WT/DS524/5 /Rev.1 
2 December  2021 
(21-9068) Page: 1/4 
 Original:  Spanish  
 
  
COSTA RICA – MEASURES CONCERNING THE IMPORTATION OF  
FRESH AVOCADOS FROM MEXICO  
AGREED PROCEDURES FOR ARBITRATION UNDER ARTICLE  25 OF THE DSU  
Revision  
The following communication  dated 2 6 November  2021, from the delegation of Mexico and the 
delegation of Costa Rica to the Chairperson of the Dispute Settlement Body, is circulated at the 
request of these delegations.  
 
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In connection with Costa Rica – Measures Concerning the Importation of Fresh Avocados from Mexico 
(DS524) , Mexico and Costa Rica have notified the Panel of an amendment  to the Procedures for 
Arbitration under Article 25 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement 
of Disputes . 
 
In light of the above , both parties respectfully request that  all Members be notified of this revised 
version  of the Procedures for Arbitration, by  circulati ng them  in the DS document series for this 
dispute . 
 
 
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  WT/DS524/5 /Rev.1  
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  AGREED PROCEDURES FOR ARBITRATION UNDER  ARTICLE 25 
OF THE DSU IN  COSTA RICA – MEASURES CONCERNING  
THE IMPORTATION OF  FRESH AVOCADOS  
FROM MEXICO  (DS524 ) 
 
 
1. In order to give effect to communication JOB/DSB/1/Add.12 in this dispute, Mexico and 
Costa  Rica (hereafter the "parties") mutually agree pursuant to Article 25.2 of the Understanding on 
Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU) to enter into arbitration under 
Article  25 of the DSU to decide any appeal from any final panel report1 as issued to the parties in 
Costa  Rica — Measures Concerning the Importation of Fresh Avocados from Mexico  (DS524) . Any 
party to the dispute may initiate arbitration in accordance with these agreed procedures . 
2. The arbitration may only be initiated if the Appellate Body is not able to hear an appeal in this 
dispute under Article s 16.4 and 17 of the DSU . For the purposes of these agreed procedures, such 
situation is deemed to arise where, on the date of issuance of the final panel report to the parties, 
there are fewer than three Appellate Body members . For greater certainty, if the Appellate Body is 
able to hear appeals at the date on which the final panel report is issued to the parties, a party may 
not initiate an arbitration, and the parties shall be free to consider an appeal under Articles 16.4 
and 17 of the DSU.  
3. In order to facilitate the proper administration of arbitration under these agreed procedures, 
the parties hereby jointly request the panel to notify the parties of the anticipated date of circulation 
of the final panel report within the mean ing of Article 16 of the DSU, no later than 45 days in advance 
of that date.  
4. Following the issuance of the final panel report to the parties, but no later than 10 days prior 
to the anticipated date of circulation of the final panel report to the rest of th e membership, any 
party may request that the panel suspend the panel proceedings with a view to initiating the 
arbitration under these agreed procedures . Such request by any party is deemed to constitute a 
joint request by the parties for suspension of the  panel proceedings for 12 months pursuant to 
Article  12.12 of the DSU . 
The parties hereby jointly request the panel to provide for the following, before the suspension takes 
effect:  
i. the immediate transmission of the final panel report, on a provisional bas is, to the pool 
of arbitrators  and the lifting of confidentiality for that sole purpose ; 
ii. the transmission of the panel record to the arbitrators upon the filing of the Notice of 
Appeal : Rule 25 of the Working Procedures for Appellate Review shall apply 
mutatis mutandis ; and 
iii. the lifting of confidentiality with respect to the final panel report, under the Working 
Procedures of the panel and the transmission of the final panel report , duly adjusted for 
translation , in the working languages of the WTO to the parties , to the third parties  and 
to the pool of arbitrators .2 
Except as provided in paragraphs 6 and 18, the parties shall not request the panel to resume the 
panel proceedings . 
 
5. The arbitration shall be initia ted by filing of a Notice of Appeal with the WTO Secretariat no 
later than 20 days after the suspension of the panel proceedings referred to in paragraph 4 has 
taken effect . The Notice of Appeal shall include the final panel report in the working languages  of 
the WTO . The Notice of Appeal shall be simultaneously notified to the other party or parties and to 
the third parties in the panel proceedings . Rules 20 -23 of the Working Procedures for Appellate  
Review shall apply mutatis mutandis . 
 
