RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/C/W/88
26September 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4010)
Original: Spanish Council forTrade inGoods
6October 1997
GUATEMALA -ESTABLISHMENT OFANEW SCHEDULE LXXXVIII
Draft Decision onExtension ofTime-Limit
Considering thatbyaDecision of26January 19941,theCONTRACTING PARTIES to
GATT 1947 suspended application oftheprovisions ofArticle IIofGATT 1947 toenable the
Government ofGuatemala tocarry outtheprocess oftransposition oftheconcessions setforth in
Schedule LXXXVIII intotheHarmonized Commodity Nomenclature;
Taking intoaccount thatbysuccessive Decisions, thetime-limit ofthewaiver granted to
Guatemala hasbeenextended until30April 19972;
Considering thatthetime-lag which hasoccurred since theexpiry ofthelatest extension on
30April 1997 isduetoanadministrative restructuring oftheMission;
Taking intoaccount thatGuatemala 'snewCustoms Tariff based ontheHarmonized Commodity
Description andCoding System came intoforce on1March 1993, andreplaces theCentral American
Uniform Tariff Nomenclature;
Considering thatbyaDecision of31January 19953theGeneral Council established alistof
waivers existing attheentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, which included thewaiver granted
toGuatemala fortheestablishment ofanewSchedule LXXXVIII;
Taking intoaccount thatthenecessary documentation fortheholding oftheconsultations has
beensubmitted andcirculated indocument G/SECRET/HS/6 andthree countries havereserved their
righttoconduct negotiations; thatnegotiations havebeenentered intoinconformity withArticle XXVIII
withtwocountries anditishoped thatnegotiations willbecompleted shortly withonecountry inrelation
toinitial negotiating rights;
Considering thatinorder toimplement theprocedures established bytheCouncil Decision
of12July1983 fortherectification andrenegotiation oftheschedules ofconcessions negotiated in
GATT under theHarmonized System andtoholdconsultations under Article XXVIII, theGovernment
ofGuatemala, having fulfilled therequirements ofparagraph 1oftheUnderstanding inRespect of
1L/7405.
2WT/L/172.
3WT/L/3 andCorr.1.
./.G/C/W/88
Page2
Waivers ofObligations under theGATT 1994, hasrequested afurther extension ofthewaiver ofits
obligations under Article IIoftheGATT 19944;
TheGeneral Council, acting pursuant totheprovisions ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
Decides, inviewoftheexceptional circumstances outlined above, toextend thewaiver granted
toGuatemala bytheDecision of26January 1994 until30April 1998.
4G/L/185.