Disputes Predicted to Affect Election of WTO Head
The WTO is about to handle the disputes between South Korea and Japan that were triggered by the latter’s export curbs. A WTO panel to cover the issue is likely to be organized late this month. The disputes are predicted to affect the election of the next head of the WTO, too.
The WTO is planning to hold a plenary meeting on July 29 in order to decide on the organization of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) panel. It is highly likely to be opened in that a DSB panel is automatically opened when at least one WTO member country agrees to the opening.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea sent a written request for the panel on June 18. In most cases, it takes about 13 months for the WTO to adopt a DSB panel report after such a request. The Appellate Body of the WTO comes into play when a party in dispute disobeys. In actuality, however, much more time is likely to be needed with the Appellate Body failing to fulfill its function and the WTO top position vacant.
Another point of much interest is how the disputes will affect the election. The Japanese government already clarified that it is against Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, the South Korean candidate. She is competing with seven other candidates from the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Moldova, Mexico, Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria.