Abstract The United States concluded free trade agreements (FTAs) with Korea, Peru, Panama and Colombia in late 2000s. Since the four FTAs were negotiated and concluded largely contemporaneously, key traits and characteristics of the agreements are similarly formulated. In light of this, dispute settlement mechanisms (state-to-state dispute settlement proceedings, investor-state dispute settlement proceedings, and Joint Committees) of the four FTAs also share commonalities. At the same time, new ideas and suggestions are explored in the four FTAs. While issues and disputes under the four FTAs have arguably not been ripe for the constitution of dispute settlement proceedings under the FTAs at the moment, sooner or later they are likely to end up in the dockets of the respective proceedings. The key elements of the four FTAs’ dispute settlement mechanisms are also adopted in other FTAs that the United States have concluded afterwards including most recently the Trans-Pacific Partnership, since these elements are reflective of the general scheme of the United States in their FTAs. What remains to be seen is how the general scheme of dispute settlement proceedings can be applied and implemented in actual settings when the FTAs produce increasing numbers of disputes in the future. In particular, marked disparity in human and financial resources between the United States and the four FTA’s parties may bring about disparate impacts and consequences among contracting parties. Continued attention needs to be paid to the development concerning implementation of the four FTAs, in particular their dispute settlement proceedings.

中文翻译：

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与韩国，巴拿马，秘鲁和哥伦比亚的美国自由贸易协定中的争端解决机制：基本设计，主要特征和启示

摘要美国在2000年代后期与韩国，秘鲁，巴拿马和哥伦比亚缔结了自由贸易协定（FTA）。由于这四个FTA是在很大程度上同时进行谈判和缔结的，因此这些协议的关键特征和特征是类似制定的。有鉴于此，四个自由贸易协定的争端解决机制（州与州之间的争端解决程序，投资者与国家之间的争端解决程序以及联合委员会）也具有共同点。同时，在四个自由贸易协定中探索了新的想法和建议。尽管目前对于四个自由贸易协定下的争端和争端尚不成熟，但根据该自由贸易协定的构成，争端解决程序迟早可能会落入各自程序的范畴。美国随后缔结的其他自由贸易协定，包括最近的《跨太平洋伙伴关系》，也采用了四个自由贸易协定争端解决机制的关键要素，因为这些要素反映了美国在其自由贸易协定中的总体计划。仍有待观察的是，当FTA将来产生越来越多的争端时，如何在实际环境中应用和实施一般的争端解决程序方案。特别是，美国与自由贸易协定四个当事方之间在人力和财力上的明显差距可能会给缔约方之间带来不同的影响和后果。需要继续注意与执行四个自由贸易协定有关的发展，特别是它们的争端解决程序。