WORLD TRADE WT/L/202
28January 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0308)
Original: English GENERAL COUNCIL
7February 1997
ECUADOR -COMMITMENTS UNDER THE PROTOCOL OFACCESSION
Communication from theUnited States
Thefollowing communication, dated 27January 1997, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission oftheUnited States withtherequest thatitbecirculated toMembers.
_______________
Ecuador became aWTO Member on21January 1996. Theprovisions ofitsprotocol of
accession require Ecuador tobring itstrade practices incertain areas intoconformity withtheWTO
Agreement bythedateofaccession or,insome cases, within specific periods oftime. Theprotocol
alsoprovides thatEcuador willnotify theSecretariat annually oftheimplementation ofcertain
commitmentswithdefinitivedatesforcomplianceandwillidentifyanydelaysinimplementationtogether
withthereasons therefore.
Specifically, weareconcerned thatEcuador hasnotmetitsobligation tobring intocompliance
theapplication ofthespecial Consumption Taxonsimilar domestic andimported products andimport
bansonusedtires, clothes, andautomobiles by1July1996, andtoapply theprovisions oftheWTO
TRIPS Agreement nolaterthan31July1996, andthattherequired status report totheSecretariat
hasnotbeenmade.WehaveadditionalconcernsthatothercommitmentsinEcuador'saccessionprotocol
apparently havenotbeenacted upon.
TheUnited States hasrequested thatthisissuebeplaced ontheagenda ofthe7February meeting
oftheGeneral Council inlightoftheCouncil 'sadoption ofEcuador 'sprotocol ofaccession andthe
interest ofallMembers incompliance withthecommitments inprotocols ofaccession.