 RESTRICTED  
  
S/C/W/439  
9 June 2023 
(23-3951) Page: 1/1 
Council for Trade in Services  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
COMMUNICATION FROM HONDURAS  
REVIEW OF ARTICLE II (MFN) EXEMPTIONS  
Written Replies from Honduras to Questions Raised by Hong Kong, China  
and the Republic of Korea (S/C/W/431)  
The following communication, dated 8 June 2023, from the delegation of Honduras is being 
circulated to Members of the Council for Trade in Services.  
 
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1  QUESTION FROM HONG HONG, CHINA, ON MFN EXEMPTIONS, TO ALL MEMBERS 
(QUESTION NO. 1, S/C/W/431 , PAGE 2)  
Regarding Question No. 1 from Hong Kong, China, to all Members, on each of the MFN exemptions 
listed in the Secretariat's compilation by sector ( JOB/SERV/29/Rev.2 ), we refer to the 
Central  American Integration System (SICA), to which Honduras is a party . Certain preferences are 
set out under A rticle XXV of the General Treaty on Central American Economic Integration and 
Article  13 of the Protocol to the General Treaty on Central American Economic Integration 
(Guatemala Protocol), which specifies that the States Parties agree to apply the Central  American 
Exception Clause and the Central American Preferential Treatment in their trade relations with 
third countries.  
 
In this connection, the measures remain in force by virtue of the fact that the conditions that created 
the need for the MFN exemptio ns listed in the aforementioned compilation by sector continue to 
prevail, and in light of the fact that the regional agreements on Central American integration remain 
in force, which recognize and apply the Exception Clause in trade relations with third c ountries, and 
which are identified in Honduras's lists of exemptions.  
 
2  QUESTIONS FROM THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA (QUESTIONS NOS.  38, 95 AND 153, 
S/C/W/431 , PAGES 7, 13 AND 19)  
With regard to Questions Nos. 38, 95 and 153 from the Republic of Korea, on the reciprocity -based 
MFN exemption implemented in the Business Services (p.  49), Financial Services (p.  122) and Road 
Transport Services (p.  193) sectors, it is established that Hondur as, in the light of various provisions 
within the Central American integration framework described above, allows preferential treatment 
to be granted to service suppliers from the region in all or each of the service sectors, as stated in 
the aforementione d lists of exemptions, in order to carry out  the process of integration in 
Central  America.  
 
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