WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONTN/RL/5
28 March 2003
(03-1794)
Negotiating Group on Rules
NEGOTIATING GROUP ON RULES
Report by the Chairman
to the Trade Negotiations Committee
I. STATUS OF WORK
1. Since my last report, the Negotiating Group has held one formal meeting (19-21 March), as
well as two informal meeting on Regional Trade Agreements ("RTAs") (6 and 21 March).  The
summary report of the formal meeting will be circulated  in document TN/RL/M/7.
2. In its meetings to date, the Group's agenda has been structured around the following subject
areas: Anti-Dumping ("AD");  Subsidies and Countervailing Measures ("SCM"), including Fisheries
Subsidies; and RTAs.  All three subject areas have been discussed at some length in the meetings.
3. Negotiations on AD and SCM are proceeding primarily on the basis of written submissions
from participants.  The Group has received a total of 79 submissions to date.  A complete list of
submissions received as of the date of this report is annexed.
4. On RTAs, informal discussions on procedural is sues, in particular RTAs transparency, are
progressing.  Participants are currently focusing on questions related to the type and level of
information required on RTAs, and to the WTO review mechanisms for RTAs.
II. OUTSTANDING ISSUES
5. Other than the issue of observers – a question with horizontal implications – there are no
outstanding procedural issues in the Group at this time.
III. FUTURE WORK
6. At its March meeting, the Group agreed that its next formal meeting would be held on 5-
7 May.  Thereafter a formal meeting is scheduled for 18-20 June 2003, subject to the overall demand
for meetings within the WTO.  The Group has already held six informal meetings on RTAs, and will
hold further informal meetings as appropriate.
7. In my view, the Group has made substantial further progress on AD and SCM, including
fisheries subsidies, since my last report to the Trade Negotiations Committee.  In all areas, including
AD/CVD, multilateral subsidies disc iplines and fisheries subsidies, the Group has received significant
new submissions, and in a number of areas participants are already moving away from issue
identification and towards more specific and concrete proposals for the clarification and improvement
of the AD and SCM Agreements.
8. In light of this progress, I believe that the Group is rapidly approaching the critical mass of
issues required to advance the negotiations.  Thus, while there is no formal deadline for theTN/RL/5
Page 2
identification of issues for the negotiations, I advise participants to move promptly should they have
further issues that they desire to put before the Group.  I note in this respect that as of this moment
only two more formal meetings of the Group are scheduled before Cancún.  Prompt submission will
help ensure that all proposals placed before the Group receive full and thorough consideration.
9. On RTAs, the Group will continue its informal work on the various "RTAs transparency"
elements.
10. On a procedural note, most submissions for consideration at any given meeting of the Group
tend to be submitted within 48 hours of the meeting, and it is not uncommon for submissions to be
made available only as room documents at the meeting itself.  While I recognize the constraints facing
participants in finalizing and obtaining clearance for submissions, and prefer late submissions to no
submissions, I strongly urge delegations to seek to put in their papers at least a few days in advance of
a meeting.  If delegations have not even had a chance to read submissions, much less get guidancefrom capital, the quality of the discussion is obviously impaired considerably.  I remind participants
