The number of disputes raised before the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) increased last year to the highest level since 2003.
Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) were no exception to the trend. Argentina–the only country in the region to be filed against last year–Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and Dominican Republic submitted various claims over restrictions on their products in a variety of markets, while several LAC economies also presented themselves as interested third parties in various disputes raised by other members of the WTO.
Last year also saw progress in some disputes initiated by LAC countries in previous years. The most relevant case was the conclusion–after 19 years of conflict–of the dispute between the Latin American banana suppliers and the EU, over the latter's granting of preferential access to bananas originating in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.
