WTO’s DSM to be dysfunctional

Two of the three judges on WTO’s appellate body are completing their term on Tuesday, rendering WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism dysfunctional. The US has stalled appointments of members in the appellate body. Thus, the body would no longer be in a position to consider new appeals after December 10 and will have a negative impact on WTO’s dispute settlement system and also the multilateral trading system as a whole.

“India has several critical trade disputes currently pending at the WTO. For India, the spotlight will now firmly be on Regional Trading arrangements like the ASEAN,” stated Rohan Shah, India’s Representative and Governor on the board of Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia said while commenting on the issue.