Multilateral trading order strengthened as UK joins interim appeals system

After Paraguay and Malaysia also joined recently, the MPIA now covers 57 WTO Members and 57.6% of world trade [1].

Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič said: “Given the current trade tensions, the MPIA is ever more important. It ensures the final and orderly resolution of trade disputes among its participants and supports rules-based trade. With each new country joining, we increase the stability of multilateral trading relations. This is why I warmly welcome the UK, Paraguay and Malaysia among the MPIA participants. I stress that the MPIA is open to all WTO Members.”

The MPIA guarantees its participants access to a functioning dispute settlement system in the WTO, as a stop-gap solution in the absence of a functioning WTO Appellate Body. It ensures that rules can be enforced and trade disputes can be orderly resolved, without appealing “into the void”.

The MPIA was put in place since 2020 and it has proven its effectiveness since. As of 1 June 2025, the MPIA has an updated pool of appeal arbitrators to ensure that appeals are heard by independent arbitrators of the highest caliber. 

Background

Under the MPIA, appeals are heard by arbitrators selected randomly from the pool of 10 appeal arbitrators set up by the countries participating in the MPIA. It comprises persons of recognised authority, with demonstrated expertise in law, international trade and the WTO Agreements. It is open to all members, to offer a practical tool for appeal arbitration, pending the restoration of a reformed and fully functioning WTO dispute settlement system.

The original pool of arbitrators was composed in July 2020. Following a merit-based process in which MPIA participants put forward candidates and conducted interviews, the pool was recently partially re-composed to include new arbitrators. 

Paraguay joined the MPIA on 6 May and Malaysia on 23 May. With the UK, the MPIA now covers Australia, Benin, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the European Union (and its Member States), Guatemala, Hong Kong (China), Iceland, Japan, Macao (China), Mexico, Malaysia, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Uruguay.

For more information

Dispute Settlement in the EU

[1] Source: IMF.