The European Union and the United States are the main users of the dispute settlement mechanism of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Active participation of both partners in the mechanism is one of the most visible indicator of their dominant role in international trading system. On the one hand it is held an opinion that the EU and the US compete with each other, what strengthens the of view on bilateral rivalry. On the other hand, well-developed and intensive trade and investment relations lead to an inevitable confl icts and trade disputes. In contrast, taking into account their impact on third countries, the process of settlement of bilateral disputes contributes to creating of new rules, which are then disseminated to the multilateral forum.