RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONS/C/W/161
31 July 2000
(00-3133)
Council for Trade in Services Original:  English
COMMUNICATION FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Review of Article II Exemptions
Replies to Questions Posed on Trinidad and Tobago's MFN Exemptions in the Course of the
Review of MFN Exemptions
The attached communication has been received from the delegation of Trinidad and Tobago
with the request that it be circulated to Members of the Council for Trade in Services.
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Response to question posed to Trinidad and Tobago by Japan on Maritime Transport
"491. Of all cargo transported to/from Trinidad and Tobago by ship, what is the proportion
of cargo reserved under the Liner Code Convention.  Please explain how Trinidad
and Tobago evaluates the impact of the Convention with providing concrete data."
1. The exemption which Trinidad and Tobago entere d in the maritime transport sector relating to
cargo reservation under the Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences is currently obsolete and without
relevance.
2. By way of background, Trinidad and Tobago acceded to the Code of Conduct on 3 August
1982, but has passed no legislation to give effect to the Convention.  The Convention was relevant to
national efforts to develop strategic shipping services especially in the context of efforts at the time to
achieve a greater degree of participation in and the control of the unregulated regime of ocean
transport in the Region.
3. This lack of control and regulation was seen to hamper the operations of two shipping
concerns in which the Trinidad and Tobago Government had vested interest at the time.  These were
the Shipping Corporation of Trinidad and Toba go (SCOTT) (wholly-owned), and the East Indies
Shipping Corporation (WISCO) (40 per cent owned).  This lack of ability to reserve national cargoes
had severely affected the liner operations of SCOTT to the eventual point that SCOTT was forced tocease its liner service.
4. In 1992, Trinidad and Tobago as the majority shareholder recommended the winding up of
the operations of WISCO, and in 1994, SCOTT wa s also wound up.  Consequently, the Government
does not currently have any vested or controlling interests in liner shipping services.
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