WORLD TRADE WT/DS60/5
4August 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3274)
Original: English
GUATEMALA -ANTI-DUMPING INVESTIGATION REGARDING
PORTLAND CEMENT FROM MEXICO
Communication from theChairman ofthePanel
Thefollowing communication, dated 30July1997 andaddressed totheDispute Settlement
Body, iscirculated inaccordance withArticle 12.9oftheDSU.
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Article 12.8 oftheDSU stipulates thattheperiod inwhich thepanel shall conduct its
examination, fromthedatethatthecomposition andterms ofreference ofthepanel havebeendecided
untilthedatethefinalreport isissued totheparties, shall, asageneral rule,notexceed sixmonths.
Article 12.9oftheDSUstates thatwhen thepanel considers thatitcannot issueitsreport within
sixmonths, itshallinform theDispute Settlement Body (DSB) inwriting ofthereasons forthedelay
together withanestimate oftheperiod within which itwillissue itsreport.
ThePanel "Guatemala -Anti-Dumping Investigation Regarding Portland Cement fromMexico"
wasestablished bytheDSBon20March 1997, andattherequest ofMexico, theDirector-General
announced thecomposition ofthePanel on1May1997. OneoftheMembers ofthePanel resigned
on27June1997, andattherequest ofMexico, theDirector-General announced thenewcomposition
ofthePanel on11July1997. These events caused asignificant delay before thefirstmeeting ofthe
Panel withtheparties. Inaddition, oneparty, adeveloping country, wishes tousethemaximum time
periods prescribed intheDSU andfurthermore wishes toreceive allcommunications fromthePanel
initsWTO working language, which isnottheWTO working language ofthePanel. Theneedfor
translation oflengthy documents hascaused andwillcontinue tocause delays intheproceedings. As
aresult, thePanel willnotbeabletoissue itsreport within sixmonths.
ThePanel expects tocomplete itswork before theendofMarch 1998.