WTO chief Azevedo resigns over appeal dispute with the United States

The head of the World Trade Organization, Roberto Azevedo, said Thursday that he will step down as of August 31 after seven years at the helm of the World Trade Organization.

His second four-year term was set to end in August 2021. In a statement, he said the decision to resign was personal and that the timetable had allowed a successor to be chosen long before the meetings of the WTO Council. Next year.

The WTO has been pressured to justify its relevance after the United States froze its appeal body by blocking the appointments of judges for more than two years.

The terms of two of the last three WTO Appellate Body judges ended on December 10. Their departure left trade disputes between the countries open, the organization being unable to make decisions. Its lower court is still able to hear cases, but if a country appeals to the higher court, the decisions of the lower court will not be relevant.

With the WTO paralysis, countries could abuse sanctions to limit imports. In order to reform the WTO, the consensus of its 164 member countries is necessary.

In January, on a temporary basis, the EU and 16 WTO members, including China, agreed to create a body to circumvent the US blockade of the WTO’s appeal body. The United States is not among the signatories.