WTO Dispute Settlement System: Formation and Landmark Cases (1995–2019)

1. Marrakesh Agreement signs WTO and DSU

   Apr 15, 1994Labels: Marrakesh Agreement, WTO DSU

   • WTO Legal texts
   • WTO Marrakesh

2. WTO dispute settlement system enters into force

   Jan 1, 1995Labels: WTO DSU, Dispute Settlement

   • WTO Legal texts
   • Trade gov DSU

3. Early test case filed: US gasoline standards

   Jan 24, 1995Labels: Venezuela, US gasoline

   • WTO DS2 case
   • WTO Envir Gasoline

4. Appellate Body established as WTO appeals court

   Feb 1, 1995Labels: Appellate Body, DSU Article

   • WTO Appellate Body
   • WTO DSU text

5. First adopted Appellate ruling: US—Gasoline

   May 20, 1996Labels: US Gasoline, Appellate ruling

   • WTO Gasoline page
   • WTO DS2 case

6. EU banana import regime condemned (EC—Bananas III)

   Sep 25, 1997Labels: EC Bananas, European Communities

   • World Trade Review

7. Food safety dispute decided: EC—Hormones reports adopted

   Feb 13, 1998Labels: EC Hormones, SPS Agreement

   • WTO SPS CBT

8. Environment and trade clarified: US—Shrimp AB report

   Oct 12, 1998Labels: US Shrimp, Appellate Body

   • OAS SICE DS58

9. Major subsidy ruling adopted: US—Foreign Sales Corporations

   Mar 20, 2000Labels: US FSC, SCM Agreement

   • WTO DS108 case
   • WTO News DS108

10. TRIPS dispute adopted: US copyright “music licensing” case

    Jul 27, 2000Labels: TRIPS, US copyright

    • WTO News 2000
    • WTO DS160 case

11. US steel safeguards struck down; measures terminated

    Dec 10, 2003Labels: US safeguards, steel safeguards

    • WTO DS248 case
    • EU DS248 summary

12. Brazil wins key ruling on US cotton subsidies

    Mar 21, 2005Labels: Brazil US, Agriculture Agreement

    • WTO DS267 case
    • WTO News 2005

13. Major aircraft-subsidy dispute adopted (US—Large Civil Aircraft)

    Mar 23, 2012Labels: US Large, Boeing dispute

    • WTO DSB 2012

14. Appellate Body loses quorum, disrupting binding appeals

    Dec 11, 2019Labels: Appellate Body, appeal void

    • WTO News 2019
    • CRS Sidebar