that in order for a submission to be reflected in the airgram of the next meeting of the Group, it must
be provided to the Secretariat by midday on Thursday, 24 April 2003.TN/RL/5
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SUBMISSIONS BY PARTICIPANTS TO THE NEGOTIATING GROUP ON RULES1
Symbol Title of Document Submitted by
TN/RL/W/1 IMPROVED DISCIPLINES UNDER THE
AGREEMENT ON SUBSIDIES AND
COUNTERVAILING MEASURES AND THE
ANTI-DUMPING AGREEMENTCanada
TN/RL/W/2 NEGOTIATIONS ON REGIONAL TRADE
AGREEMENTS:
KEY ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATIONAustralia
TN/RL/W/3 THE DOHA MANDATE TO ADDRESS
FISHERIES SUBSIDIES:  ISSUESAustralia, Chile,
Ecuador, Iceland,
New Zealand, Peru,
Philippines and the
United States
TN/RL/W/4 PROPOSALS ON IMPLEMENTATION RELATED
ISSUES AND CONCERNS
AGREEMENT ON SUBSIDIES AND
COUNTERVAILING MEASURES/
ANTI-DUMPING AGREEMENTIndia
TN/RL/W/5 EXPORT CREDITS IN THE WTO Brazil
TN/RL/W/6 ANTI-DUMPING:  ILLUSTRATIVE MAJOR
ISSUESBrazil; Chile;
Colombia; Costa
Rica;
Hong Kong, China
Israel;  Japan;  Korea;
Mexico;  Norway;
Singapore;
Switzerland;
Thailand;  Turkey
TN/RL/W/7 IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES Brazil
TN/RL/W/8/Rev.1 COMPENDIUM OF ISSUES RELATED TO
REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTSSecretariat
                                                     
1 Until 27 March 2003.TN/RL/5
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Symbol Title of Document Submitted by
TN/RL/W/9 PROPOSAL FROM THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC
OF CHINA
ON FISHERIES SUBSIDIESThe People's
Republic of China
TN/RL/W/10 SECOND CONTRIBUTION TO DISCUSSION OF
THE NEGOTIATING
GROUP ON RULES ON ANTI-DUMPING
MEASURESBrazil;  Chile;
Colombia;  Costa
Rica;  Hong Kong,
China;  Israel; Japan;
Korea;  Norway;
Separate Customs
Territory of Taiwan,
Penghu, Kinmen and
Matsu;  Singapore;
Switzerland;  and
Thailand
TN/RL/W/11 JAPAN’S BASIC POSITION ON THE FISHERIES
SUBSIDIES ISSUEJapan
TN/RL/W/12 FISHERIES SUBSIDIES:  LIMITATIONS OF
EXISTING SUBSIDY DISCIPLINESNew Zealand
TN/RL/W/13 SUBMISSION FROM THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES CONCERNING THE
AGREEMENT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF
ARTICLE VI OF GATT 1994 (ANTI-DUMPING
AGREEMENT)European
Communities
TN/RL/W/14 SUBMISSION ON REGIONAL TRADE
AGREEMENTS BY THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATESEuropean
Communities
TN/RL/W/15 SUBMISSION ON REGIONAL TRADE
AGREEMENTS BY AUSTRALIAAustralia
TN/RL/W/16 SUBMISSION ON REGIONAL TRADE
AGREEMENTSChile
TN/RL/W/17 KOREA'S VIEWS ON THE DOHA
DEVELOPMENT AGENDA DISCUSSIONS ON
FISHERIES SUBSIDIESKorea
TN/RL/W/18 REPLIES TO THE QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
FROM AUSTRALIA ON TN/RL/W/10Brazil;  Chile;
Colombia;  Costa
Rica;  Hong Kong,
China;  Israel; Japan;
Korea;  Norway;
Separate Customs
Territory of Taiwan,
Penghu, Kinmen and
Matsu;  Singapore;
Switzerland;  and
ThailandTN/RL/5
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Symbol Title of Document Submitted by
TN/RL/W/19 COUNTERVAILING MEASURES:
ILLUSTRATIVE MAJOR ISSUESBrazil
TN/RL/W/20 QUESTIONS FROM THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ON DOCUMENTS TN/RL/W/6
AND TN/RL/W/10European
Communities
TN/RL/W/21 ADVERSE TRADE AND CONSERVATION
EFFECTS OF FISHERIES SUBSIDIESUnited States
TN/RL/W/22 COMMENTS ON DOCUMENT TN/RL/W/6 ON
ANTI-DUMPING MEASURESAustralia
TN/RL/W/23 COMMENTS ON DOCUMENT TN/RL/W/10 ON
ANTI-DUMPING MEASURESAustralia
TN/RL/W/24 SUBMISSION BY THE UNITED STATES United States
TN/RL/W/25 QUESTIONS FROM THE UNITED STATES ON
