Interim agreement will be in place until Appellate Body dispute resolved.Ottawa-- Canada and 15 other members of the World Trade Organization have agreed to an interim process for allowing appeals of panel reports in trade disputes in a move that is a step forward in keeping international rules in force.Trade Minister Mary Ng said an agreement reached during the World Economic Forum in Davos set the stage for the agreement. “This arrangement will be in place on an interim basis until the WTO Appellate Body is fully operational. It will be open to all WTO members wishing to join.”The agreement builds on the work of Canada and the European Union to restore “access to a binding dispute settlement system, including the possibility of an appeal, to resolve any trade dispute between participating countries,” she said. “It demonstrates a willingness on the part of our international partners to ensure predictability and stability in the markets, which will help businesses around the world navigate this uncertain time.”President Dan Darling of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, said, “As nations grapple with COVID-19 and its dramatic economic fallout, we welcome commitments by trading partners to keep trade lines open and refrain from imposing tariffs and non-tariff barriers thereby ensuring robust and resilient global supply chains remain operational.“On behalf of Canadian agri-food exporters, which include a substantial portion of the supply chain currently under immense pressure, it is encouraging to see nations working together to ensure that cross-border trade continues to flow, and we urge Canada to continue this work with our key international trading partners to secure similar commitments.”The agreement creates “certainty to global trade rules three months after the paralysis of the WTO Appellate Body,” he said. “It is important that we have assurance that trade rules are respected. Given the vital role the WTO's dispute settlement system plays for Canadian exporters, we are hopeful that the full functionality of the Appellate Body is soon restored.“While governments are rightly focused on fighting the spread of COVID-19, we must also recognize that unequivocal global coordinated efforts will be required post-pandemic to jump-start the engines of our economies for recovery to take root. History has proven that cutting tariffs, removing barriers, and facilitating the unfettered flow of trade can help spur growth and restore confidence for global economic recovery. As the head of the WTO recently stated, it will be important that countries tap into each other's growth which will help economies recover more quickly than if we try to act alone.”Trade experts welcomed the announcement as a step forward but will be watching to see how many disputes come before the interim body as there are currently just a few waiting for consideration.The longer this interim arrangement is in play, the longer that list of disputes for it will become, they said. There are also questions about how the arbitrators and WTO staff supporting them will be paid.The agreement also means the US loses a bit of leverage in its campaign to eliminate the Appellate Body because it doesn't always rule in the U.S.'s favour.The Appellate Body makes final decisions in trade disputes that are contested by countries unhappy with WTO panel decisions.Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.