After nearly 25 years, a trade dispute on imports of school exercise books from Tunisia to Morocco has set a new statistical record at the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the first intra-African trade dispute to be heard by a WTO Panel. The case concerns anti-dumping duties by Morocco on imported exercise books from Tunisia and raises issues surrounding the initiation of anti-dumping investigations, construction of normal value and determination of injury. This case commentary gives a bird’s eye view of the Panel’s findings on the (in) consistency of Morocco’s measure with its WTO obligations and the emerging legal issues. It also briefly discusses the likely implications of the case and the signals it sends concerning the participation of African countries in the WTO.
Cite as: Oluyori Ehimony & Maryanne Kamau, Panel Report in Morocco – Definitive Anti-Dumping Measures on School Exercise Books from Tunisia (DS578), Volume 2, AfJIEL, (2021), 142-156.