UNITED STATES – ANTI-DUMPING AND
COUNTERVAILING DUTIES ON RIPE OLIVES FROM SPAIN
Communication from the Panel
The following communication, dated 15 April 2020, was received from the Chairman of
the Panel with the request that it be circulated to the Dispute Settlement Body
(DSB).
_______________
Article 12.8 of the Understanding on Rules and
Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU) provides that the period
in which a panel shall conduct its examination, from the date that the
composition and terms of reference of the panel have been agreed upon until the
date the final report is issued to the parties to the dispute, shall, as a
general rule, not exceed six months.
Article 12.9 of the DSU provides that, when a
panel considers that it cannot issue its report within six months, it shall
inform the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) in writing accordingly and indicate
the reasons, together with an estimate of the period within which it will issue
its report.
The Panel in United States –
Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties on Ripe Olives from Spain (DS577) was established by the DSB on 24
June 2019 and composed on 18
October 2019.
The beginning of the Panel's
work was delayed as a result of the lack of available experienced lawyers in
the Secretariat. Due to this and the delays caused by the global
COVID-19 pandemic, the Panel does not expect to issue its final report to the
parties before the end of 2020.
The report will only be
available to the public once it is circulated to the Members in all three
working languages of the WTO. The date of circulation depends on completion of
translation and the Panel is not in a position to provide an estimated
circulation date at this time.
I would be grateful if you would
circulate this letter to the DSB.