  
  
WT/DS566/ 6 
 
 17 December 202 1 
(21-9443) Page: 1/1 
  Original: English  
 
RUSSIAN FEDERATION – ADDITIONAL DUTIES ON CERTAIN PRODUCTS  
FROM THE UNITED STATES  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE PANEL  
The following communication, dated 16 December 202 1, addressed to the Chairperson of the Dispute 
Settlement Body (DSB), is circulated in accordance with Article  12.9 of the Dispute Settlement 
Understanding (DSU).  
 
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Article 12.8 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes 
(DSU) provides that the period in which a panel shal l conduct its examination, from the date that 
the composition and terms of reference of the panel have been agreed upon until the date the final 
report is issued to the parties to the dispute, shall, as a general rule, not exceed six  months.  
 
Article 12.9 of the DSU provides that, when a panel considers that it cannot issue its report within 
six months, it shall inform the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) in writing accordingly and indicate 
the reasons, together with an estimate of the period within which it w ill issue its report.  
 
The Panel on Russian Federation −  Additional Duties on Certain Products from the United States  
(DS566) was established by the DSB on 18 December 2018  and composed on 25 January 2019 . 
 
On 15 December 2020, the Panel informed the DSB that it expected to issue its report by the second 
half of 2020. Travel restrictions and measures limiting the number of persons allowed to attend in -
person meetings do not allow the Panel to host substantive  meetings in person. The Panel, in 
consultation with the parties, has decided to wait until in -person substantive meetings will be 
possible again in order to complete its work. This is causing delays to the proceedings. In the light 
of this, the Panel expe cts to issue its final report to the parties not earlier than the second half of 
2022. 
 
The report will only be available to the public once it is circulated to the Members in all three working 
languages of the WTO. The date of circulation depends on compl etion of translation and the Panel is 
not in a position to provide an estimated circulation date at this time.  
 
I would be grateful if you would circulate this letter to the DSB.  
 
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