For example, the US challenged (to the WTO) every retaliatory measure against its aluminium and steel tariffs it raised under national security considerations. These cases are DS557 to DS561; these are all at panel level already, following US requests (i.e. the initial consultation phase failed to resolve any of these.)
Presumably the WTO panel(s) will have to address the core issue in these five cases, i.e. whether the US invocation of the national security exception (GATT article XXI) was warranted. (A WTO panel did reserve the rights to review such invocations in the recently adjudicated DS512 between Russia and Ukraine.)
My question here is: how does the WTO deal with such cases where the same underlying issue has to be decided by multiple panels? Do they have some procedure for merging the proceedings? Otherwise the 5 panels could decide different things on the same core issue (of US invocation of national security on steel and aluminum)...