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{{Short description|Standing body of the World Trade Organization}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=January 2019}}
{{also|Dispute Settlement Body}}

The '''Appellate Body''' of the '''[[World Trade Organization]]''' (WTOAB) is a standing body of seven persons that hears appeals from reports issued by [[Judicial panel|panels]] in disputes brought on by WTO members.<ref name=gm94>{{cite news |title=WTO permits U.S. to use long-outlawed policy to calculate anti-dumping tariffs on softwood lumber |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-wto-permits-us-to-use-zeroing-to-calculate-anti-dumping-tariffs-on/ |publisher=The Globe and Mail Inc. |date=9 April 2019}}</ref> The WTOAB can uphold, modify or reverse the legal findings and conclusions of a panel, and Appellate Body Reports, once adopted by the [[Dispute Settlement Body]] (DSB), must be accepted by the parties to the dispute. The WTOAB has its seat in [[Geneva]], [[Switzerland]]. 

The appellate body been termed by at least one journalist as "effectively the supreme court of world trade".<ref name="gm94" /> The body established a dispute mechanism that allowed states, regardless of their size and power, to enforce predictable market access or at the very least secure authorization to retaliate for harms.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Hendrix |first=Cullen S. |date=2025-04-10 |title=Why the (developing) world still needs the WTO {{!}} PIIE |url=https://www.piie.com/blogs/realtime-economics/2025/why-developing-world-still-needs-wto |website=www.piie.com |language=en}}</ref>

Since 2019, when the [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Donald Trump administration]] began blocking appointments to the body, the Appellate Body has been unable to enforce WTO rules and punish violators of WTO rules.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hopewell |first=Kristen |date=2024 |title=The (surprise) return of development policy space in the multilateral trading system: what the WTO Appellate Body blockage means for the developmental state |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09692290.2024.2303681 |journal=Review of International Political Economy |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=1245–1270 |language=en |doi=10.1080/09692290.2024.2303681 |issn=0969-2290|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2023-09-04 |title=How Trump Could Deal Another Blow to Already Hobbled WTO |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-04/how-trump-could-deal-blow-to-trade-beyond-wto-appellate-body |work=Bloomberg News |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Subsequently, disregard for trade rules has increased, leading to more trade protectionist measures.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023 |title=At WTO, growing disregard for trade rules shows world is fragmenting |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/wto-growing-disregard-trade-rules-shows-world-is-fragmenting-2023-10-02/ |work=Reuters}}</ref> The [[Presidency of Joe Biden|Joe Biden administration]] has maintained Trump's freeze on new appointments.<ref name=":0" />

==History==
The WTOAB was established in 1995 under Article 17 of the [[Dispute settlement in the World Trade Organization|Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes]] (DSU).{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}<blockquote>“A standing Appellate Body shall be established by the DSB. The Appellate Body shall hear appeals from panel cases. It shall be composed of seven persons, three of whom shall serve on any one case. Persons serving on the Appellate Body shall serve in rotation. Such rotation shall be determined in the working procedures of the Appellate Body.”<ref>{{Cite web |title=WTO {{!}} Dispute Settlement Understanding - legal text |url=https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dsu_e.htm |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=www.wto.org}}</ref></blockquote>

===Blocking of adjudicator appointments===
Under the mandate of the Trump administration, the US held up appointments to the WTOAB. [[David Walker (diplomat)|David Walker]] was appointed to chair the [[WTODSB]] with the mandate to solve this thorny problem.<ref name="nrkiwi">{{cite news |last1=Sachdeva |first1=Sam |title=The Kiwi leading the fight to fix the WTO |url=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/03/08/477624/the-kiwi-leading-the-fight-to-save-the-wto |publisher=newsroom |date=8 March 2019}}</ref> A journalist said that the delay was an effort to skew arbitration in the favour of the US.<ref name=gm94/> On 9 April 2019, US Trade Representative [[Robert Lighthizer]] said in reference to past adjudications over the policy of [[Zeroing (trade)|zeroing]] that the WTOAB had been "overreaching", as the government of [[Justin Trudeau]] was punished by the Trump administration over [[softwood lumber]].<ref name=gm94/>

The Trump defect crystallised on 11 December 2019. In default of an WTOAB adjudication board, the [[EU]] and Canada reached an agreement whereby the WTOAB is replicated as closely as possible. Under this agreement, former WTO judges will hear appeals between the two entities after the Trump defect has been crystallized. The Trump administration has repeatedly pleaded for redress and is using the leverage at its disposal.<ref name="gmab">{{cite news |title=Canada and EU make deal to work around U.S. block on WTO judge appointments |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-canada-and-europe-make-deal-to-work-around-blocked-world-trade/ |publisher=The Globe and Mail Inc |date=25 July 2019}}</ref>

