Increase WTO Dispute Body Turmoil

The appointment of several key World Trade Organization (WTO) officials is being blocked by the U.S. in a high-stakes gamble aimed at reforming the world's primary trade dispute settlement forum.U.S. trade officials linked the process to appoint three new members of WTO's appellate body to U.S. demands for changes to WTO's 22-year-old dispute settlement rulebook, according to participants at an August 31 meeting in Geneva.More than a dozen WTO members voiced opposition, saying they are concerned by the systemic implications of the Trump administration's linkage, according to meeting participants. During the meeting of WTO's dispute settlement body (DSB), U.S. trade officials said that simply moving forward with filling vacancies risks perpetuating concerns about the panel, according to sources familiar with the discussions.WTO appointments are granted on a unanimous basis. U.S. opposition to any new candidates may be problematic for the appellate body, which is short-staffed and overwhelmed by an increasing number of high-profile trade disputes. The seven-member appellate body is down to five members after the recent departures of Kim Hyun-chong, who resigned in August, and Ricardo Ramirez-Hernandez, whose term expired in July. It is set to lose a third member on December 11 when Peter Van den Bossche's final term expires.