PAPERS SUBMITTED TO THE RULES
NEGOTIATING GROUPUnited States
TN/RL/W/26 SECOND SUBMISSION OF INDIA (ANTI-
DUMPING AGREEMENT)India
TN/RL/W/27 COMMUNICATION FROM THE UNITED
STATES
BASIC CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE
TRADE REMEDY RULESUnited States
TN/RL/W/28/Rev.1 GENERAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE
DISCUSSION OF THE NEGOTIATING GROUP
ON RULES ON ANTI-DUMPING MEASURESBrazil;  Chile;
Colombia;  Costa
Rica;  Hong Kong,
China;  Israel;  Japan;
Korea;  Mexico;
Norway;  Separate
Customs Territory of
Taiwan, Penghu,
Kinmen and Matsu;
Singapore;
Switzerland;
Thailand;  and TurkeyTN/RL/5
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Symbol Title of Document Submitted by
TN/RL/W/29 THIRD CONTRIBUTION TO DISCUSSION OF
THE NEGOTIATING GROUP ON RULES ON
ANTI-DUMPING MEASURESBrazil;  Chile;
Colombia;  Costa
Rica;  Hong Kong,
China;  Japan;  Korea;
Norway;  Separate
Customs Territory of
Taiwan, Penghu,
Kinmen and Matsu;
Singapore;
Switzerland;
Thailand;  and Turkey
TN/RL/W/30 WTO NEGOTIATIONS CONCERNING THE WTO
AGREEMENT ON SUBSIDIES AND
COUNTERVAILING MEASURESEuropean
Communities
TN/RL/W/31 REPLIES TO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO
OUR SECOND CONTRIBUTION (TN/RL/W/10)Brazil;  Chile;
Colombia;  Costa
Rica;  Hong Kong,
China;  Israel;  Japan;
Korea;  Norway;
Separate Customs
Territory of Taiwan,
Penghu, Kinmen and
Matsu;  Singapore;
Switzerland;
Thailand
TN/RL/W/32 SUBMISSION ON REGIONAL TRADE
AGREEMENTSTurkey
TN/RL/W/33 SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT
AND THE SUBSIDIES AGREEMENTUnited States
TN/RL/W/34 SECOND SET OF QUESTIONS FROM THE
UNITED STATES ON PAPERS SUBMITTED TO
THE RULES NEGOTIATING GROUPUnited States
TN/RL/W/35 INVESTIGATORY PROCEDURES UNDER THE
ANTI-DUMPING AND SUBSIDIES
AGREEMENTSUnited States
TN/RL/W/36 MOROCCO'S VIEWS REGARDING
NEGOTIATIONS ON RULES AND THE
DISCIPLINES OF THE AGREEMENT ON
IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE VI OF GATT
1994 AND THE AGREEMENT ON SUBSIDIES
AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURESMorocco
TN/RL/W/37 COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA ON BRAZIL'S
PAPER ON COUNTERVAILING MEASURES:
ILLUSTRATIVE MAJOR ISSUES (DOCUMENT
TN/RL/W/19)AustraliaTN/RL/5
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Symbol Title of Document Submitted by
TN/RL/W/38 COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA ON THE US
PAPER ON BASIC CONCEPTS AND
PRINCIPLES OF THE TRADE REMEDY RULES
(DOCUMENT TN/RL/W/27)Australia
TN/RL/W/39 COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA ON THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES' SUBSIDIES
PAPER (TN/RL/W/30)Australia
TN/RL/W/40 INTERVENTION BY INDIA ON THE
PROPOSAL BY THE EC CAPTIONED WTO
NEGOTIATIONS CONCERNING THE WTO
AGREEMENT ON SUBSIDIES AND
COUNTERVAILING  MEASURES (TN/RL/W/30)India
TN/RL/W/41/Rev.1 IMPROVED RULES UNDER THE AGREEMENT
ON SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING
MEASURES – NON-ACTIONABLE SUBSIDIES
PARAGRAPH 10.2 OF THE DOCUMENT ON
IMPLEMENTATION-RELATED ISSUES AND
CONCERNSVenezuela and Cuba
TN/RL/W/42 QUESTIONS TO THE UNITED STATES ON
TN/RL/W/24United States
TN/RL/W/43 COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA ON THE
UNITED STATES’ PAPER ON
INVESTIGATORY PROCEDURES UNDER THE
ANTI-DUMPING AND SUBSIDIES
AGREEMENTS (TN/RL/W/35)Australia
TN/RL/W/44 TREATMENT OF CONFIDENTIAL AND NON-
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION UNDER
ARTICLE 6.5 OF THE WTO ANTI-DUMPING
AGREEMENTAustralia
TN/RL/W/45 REPLIES TO QUESTIONS TO OUR FIRST
CONTRIBUTION (TN/RL/W/6)Brazil;  Chile;
Colombia;
Costa Rica;  Hong
Kong, China;
Israel;  Japan;  Korea;
