Valerie Hughes is a contributing author for the International Trade chapter in the ABA International Law Section's The Year in Review. Valerie writes about why 2019 was a memorable year for WTO dispute settlement, including:

• the shutting down of the Appellate Body after 25 years of operations;
• the adoption of the first WTO panel report addressing the much-debated security defence set forth in Article XXI of the GATT 1994; and
• the composition of the most dispute settlement panels in WTO history (29), signaling continued strong reliance on the WTO dispute settlement mechanism to resolve trade irritants.

Valerie says important decisions in WTO dispute settlement are expected in 2020 in several challenges where the security defence has been invoked, including in cases challenging the imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs by the United States.

The Year in Review is an annual publication of the ABA/Section of International Law and is published in cooperation with SMU Dedman School of Law.