WORLD TRADE WT/L/168
25July1996
ORGANIZATION(96-2940)
NICARAGUA -ESTABLISHMENT OFANEW SCHEDULE XXIX
Extension ofTime-Limit
Decision of18July19961
Consideringthat,byDecisionsof26January19942,9December19943,and13December19954,
theapplication oftheprovisions ofArticle IIoftheGATT 1947wassuspended toenable theGovernment
ofNicaragua toimplement theCentral American Tariff System (SAC) which isbased ontheHarmonized
Commodity Description andCoding System (Harmonized System);
Considering thatthefootnote toAnnex IA,Section onGATT 1994, subparagraph 1(b)(iii)
oftheAgreement Establishing theWorld Trade Organization requires theMinisterial Conference to
establish atitsfirstsession arevised listofwaivers granted under Article XXV ofGATT 1947 and
stillinforce onthedateofentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement;
Considering thatbyaDecision of31January 19955,theGeneral Council established alist
ofwaivers existing attheentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, which included thewaiver granted
Nicaragua fortheestablishment ofanewSchedule LXXXVIII.
Considering thatparagraph 2oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under
theGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1994 provides thatanywaiver ineffect onthedateof
entryintoforceoftheWTOAgreementshallterminateunlessextendedinaccordancewiththeprocedures
setoutinparagraph 1oftheaforementioned Understanding andthose ofArticle IXoftheWTO
Agreement onthedateofitsexpiry ortwoyears from thedateofentry intoforce oftheWTO
Agreement, whichever isearlier;
Taking intoaccount thattheGovernment ofNicaragua hassubmitted thenecessary factual
documentation fortheinitiation ofnegotiations6;
./.
1AdoptedinaccordancewiththeDecision-MakingProceduresunderArticlesIXandXIIoftheWTOAgreemen t
agreed bytheGeneral Council (WT/L/93).
2L/7406.
3L/7600.
4WT/L/119.
5WT/L/3 +Corr.1.
6G/SECRET/HS/3.WT/L/168
Page2
Noting thattwoMembers havereserved theirright toenter intonegotiations inaccordance
withArticleXXVIII,andgiventhetechnicaldifficultiesthathavearisenduringtheconsultations,obliging
theGovernment ofNicaragua torequest athirdextension oftheoriginal waiver inorder tocomplete
theprocess;
Considering thatinorder tofulfil theprocedures established bytheCouncil Decision of
12July1993 forrectification andrenegotiation oftheschedules ofconcessions negotiated inGATT
under theHarmonized System andinorder toholdconsultations inconformity withtheprovisions
ofArticle XXVIII, theGovernment ofNicaragua, having fulfilled therequirements oftheUnderstanding
inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under theGATT 1994, hasrequested afurther extension ofthe
waiver ofitsobligations under Article IIofGATT 19947;
TheGeneral Council, acting pursuant totheprovisions ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
Decides, inviewoftheexceptional circumstances, toextend until30April 1997thetime-limit
provided forintheDecision of26January 1994.
7G/L/81.