WT/DS381/43
18 April 2017
(17-2122) Page: 1/1
Original: English
UNITED STATES – MEASURES CONCERNING THE IMPORTATION, MARKETING, AND SALE
OF TUNA AND TUNA PRODUCTS
SECOND RECOURSE TO ARTICLE 21.5 OF THE DSU BY MEXICO
COMMUNICATION FROM THE PANEL
The following communication, dated 13 April 2017, was received from the Chairperson of the Panel
with the request that it be circulated to the Dispute Settlement Body.
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Article 21.5 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of
Disputes (DSU) provides that the panel shall circulate its report within 90 days after the date of
referral of the matter to it.
Article 21.5 of the DSU further provides that, when a panel considers that it cannot provide
its report within this time frame, it shall inform the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) in writing of
the reasons together with an estimate of the period within which it will submit its report.
On 22 June 2016, the DSB referred the dispute United States – Measures Concerning the
Importation, Marketing, and Sale of Tuna and Tuna Products, Second Recourse to Article 21.5 of
the DSU by Mexico (WT/DS/381) to the original panel, if possible. The Panel was composed on 11
July 2016.1 Due to the unavailability of the chairperson of the original panel, the parties agreed on
Mr Stéfan Haukur Jóhannesson as chairperson.
On 18 November 2016, the Panel advised the DSB that it expected to issue its final report
to the parties by mid-May 2017. The Panel now wishes to advise that, due to the complexity of the
issues in dispute, it now expects to issue its final report to the parties by mid-July 2017.
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1 See WT/DS381/39.