The European Commission said the WTO members involved had agreed this contingency step would preserve the WTO's two-step dispute system until its own Appellate Body became operational again. Washington froze the Appellate Body, which acts as a supreme court for international trade, by blocking appointments for over two years. Two of the body's three members came to the end of their terms in December, leaving it unable to issue rulings. The EU had previously teamed up with Norway and Canada to form a separate appeals body that could resolve disputes. While the United States is outside the group, US President Donald Trump, speaking in davos on Wednesday, vowed "very dramatic" action for the Geneva-based WTO.

Source: The Star January 24, 2020 12:56 UTC