WORLD TRADE WT/L/266
29April 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1729)
SRILANKA -ESTABLISHMENT OFANEW SCHEDULE VI
Extension ofTime-Limit
Decision of24April 19981
Considering thattheCONTRACTING PARTIES toGATT 1947, bytheir Decision of
8November 19882,suspended theapplication oftheprovisions ofArticle IIofGATT 1947totheextent
necessary toenable theGovernment ofSriLanka toimplement theHarmonized Commodity Description
andCoding System (Harmonized System) on1January 1989andcarry outnegotiations subsequently;
Taking intoaccount that,bysuccessive Decisions, thetime-limit ofthewaiver granted to
SriLanka hasbeenextended until30April 19983.
Considering thatbyaDecision of31January 19954theGeneral Council established alistof
waivers existing attheentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, which included thewaiver granted
toSriLanka fortheestablishment ofanewSchedule VI;
Taking intoaccount thatthedocumentation relevant tothetransposition ofSriLanka 'sSchedule
intotheHarmonized System wascirculated indocument SECRET/HS/26 on12January 1990;
Considering thattheGovernment ofSriLanka hasinitiated Article XXVIII negotiations with
fourMembers, buthasbeenunable toconclude thembecause ofseveral constraints incompleting the
preparatory work forfurther negotiations asaresult ofthesecurity situation inthecountry which has
consumed vasthuman andfinancial resources forsafeguarding theterritorial integrity ofthecountry;
Considering that,inlightoftheabove, theGovernment ofSriLanka willfinditdifficult to
conclude negotiations before 30April 1998andwillrequire some more timetoengage inconsultations
withallrelevant agencies concerned withregard tothelatest proposals received;
1AdoptedinaccordancewiththeDecision-MakingProceduresunderArticlesIXandXIIoftheWTOAgreemen t
agreed bytheGeneral Council (WT/L/93).
2BISD, 35S/22.
3WT/L/241.
4WT/L/3 +Corr.1.
./.WT/L/266
Page2
Noting thattheGovernment ofSriLanka hasreceived counter proposals fromtwocountries
andhasalsoreceived arequest forclarification from oneother country, andthatresponses willbe
submitted afterconsultations withtheappropriate authorities;
Noting further that,inthiscontext, aCommission onTrade andTariff hasbeenestablished
inSriLanka withtheresponsibility oflooking intoanyanomalies andchanges concerning tariffmatters
which impinges directly onthenegotiations; thereport ofthecommission isawaited topursue the
negotiations;
Considering thattheGovernment ofSriLanka hasassured thecountries concerned thatthe
negotiations willbefinalized tothesatisfaction ofallparties concerned intheshortest possible time;
Considering thattheGovernment ofSriLanka, having fulfilled therequirements ofparagraph 1
oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under theGATT 1994, hasrequested a
further extension oftheexemption ofitsobligations under Article IIofGATT 19945;
TheGeneral Council, acting pursuant totheprovisions ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
Decides, inviewoftheexceptional circumstances outlined above, toextend thewaiver granted
toSriLanka bytheDecision of8November 1988, until31October 1998.
__________
5G/L/229.