This page is a gateway to material on:

- Disputes in general, and how they are handled in the WTO and its Dispute Settlement Body
- New negotiations on the Dispute Settlement Understanding
- Individual dispute cases: The disputes

Dispute settlement is the central pillar of the multilateral trading system, and the WTO’s unique contribution to the stability of the global economy. Without a means of settling disputes, the rules-based system would be less effective because the rules could not be enforced. The WTO’s procedure underscores the rule of law, and it makes the trading system more secure and predictable. The system is based on clearly-defined rules, with timetables for completing a case. First rulings are made by a panel and endorsed (or rejected) by the WTO’s full membership. Appeals based on points of law are possible.

However, the point is not to pass judgement. The priority is to settle disputes, through consultations if possible. By January 2008, only about 136 of the nearly 369 cases had reached the full panel process. Most of the rest have either been notified as settled “out of court” or remain in a prolonged consultation phase — some since 1995.

Appellate procedures

Appeals are conducted according to the procedures established under the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU) and the Working Procedures for Appellate Review (Working Procedures). The Working Procedures are drawn up by the Appellate Body in consultation with the Director-General of the WTO and the Chairman of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB).

Rules of conduct for the understanding on rules and procedures governing the settlement of disputes

This page is designed to help you find disputes meeting criteria that you specify. Use one or more of the drop-down menus below to specify search criteria, then click “search”. You will be presented with a list of disputes matching your criteria. Click on the dispute number to go to the page for that dispute.

This page is designed to help you retrieve official documents resulting from the dispute settlement process. Use one or more of the drop-down menus below to specify search criteria, then click “search”. This will launch a search on the Documents Online database.

The cases listed below are in reverse chronological order (the newest appear first).

A dispute arises when a member government believes another member government is violating a WTO agreement. The complaining member must submit a “request for consultations” identifying the agreements it believes are being violated. A dispute can be, and often is, brought under more than one agreement. The list below shows the agreements cited in the request for consultations.

[AGREEMENTS]
> Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization
> Agriculture
> Anti-dumping (Article VI of GATT 1994)
> Civil Aircraft
> Customs valuation (Article VII of GATT 1994)
> Dispute Settlement Understanding
> GATT 1947
> GATT 1994
> Government Procurement
> Import Licensing
> Intellectual Property (TRIPS)
> Preshipment Inspection
> Rules of Origin
> Safeguards
> Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)
> Services (GATS)
> Subsidies and Countervailing Measures
> Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
> Textiles and

Linked numbers below refer to the DS numbers of the cases concerned. Place your mouse over the link to see the title of the dispute; click to go to the page for that dispute.

WTO disputes can go through a series of stages. The list below shows the current status of each dispute.

Short titles for disputes are assigned by the WTO Secretariat if and when a panel is established. This page therefore does not show all WTO disputes. See here for a comprehensive list. Note that some of the short titles refer to more than one dispute.

The list below indicates the issues that are the subjects of WTO disputes. Because there are often a number of ways to describe an issue, each dispute can appear under more than one heading. The issues are broadly classified under goods, intellectual property and services.

The Dispute Settlement Commentary (DSC) service is a comprehensive legal research tool for WTO dispute settlement. Features include summary/analysis of all reports/arbitrations; up-to-date keyword index; and a database of dispute settlement tables/statistics.

One-Page Case Summaries provides a succinct summary of the key findings of every dispute panel report up to the end of 2011 and, where applicable, the subsequent Appellate Body report.

call number: Law Library K4610.5 .M37 2013

call number: Law Library K4610.5 .B43 2012

call number: Law Library K4610.5 .F65 2012

call number: Law Library K4610.5 .A42 2012

call number: Law Library K4610 .L39 2010

In print at Law Library K4610 .S43 2009