated the panel report in the case brought by the United States in “India — Export Related Measures” (DS541).
Thailand - Customs and fiscal measures on cigarettes from the Philippines - Recourse 2
On 12 July 2019 the WTO circulated the panel report in the compliance case initiated by the Philippines in “Thailand — Customs and Fiscal Measures on Cigarettes from the Philippines — Second Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by the Philippines” (DS371).
Mexico - Additional Duties on Certain Products from the United State
On 11 July 2019 the WTO circulated two panel report in the cases brought by the United States in “Canada — Additional Duties on Certain Products from the United States” (DS557) and “Mexico — Additional Duties on Certain Products from the United States” (DS560).
United States - Certain Measures on Steel and Aluminium Products
On 11 July 2019 the WTO circulated two panel report in the cases brought by Canada and Mexico in “United States — Certain Measures on Steel and Aluminium Products” (DS550) and “United States — Certain Measures on Steel and Aluminium Products” (DS551).
United States - Certain Measures on Steel and Aluminium Products
On 11 July 2019 the WTO circulated two panel report in the cases brought by Canada and Mexico in “United States — Certain Measures on Steel and Aluminium Products” (DS550) and “United States — Certain Measures on Steel and Aluminium Products” (DS551).