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Is the US undermining the WTO by blocking appointments to its appellate body?

Elinore Monksfield

As an expert in international trade and a user of social media, it is my professional opinion that the United States is indeed undermining the World Trade Organization (WTO) by blocking appointments to its appellate body. The US has been doing so since 2017, and this has created a significant backlog of disputes that the appellate body is unable to hear and resolve.

The appellate body is a crucial aspect of the dispute settlement mechanism of the WTO. It consists of seven members who are responsible for hearing appeals from disputes brought to the WTO. If a member country is not satisfied with the decision of the panel, it can appeal to the appellate body.

However, the US has blocked appointments to the appellate body in an attempt to force changes to the dispute settlement mechanism. The US argues that the appellate body has exceeded its authority and has made several decisions that are not based on WTO rules. Therefore, the US is using its veto power to prevent new appointments to the body, which means that it cannot function properly.

The US has successfully prevented the appointment of new members to the appellate body since 2017. As a result, there is only one member left, and the body is unable to hear new appeals. This has resulted in a backlog of cases, and member countries are unable to have their disputes resolved. This undermines the WTO as the dispute settlement mechanism is one of the organization's core functions.

It is important to note that the WTO has been working on reforms to the dispute settlement mechanism. The US has been involved in these discussions, but its actions of blocking appointments to the appellate body sends a message that it is not interested in a multilateral approach.

In conclusion, the US is undermining the WTO by blocking appointments to the appellate body. The body is an important aspect of the dispute settlement mechanism, and the US's actions are creating a backlog of cases and preventing the resolution of disputes. The WTO has been working on reforms to the dispute settlement mechanism, and while the US has been involved in these discussions, its actions are not aligned with a multilateral approach to international trade.