Norway;  Singapore;
Switzerland and
ThailandTN/RL/5
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Symbol Title of Document Submitted by
TN/RL/W/46 FOURTH CONTRIBUTION TO THE
DISCUSSION OF THE NEGOTIATING GROUP
ON RULES ON ANTI-DUMPING MEASURESBrazil;  Chile;
Colombia;  Costa
Rica;  Hong Kong,
China;  Israel;  Korea;
Japan;  Mexico;
Norway;  Separate
Customs Territory of
Taiwan, Penghu,
Kinmen and Matsu;
Singapore;
Switzerland;
Thailand and Turkey
TN/RL/W/47 SUBMISSION FROM CANADA RESPECTING
THE AGREEMENT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF
ARTICLE VI OF THE GATT 1994
(THE ANTI-DUMPING AGREEMENT)Canada
TN/RL/W/48/Rev.1 ANTI-DUMPING ACTIONS IN THE AREA OF
TEXTILES AND CLOTHING:  DEVELOPING
MEMBERS' EXPERIENCES AND CONCERNSBangladesh;  Brazil;
the People's Republic
of China;  Colombia;
Costa Rica;  Egypt;
Guatemala;
Hong Kong, China;
India;  Indonesia;
Korea;  Macao,
China;  Maldives;
Pakistan;  Paraguay;
Peru;  Thailand and
Vietnam.
TN/RL/W/49 COMMUNICATION FROM THE UNITED
STATES ATTACHING A  COMMUNIQUÉ
FROM THE ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC
COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD)United States
TN/RL/W/50 CIRCUMVENTION United States
TN/RL/W/51 QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THE UNITED
STATES' PAPER ON BASIC CONCEPTS AND
PRINCIPLES OF THE TRADE REMEDY RULESUnited States
TN/RL/W/52 JAPAN’S CONTRIBUTION TO DISCUSSION
ON FISHERIES SUBSIDIES ISSUEJapan
TN/RL/W/53 REPLIES TO QUESTIONS PRESENTED TO
THE UNITED STATES
ON SUBMISSION TN/RL/W/27United States
TN/RL/W/54 THIRD SET OF QUESTIONS FROM THE
UNITED STATES ON PAPERS SUBMITTED TO
THE RULES NEGOTIATING GROUPUnited StatesTN/RL/5
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Symbol Title of Document Submitted by
TN/RL/W/55 POSITION PAPER TO BE PRESENTED BY THE
ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
ON THE DOHA DECLARATION
CONCERNING THE NEGOTIATIONS
ON THE ANTI-DUMPING AGREEMENTEgypt
TN/RL/W/56 EGYPTIAN PAPER CONTAINING COMMENTS
ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS SUBMITTED IN
THE FRAMEWORK OF THE DOHA
NEGOTIATIONS ON THE ANTI-DUMPING
AGREEMENTEgypt
TN/RL/W/57 EGYPTIAN PAPER CONTAINING QUESTIONS
AND COMMENTS ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS
SUBMITTED IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE
DOHA NEGOTIATIONS ON THE SUBSIDIES
AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURES
AGREEMENTEgypt
TN/RL/W/58 SUBSIDIES IN THE FISHERIES SECTOR:
POSSIBLE CATEGORIZATIONSArgentina, Chile,
Iceland, New
Zealand, Norway, and
Peru
TN/RL/W/59 COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA ON THE
THIRD CONTRIBUTION FROM A NUMBER OF
COUNTRIES (DOCUMENT TN/RL/W/29)Australia
TN/RL/W/60 COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA ON
MOROCCO’S PAPER ON ANTI-DUMPING
AND SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING
MEASURES AGREEMENTS
(DOCUMENT TN/RL/W/36)Australia
TN/RL/W/61 COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA ON
VENEZUELA’S SUBMISSION ON NON-
ACTIONABLE SUBSIDIES UNDER THE
AGREEMENT ON SUBSIDIES AND
COUNTERVAILING MEASURES (DOCUMENT
TN/RL/W/41)Australia
TN/RL/W/62 COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA ON
CANADA’S SUBMISSION ON THE ANTI-
DUMPING AGREEMENT (DOCUMENT
TN/RL/W/47)AustraliaTN/RL/5
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Symbol Title of Document Submitted by
TN/RL/W/63 SENIOR OFFICIALS’ STATEMENT ON ANTI-
DUMPING NEGOTIATIONSBrazil;  Chile;
Colombia;  Costa
Rica;  Hong Kong,
China;  Israel;  Japan;
Korea;  Mexico;
Norway;  Singapore;
Switzerland;  the
Separate Customs
Territory of Taiwan,
Penghu, Kinmen and
Matsu;  Thailand and
Turkey.
