COLOMBIA – ANTI-DUMPING DUTIES ON FROZEN FRIES FROM
BELGIUM, GERMANY AND THE NETHERLANDS

Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by the european union

COMMUNICATION FROM THE PANEL

The following communication, dated 25 February 2025, 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 25 November 2024, the DSB referred the dispute Colombia – Anti-dumping duties on frozen fries from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by the European Union (WT/DS591/14) to the original panel, if possible. The Panel was composed on 27 November 2024.^[1]

Both parties requested significantly more time to file their first written submissions than the time originally proposed by the Panel. In view of the arguments put forward by the parties in support of their requests, the Panel granted the parties' requests, which has delayed the Panel's substantive work. The Panel expects to issue its final report to the parties during the third quarter of 2025.

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.

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