===Multiparty Interim Appeal Arbitration===
In March 2020, the [[European Union]] and 15 other WTO members agreed to a ''Multiparty Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement'' (MPIA).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parliament |first=EU |title=International trade dispute settlement: World Trade Organisation Appellate Body crisis and the multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2024/762342/EPRS_BRI(2024)762342_EN.pdf |access-date=15 September 2024 |website=European Parliament}}</ref> This gave access to an alternative appellate mechanism (arbitration as an appellate mechanism) while the Appellate Body is not functional. Its provisions mirror the usual WTO appeal rules and can be voluntarily used between any WTO members to resolve disputes. The [[European Commissioner for Trade]] [[Phil Hogan]] said: "This is a stop-gap measure to reflect the temporary paralysis of the WTO's appeal function for trade disputes ... We will continue our efforts to restore the appeal function of the WTO dispute settlement system as a matter of priority."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rosario |first1=Daniel |title=EU and 15 World Trade Organization members establish contingency appeal arrangement for trade disputes |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_538 |website=European Commission |access-date=27 December 2020 |date=27 March 2020}}</ref> Since being announced, the [[China|People's Republic of China]] and other WTO member nations have joined the MPIA.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tillet |first1=Andrew |title=China's inclusion in new trade umpire a 'game-changer' |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/china-s-inclusion-in-new-trade-umpire-a-game-changer-20200504-p54pkh |access-date=27 December 2020 |publisher=Australian Financial Review |date=4 May 2020}}</ref> 

A pool of ten arbitrators were announced on 31 July 2020 marking the operational start of the MPIA. The arbitrators appointed were José Alfredo Graça Lima ([[Brazil]]) Valerie Hughes ([[Canada]]), [[Alejandro Jara]] ([[Chile]]), Guohua Yang ([[China]]), Claudia Orozco ([[Colombia]]), [[Joost Pauwelyn]] ([[European Union|EU]]), Mateo Diego-Fernandez Andrade ([[Mexico]]), Penelope Ridings ([[New Zealand]]), Locknie Hsu ([[Singapore]]), and Thomas Cottier ([[Switzerland]]).<ref>{{cite news |title=WTO - Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs |url=https://www.mfa.gov.sg/SINGAPORES-FOREIGN-POLICY/International-Organisations/WTO |access-date=27 December 2020}}</ref>

== Members ==

The following is a list of members of the WTOAB including their nationality and term of office.<ref>[https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/ab_members_descrp_e.htm Appellate Body Members], WTO</ref>

=== Current ===
There are currently no Members of the Appellate Body. 

See ''[[Appellate_Body#Multiparty Interim Appeal Arbitration|Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration]]'' for an alternative arrangement used by some WTO member nations and list of appointed arbitrators.

=== Previous ===
* Hong Zhao (lawyer), {{flag|China}}, 1 December 2016 — 30 November 2020
* Hyun Chong Kim, {{flag|South Korea}}, 2016 — 2017
* Shree Baboo Chekitan Servansing, {{flag|Mauritius}}, 2014 — 2018
* Seung Wha Chang, {{flag|South Korea}}, 2012 — 2016
* [https://www.cassidylevy.com/person/thomas-r-graham/ Thomas R. Graham], {{flag|United States}}, 2011 — 2015 & 2015 — 2019
* Ujal Singh Bhatia, {{flag|India}}, 2011 — 2015 & 2015 — 2019
* [[Peter Van Den Bossche|Peter Van den Bossche]], {{flag|Belgium}}, 2009 — 2013 & 2013 — 2017
* Ricardo Ramírez-Hernández, {{flag|Mexico}}, 2009 — 2013 & 2013 — 2017
* Yuejiao Zhang, {{flag|China}}, 2008 — 2012 & 2012 — 2016
* [https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/popup_shotaro_oshima_e.htm Shotaro Oshima], {{flag|Japan}}, 2008 — 2012
* Lilia R Bautista, {{flag|Philippines}}, 2007 — 2011
* [[Jennifer A. Hillman]], {{flag|United States}}, 2007 — 2011
* [[David Unterhalter]], {{flag|South Africa}}, 2006 — 2009 & 2009 — 2013
* [[Merit Janow|Merit E. Janow]], {{flag|United States}}, 2003 — 2007
* [[Luiz Olavo Baptista]], {{flag|Brazil}}, 2001 — 2005 & 2005 — 2009
* Giorgio Sacerdoti, {{flag|Italy}}, 2001 — 2005 & 2005 — 2009
* John Lockhart (lawyer), {{flag|Australia}}, 2001 — 2005 & 2005 — 2006
* Arumugamangalam Venkatachalam Ganesan, {{flag|India}}, 2000 — 2004 & 2004 — 2008
* [[Georges Abi-Saab|Georges Michel Abi-Saab]], {{flag|Egypt}}, 2000 — 2004 & 2004 — 2008
* Yasuhei Taniguchi, {{flag|Japan}}, 2000 — 2003 & 2003 — 2007
* [[James Bacchus]], {{flag|United States}}, 1995 — 1999 & 1999 — 2003
* Claus-Dieter Ehlermann, {{flag|Germany}}, 1995 — 1997 & 1997 — 2001
* [[Julio Lacarte Muró]], {{flag|Uruguay}}, 1995 — 1997 & 1997 — 2001
* [[Florentino Feliciano]], {{flag|Philippines}}, 1995 — 1997 & 1997 — 2001
* [[Christopher Beeby]], {{flag|New Zealand}}, 1995 — 1999 & 1999 — 2000
* Said El-Naggar, {{flag|Egypt}}, 1995 — 1999 & 1999 — 2000
* Mitsuo Matsushita, {{flag|Japan}}, 1995 — 1999 & 1999 — 2000

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/appellate_body_e.htm Appellate Body on WTO website] 
*[http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/disp1_e.htm How dispute settlement works]
*Jens Lehne, [https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:ch:bel-1425174 Crisis at the WTO: Is the Blocking of Appointments to the WTO Appellate Body by the United States Legally Justified?], Berlin/Bern 2019
{{World Trade Organization}}

[[Category:World Trade Organization]]
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[[Category:Organizations established in 1995]]
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