The United States on Wednesday fell foul of its own actions that have weakened the World Trade Organization after it filed an appeal in a steel dispute with India, even though WTO adjudicators are no longer able to handle such a case.
Washington has paralyzed the WTO's 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 last week, leaving it unable to issue rulings.
The United States notified fellow WTO members that it had lodged the appeal, a Geneva trade official said. It planned to consult India to determine how to settle the dispute, possibly by finding "alternatives" to the WTO appeals process.