New Facilitator for WTO Reform Talks Welcomed at DSB meeting

The World Trade Organization's Dispute Settlement Body met on April 26 and was introduced to the new facilitator of the dispute settlement reform talks: Mauritius's Usha Dwarka-Canabady, the WTO announced. The chair of the DSB, Norway's Petter Olberg, said that Dwarka-Canabady accepted the role on April 18 after the "convenor" of the reform process left.

Dwarka-Canabady will report at each General Council and DSB meeting "as appropriate" and "will present a work plan and a timetable for the process at the next General Council meeting in May," the WTO said. Olberg said the dispute settlement reform talks are now "formalized."

At the DSB meeting, members also heard a statement from the U.S. regarding Hong Kong's dispute against U.S. origin marking requirements for goods from Hong Kong requiring the goods to be made in China. A dispute panel ruled against the U.S. national security defense of this measure (see 2212220029).

Dispute settlement panels also issued their reports in a spat on EU restrictions on palm oil and oil palm crop-based biofuels and Australia's antidumping and countervailing duties on certain products from China. In addition, Taiwan and India submitted a joint request for a decision by the DSB in a dispute on India's tariff treatment of certain goods in the information and communications technology sector.

During the meeting, the U.S. gave status reports on the implementation of DSB recommendations on: antidumping measures on certain hot-rolled steel products from Japan; antidumping and countervailing measures on large residential washers from South Korea; certain methodologies and their application to antidumping proceedings involving China; and Section 110(5) of the U.S. Copyright Act.

Status reports were heard from Indonesia on measures related to the import of horticultural products, animals and animal products, and from the EU on measures affecting the approval and marketing of biotech products.

Discussions were held on revising the WTO's dispute settlement function. Numerous countries, but not the U.S., proposed nominations for the Appellate Body.