ASSETCASTING

Steel and aluminium tariff complaints: how long until a WTO panel report?

2018 US steel and aluminium measures · All 9 WTO complaints

Total 9 · Completed 7 · Ongoing 0 · Excluded 2

Last observed 2018-08-15 · Updated 2026-10-09

Completed cases7 casesOngoing and excluded cases are not included
Duration Median1,614 daysMean 1,322 days
Completed outcome range401 days ~ 1,908 daysMinimum ~ maximum

Same conditions, different outcomes

Completed and elapsed durations are distinguished. Cases with unconfirmed endings are excluded from completed statistics. Historical averages do not predict the remaining duration. Open a case to explore its context.

Turkiye → United States · DS564Completed · 2018-08-151,577 days

Observed 2018-08-15 → 2022-12-09 · As of 2026-10-09

Measure at issue
2018 US steel and aluminium Section 232 measures
Request for consultations
2018-08-15
Measured endpoint
Panel report circulation · 2022-12-09
Latest procedure on the official page
2023-02-20 · Turkiye contested procedural legality after the US appeal notification · Mutually agreed solution notification unconfirmed
Nature of the report
Substantive panel report · Subsequently appealed by the United States

From the consultation request on 2018-08-15 to circulation of the panel report on 2022-12-09 was 1577 days. Although the report circulated, an appeal was subsequently notified, so this does not indicate a final determination or dispute resolution. This is an observed interval in WTO procedures, not the duration of an entire trade war.

Switzerland → United States · DS556Completed · 2018-07-091,614 days

Observed 2018-07-09 → 2022-12-09 · As of 2026-10-09

Measure at issue
2018 US steel and aluminium Section 232 measures
Request for consultations
2018-07-09
Measured endpoint
Panel report circulation · 2022-12-09
Latest procedure on the official page
2023-01-26 · Appeal notified · Mutually agreed solution notification unconfirmed
Nature of the report
Substantive panel report · Subsequently appealed by the United States

From the consultation request on 2018-07-09 to circulation of the panel report on 2022-12-09 was 1614 days. Although the report circulated, an appeal was subsequently notified, so this does not indicate a final determination or dispute resolution. This is an observed interval in WTO procedures, not the duration of an entire trade war.

Russia → United States · DS554Excluded · 2018-06-29—

Observed 2018-06-29 → End unconfirmed · As of 2026-10-09

Exclusion reason: Panel authority lapsed on 2024-06-23, and no report is confirmed. Lapse of panel authority is not substituted for report issuance or interpreted as termination of the entire dispute.

Measure at issue
2018 US steel and aluminium Section 232 measures
Request for consultations
2018-06-29
Measured endpoint
Panel report circulation · Not reached
Latest procedure on the official page
2024-06-23 · Panel authority lapsed after suspension · Mutually agreed solution unconfirmed

Panel authority lapsed on 2024-06-23, and no report is confirmed. Lapse of panel authority is not substituted for report issuance or interpreted as termination of the entire dispute. The case itself remains listed but is excluded from means and medians.

Norway → United States · DS552Completed · 2018-06-131,640 days

Observed 2018-06-13 → 2022-12-09 · As of 2026-10-09

Measure at issue
2018 US steel and aluminium Section 232 measures
Request for consultations
2018-06-13
Measured endpoint
Panel report circulation · 2022-12-09
Latest procedure on the official page
2023-01-26 · Appeal notified · Mutually agreed solution notification unconfirmed
Nature of the report
Substantive panel report · Subsequently appealed by the United States

From the consultation request on 2018-06-13 to circulation of the panel report on 2022-12-09 was 1640 days. Although the report circulated, an appeal was subsequently notified, so this does not indicate a final determination or dispute resolution. This is an observed interval in WTO procedures, not the duration of an entire trade war.

Mexico → United States · DS551Completed · 2018-06-05401 days

Observed 2018-06-05 → 2019-07-11 · As of 2026-10-09

Measure at issue
2018 US steel and aluminium Section 232 measures
Request for consultations
2018-06-05
Measured endpoint
Panel report circulation · 2019-07-11
Latest procedure on the official page
2019-07-11 · Mutually agreed solution notified · Report recording the agreement
Nature of the report
Agreement recorded under DSU Article 12.7 · Not a substantive determination

From the consultation request on 2018-06-05 to circulation of the panel report on 2019-07-11 was 401 days. This procedural report records an agreement and must be distinguished from the time taken for a substantive determination. This is an observed interval in WTO procedures, not the duration of an entire trade war.

