Trade openness in developing countries and use of the dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organisation.

This article examines the impact of trade openness on developing countries' participation as complainants in the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Dispute Settlement System (DSS). Despite the WTO's Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) providing a legalized, rules-based mechanism for resolving trade disputes, developing countries—defined here as low- and low–middle-income nations—remain underrepresented as complainants, particularly as their trade openness increases. Using quantitative analysis of WTO dispute data from 1995 to 2015, the study finds that greater trade openness correlates with a decreased likelihood of developing countries initiating disputes, a relationship stronger than that observed for developed countries. Factors such as economic dependence on trade partners, costs of litigation, limited legal capacity, and the prevalence of preferential trade agreements contribute to this trend, raising concerns about the WTO DSS's relevance and accessibility for developing countries in the evolving global trade environment.