The United States told the World Trade Organisation on Friday that appeals rulings can be vetoed if they take longer than the allowed 90 days.
US Ambassador to WTO Dennis Shea gave the message of his country to the trade body, throwing down a new challenge to the WTO system of enforcing global trade rules, reports Reuters.
The WTO rules traditionally rely on “negative consensus”, whereby a ruling can only be blocked if every member opposes it.
“The consequence of the Appellate Body choosing to breach (WTO dispute) rules and issue a report after the 90-day deadline would be that this report no longer qualifies as an Appellate Body report for purposes of the exceptional negative consensus adoption procedure,” Shea said.