TN/RL/W/64 REPLIES TO THE QUESTIONS MADE BY THE
AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION IN DOCUMENT
TN/RL/W/37Brazil
TN/RL/W/65 KOREA’S COMMENTS ON CANADA’S
SUBMISSION ON THE ANTI-DUMPING
AGREEMENT (TN/RL/W/47)Korea
TN/RL/W/66 PROPOSAL OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF
CHINA
ON THE NEGOTIATION ON ANTI-DUMPINGChina
TN/RL/W/67 NEGOTIATIONS ON ANTI-DUMPING AND
SUBSIDIES – REFLECTION PAPER
OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ON A
SWIFT
CONTROL MECHANISM FOR INITIATIONSEuropean
Communities
TN/RL/W/68 INTERVENTION BY INDIA ON THE
SUBMISSION BY THE
UNITED STATES ON SPECIAL AND
DIFFERENTIAL
TREATMENT AND THE SUBSIDIES
AGREEMENTIndia
TN/RL/W/69 KOREA’S VIEWS ON THE SUGGESTED
CATEGORIZATION
OF FISHERY SUBSIDIESKorea
TN/RL/W/70 PRELIMINARY REPLIES TO THE QUESTIONS
BY AUSTRALIA CONTINED IN DOCUMENT
TN/RL/W/61Venezuela and Cuba
TN/RL/W/71 RESPONSES BY THE UNITED STATES TO
QUESTIONS FROM
AUSTRALIA ON INVESTIGATORY
PROCEDURES UNDER
THE ANTI-DUMPING AND SUBSIDIES
AGREEMENTSUnited StatesTN/RL/5
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Symbol Title of Document Submitted by
TN/RL/W/72 IDENTIFICATION OF CERTAIN MAJOR
ISSUES
UNDER THE ANTI-DUMPING AND
SUBSIDIES AGREEMENTSUnited States
TN/RL/W/73 COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA ON THE
ARAB REPUBLIC OF
EGYPT’S POSITION PAPER CONCERNING
THE NEGOTIATIONS
ON THE ANTI-DUMPING AGREEMENT
(TN/RL/W/55)Egypt
TN/RL/W/74 COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA ON THE
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF
CHINA’S PAPER ON ANTI-DUMPING
(DOCUMENT TN/RL/W/66)Australia
TN/RL/W/75 COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA ON THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES’ PAPER:
REFLECTION PAPER ON A SWIFT CONTROL
MECHANISM
FOR INITIATIONS (DOCUMENT TN/RL/W/67)Australia
TN/RL/W/76 PROPOSAL ON SUNSET Brazil;  Chile;
Colombia;  Costa
Rica;  Hong Kong,
China;  Israel;  Japan;
Korea;
Norway;  the Separate
Customs Territory of
Taiwan, Penghu,
Kinmen and Matsu;
Singapore;
Switzerland;
Thailand and Turkey
TN/RL/W/77 POSSIBLE APPROACHES TO IMPROVED
DISCIPLINES
ON FISHERIES SUBSIDIESUnited States
TN/RL/W/78 SUBSIDIES DISCIPLINES REQUIRING
CLARIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENTUnited States
TN/RL/W/79 PRELIMINARY COMMENTS AND
QUESTIONS BY THE
ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT ON THE
CONTRIBUTIONS SUBMITTED
IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE DOHA
NEGOTIATIONS ON THE
ANTI-DUMPING AGREEMENT AND ON THE
AGREEMENT ON
SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING
MEASURESEgypt
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