1 For greater certainty, this includes any final panel report issued in compliance proceedings pursuant to 
Article  21.5 of the DSU.  
2 The parties confirm that it is not their intention that the panel report be circulated within the meaning 
of Article 16 of the DSU.  WT/DS524/5 /Rev.1  
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  6. Subject to paragrap h 2, where the arbitration has not been initiated under these agreed 
procedures, the parties shall be deemed to have agreed not to appeal the panel report pursuant to 
Articles  16.4 and 17 of the DSU, with a view to its adoption by the DSB . If the panel pro ceedings 
have been suspended in accordance with paragraph 4, but no Notice of Appeal has been filed in 
accordance with paragraph 5, the parties hereby jointly request the panel to resume the panel 
proceedings . 
7. The arbitrators shall be 3 persons selected fr om the pool of 10 standing appeal arbitrators 
composed in accordance with paragraph 4 of communication JOB/DSB/1/Add.12 (hereafter the "pool 
of arbitrators") .3 The selection from the pool of arbitrators will be done on the basis of the same 
principles and methods that apply to form a division of the Appellate Body under Article 17.1 of the 
DSU and Rule 6(2) of the Working Procedures for Appellate Review, including the principle of 
rotation .4 The WTO Director -General will notify the parties a nd third parties of the results of the 
selection . The arbitrators shall elect a Chairperson . Rule 3(2) of the Working Procedure for 
Appellate  Review shall apply, mutatis mutandis , to the decision -making by the arbitrators . 
8. In order to give effect to paragr aph 5 of communication JOB/DSB/1/Add.12 in this dispute, 
the arbitrators may  discuss their decisions relating to the appeal with all of the other members of 
the pool of arbitrators, without prejudice to the exclusive responsibility and freedom of the 
arbitrators with respect to such decisions and their quality . All members of the pool of arbitrators 
shall receive any document relating to the appeal . 
9. An appeal shall be limited to issues of law covered by the panel report and legal interpretations 
developed b y the panel . The arbitrators may uphold, modify or reverse the legal findings and 
conclusions of the panel . Where applicable, the arbitration award shall include recommendations, as 
envisaged in Article 19 of the DSU . The findings of the panel which have n ot been appealed shall be 
deemed to form an integral part of the arbitration award together with the arbitrators' own findings . 
10. The arbitrators shall only address those issues that are necessary for the resolution of the 
dispute . They shall address only th ose issues that have been raised by the parties, without prejudice 
to their obligation to rule on jurisdictional issues . 
11. Unless otherwise provided for in these agreed procedures, the arbitration shall be governed, 
mutatis  mutandis , by the provisions of the  DSU and other rules and procedures applicable to 
Appellate Review . This includes in particular the Working Procedures for Appellate Review and the 
timetable for appeals provided for therein as well as the Rules of Conduct .5 The arbitrators may 
adapt the Working Procedures for Appellate Review and the timetable for appeals provided for 
therein, where justified under Rule 16 of the Working Procedures for Appellate Review, after 
consulting the parties . The arbitrators shall send advance written questions  on the issues  that are 
set to be raised  at the meeting or meetings with the parties . The arbitrators may pose additional 
questions at the meeting . 
12. The parties request the arbitrators to issue the award within 90 days following the filing of the 
Notice of Appeal . To that end, the arbitrators may take appropriate organizational measures to 
streamline the proceedings, without prejudice to the procedural rights and obligations of the parties 
and due process . Such measures may include decisions on page limits, time-limits and deadlines as 
well as on the length and number of hearings required . 
13. If necessary,  in order to issue the award within the 90 day time -period, the arbitrators may 
also propose substantive measures to the parties, such as an exclusion of claim s based on the 
alleged lack of an objective assessment of the facts pursuant to Article 11 of the DSU .6 
 
3 If the pool of arbitrators has not been composed, footnote 1 to paragraph 4 of communication 
JOB/DSB/1/Add.12 shall apply.  
4 However, at the request of a party to a dispute, any member of the pool of arbitrators who is not a 
national of a participating Membe r shall be excluded from the selection process. Two nationals of the same 
Member shall not serve on the same case.  
5 For greater certainty, paragraphs 14 -17 of the Rules of Conduct shall apply to arbitrators.  
6 For greater certainty, the proposal of the ar bitrators is not legally binding and it will be up to the party 
concerned to agree with the proposed substantive measures. The fact that the party concerned does not agree WT/DS524/5 /Rev.1  
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  14. On a proposal from the arbitrators, the parties may agree to extend the 90 -day time -period 
for the issuance of the award . 
15. The parties agree to abide by the arbitration award, which shall be final . Pursuant to 
Article  25.3 of the DSU, the award shall be notified to, but not adopted by, the DSB and to the 
Council or Committee of any relevant agreement . 
16. Only parties to the dispute, not third parties , may initiate the arbitration . Third parties which 
have notified the DSB of a substantial interest in the matter before the panel pursuant to Article  10.2 
of the DSU may make written submissions to, and shall be given an opportunity to be heard by, the 
arbitrators . Rule 24 of the Working Procedures for Appellate Review shall apply mutatis mutandis . 
17. Pursuant to Article 25.4 of the DSU, Articles 21 and 22 of the DSU shall apply mutatis  mutandis  
to the arbitration award issued in this dispute . For greater cla rity, any reference to the "date of 
adoption" in Articles 21 and 22 of the DSU shall be taken to mean the "date of notification" of the 
arbitration award to the DSB . 
18. At any time during the arbitration, the appellant, or other appellant, may withdraw its ap peal, 
or other appeal, by notifying the arbitrators . This notification shall also be notified to the panel and 
third parties, at the same time as the notification to the arbitrators . If no other appeal or appeal 
remains, the notification shall be deemed to  constitute a joint request by the parties to resume panel 
proceedings under Article 12.12 of the DSU .7 If an other appeal or appeal remains at the time an 
appeal or other appeal is withdrawn, the arbitration shall continue . 
19. The parties shall jointly noti fy these agreed procedures to the panel in Costa Rica — Measures 
Concerning the Importation of Fresh Avocados from Mexico  (DS524) and ask the panel to grant, 
where applicable, the joint requests formulated in paragraphs 3, 4, 6, and 18 .8 
 
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with the proposed substantive measures shall not prejudice the consideration of the case or the rights of the 
parties.  
7 If the authority of the panel has lapsed pursuant to Article 12.12 of the DSU, the arbitrators shall issue 
an award that incorporates the findings and conclusions of the panel in their entirety.  
8 For greater certainty,  should any of these requests not be granted by the panel, the parties will agree 
on alternative procedural modalities to preserve the effects of the relevant provisions of these agreed 
procedures.