If no compensation is agreed between the two countries after 20 days, the complaining country may request the DSB to authorize trade sanctions. The DSB authorizes the trade sanctions within 30 days unless all members are against them. After hearing estimates from the two parties concerning how much trade the complainant is losing per year, the DSB makes a ruling on what the amount is and allows the sanctions to reduce imports by that much. It then monitors implementation. The following is a table of cases taken from the WTO s web pages on dispute settlement on August 6, 1999.
Numbers refer to cases.
For example, the US Canada and the European Union each filed separate consultation requests on Japan s liquor taxes. Thus three requests were filed on a single distinct matter. Cases in which the DSB has adopted the panel or Appellate Body reports. The process lacks of transparency. These complaints about procedure are widely admitted, and several members, including the US, are likely to persuade the WTO to improve procedures so as to address them.