  
  
WT/DS599/7  
16 October  2023 
(23-6892) Page: 1/1 
 Original:  Spanish  
 
  
PANAMA  — MEASURES CONCERNING THE IMPORTATION OF  
CERTAIN PRODUCTS FROM COSTA RICA  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE PANEL  
The following communication, dated 11 October 2023, addressed to the Chairperson of the Dispute 
Settlement Body (DSB), is circulated in accordance with Article 12.9 of the Dispute Settlement 
Understanding (DSU).  
_______________  
Article 12.8 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes 
(DSU) provides that the period in which a panel shall c onduct 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 t he 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 will issue its report.  
The Panel on Panama - Measures Concerning the Importation of Certain Products from Costa Rica  
(DS599) was established by the DSB on 27 September 2021 and composed on 24 January 2022.  
On 13 June 2022, the Panel informed the DSB that the be ginning of its work had been delayed due 
to a lack of Spanish -speaking personnel in the Secretariat available to staff disputes.1 Accordingly, 
the Panel d id not expect to issue its final report to the parties prior to the second half of 2023.  
The Panel wi shes to inform the DSB that, due to the delayed start of the work, the complexity of the 
dispute and the large number of claim s involved , the Panel now expects to issue its final report to 
the parties at the end of the third quarter of 2024.  
The report wil l 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 completion of translation and the Panel is 
not in a position to provide an estimated circulation date at th is time.  
I would be grateful if you would circulate this letter to the DSB.  
 
__________  
 
1 WT/DS599/6 . 