St. Kitts and Nevis Joins Bid to Seat WTO Appellate Body Members

The bid to seat members on the World Trade Organization's Appellate Body has a new member: St. Kitts and Nevis. The Caribbean nation has become the latest to join the co-sponsors looking to start the process for filling openings at the WTO's highest dispute settlement body -- a move the U.S. has unilaterally prevented since 2016, a Geneva-based trade official said. Joining the process at the Sept. 23 meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body, St. Kitts and Nevis became part of the 58th time a proposal to fill the Appellate Body brought by a group of 127 WTO members was blocked. The U.S. again said that it does not support the decision to get the body back up and running, citing its concerns with the institution and the lack of reform. Antigua and Barbuda noted St. Kitts and Nevis' addition to the coalition opposing the U.S.'s action and declared that their goal is for all Organization of Eastern Caribbean States members to join as co-sponsors. The next DSB meeting is set for Oct. 26.