Anti-dumping in the First 30 Years of the WTO: Business as Usual

Key Points

Anti-dumping activity surged among members, suggesting a response to evolving global trade patterns.
Trade responses related to anti-dumping rose significantly over thirty years, implying a need for closer scrutiny.
WTO provided ongoing technical assistance to investigating authorities while managing disputes related to anti-dumping activities.
The analysis points to growing complexities in international trade relations as members engaged with anti-dumping measures.

Abstract

In the first thirty years of the WTO, members’ anti-dumping (AD) activity increased significantly, both in terms of the number of members starting to use AD measures and the number of measures imposed. Such increase, however, should be assessed in light of the overall changes in the patterns of trade at the global level in the same period. Seen from that perspective, the increase in AD activity does not seem out of ordinary. In the same period, the WTO showed versatility in responding to the evolving needs of its members in the field of AD, in terms of providing technical assistance to investigating authorities and deploying additional resources to the resolution of AD-related disputes.

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