Canada → United States · DS550Completed · 2018-06-01405 days

Observed 2018-06-01 → 2019-07-11 · As of 2026-10-09

Measure at issue
2018 US steel and aluminium Section 232 measures
Request for consultations
2018-06-01
Measured endpoint
Panel report circulation · 2019-07-11
Latest procedure on the official page
2019-07-11 · Mutually agreed solution notified · Report recording the agreement
Nature of the report
Agreement recorded under DSU Article 12.7 · Not a substantive determination

From the consultation request on 2018-06-01 to circulation of the panel report on 2019-07-11 was 405 days. This procedural report records an agreement and must be distinguished from the time taken for a substantive determination. This is an observed interval in WTO procedures, not the duration of an entire trade war.

European Union → United States · DS548Excluded · 2018-06-01—

Observed 2018-06-01 → End unconfirmed · As of 2026-10-09

Exclusion reason: Panel proceedings were withdrawn and no panel report was issued. Referral to arbitration or suspension is not substituted for report issuance.

Measure at issue
2018 US steel and aluminium Section 232 measures
Request for consultations
2018-06-01
Measured endpoint
Panel report circulation · Not reached
Latest procedure on the official page
2022-01-20 · Panel proceedings withdrawn and referred to Article 25 arbitration · Arbitration suspended indefinitely

Panel proceedings were withdrawn and no panel report was issued. Referral to arbitration or suspension is not substituted for report issuance. The case itself remains listed but is excluded from means and medians.

India → United States · DS547Completed · 2018-05-181,908 days

Observed 2018-05-18 → 2023-08-08 · As of 2026-10-09

Measure at issue
2018 US steel and aluminium Section 232 measures
Request for consultations
2018-05-18
Measured endpoint
Panel report circulation · 2023-08-08
Latest procedure on the official page
2023-08-08 · Mutually agreed solution notified · Report recording the agreement
Nature of the report
Agreement recorded under DSU Article 12.7 · Not a substantive determination

From the consultation request on 2018-05-18 to circulation of the panel report on 2023-08-08 was 1908 days. This procedural report records an agreement and must be distinguished from the time taken for a substantive determination. This is an observed interval in WTO procedures, not the duration of an entire trade war.

China → United States · DS544Completed · 2018-04-051,709 days

Observed 2018-04-05 → 2022-12-09 · As of 2026-10-09

Measure at issue
2018 US steel and aluminium Section 232 measures
Request for consultations
2018-04-05
Measured endpoint
Panel report circulation · 2022-12-09
Latest procedure on the official page
2023-01-26 · Appeal notified · Mutually agreed solution notification unconfirmed
Nature of the report
Substantive panel report · Subsequently appealed by the United States

From the consultation request on 2018-04-05 to circulation of the panel report on 2022-12-09 was 1709 days. Although the report circulated, an appeal was subsequently notified, so this does not indicate a final determination or dispute resolution. This is an observed interval in WTO procedures, not the duration of an entire trade war.

How to interpret this

The 7 circulated reports include differing procedural outcomes. A quickly issued report does not mean the tariff dispute’s substantive determination or resolution was quick. In particular, the reports for Canada, Mexico and India record agreements; the other 4 cases have subsequent appeals.

This population consists of the 9 relevant WTO complaints against the 2018 US steel and aluminium measures, not all trade wars worldwide. US counter-complaints concerning retaliatory tariffs, new tariff measures since 2025 and negotiations outside the WTO are excluded. Cases concern the same measures and some shared panels, so they are not independent observations. Report circulation, agreement notification, appeals and tariff removal are distinct events. Completion means the specified procedural endpoint was reached, not that trade conflict was permanently resolved. Cases with unconfirmed endpoints or no reports remain listed and are excluded only from completed-case statistics. Lapse of panel authority alone is not interpreted as termination of the entire dispute or impossibility of a future agreement. Official pages may not have been updated after the latest procedure, so lack of confirmation is not a definitive statement about present or future negotiations. A mean from a small number of completed cases cannot predict future resolution times.

Conditions, methodology and sources

The population was fixed as the 9 cases concerning the same measures listed under Complaint by / See also on WTO DS544, with matching cross-lists verified on the other 8 official pages: DS544·547·548·550·551·552·554·556·564. Cases were not selected by completion status or duration. The consultation-request date in the official case summary is used as the start date, not the request document’s drafting or distribution date. Differences between UTC midnight dates are calculated without adding 1 day to include both endpoints. Original pages were checked on 2026-10-09 and retained with their hashes. Values were extracted from publicly documented procedural facts; source explanations were not translated and reproduced. The endpoint is the circulation date of the panel report to members. Case context distinguishes 4 substantive reports from 3 DSU Article 12.7 reports recording agreements. The EU has no report following panel withdrawal and referral to arbitration; Russia has none following lapse of panel authority. Reasons for statistical exclusion are displayed. For this measured endpoint, the 4 cases under appeal are completed because their reports have already been issued.