WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/30
4November 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4634)
Trade Policy Review Body
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM
United States
Arrangements forReview Meetings
Communication from theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review Body
1. Inpursuance ofArticle IV,paragraph 4andAnnex 3oftheWTO Agreement, meetings of
theTrade Policy Review Body arescheduled for11-12 November 1996 toconduct thereview ofthe
trade policies andpractices ofUnited States (WTO/AIR/478).
2. Thiscommunication setsoutarrangements concerning thereview meetings. Inthisconnection,
attention isalsodrawn totheprocedures fortheconduct ofreviews contained intherulesofprocedure
formeetings oftheTrade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/6).
(i) Questions inwriting inadvance ofthemeeting
3. Where possible, Members shallsubmit written questions totheMembers under review atleast
oneweek before thereview meeting toallow timetoprepare replies. Fortheforthcoming review,
suchquestions should therefore beinthehands oftheSecretariat by6November 1996. Allquestions
submitted willbemade available toMembers atthebeginning ofthemeetings.
(ii) Discussants
4. Inconsultation withtheMembers under review, theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review
Body maychoose discussants who, intheirpersonal capacity, willintroduce thediscussions inthe
Body. Ambassador Akao (Japan) andAmbassador Benjelloun-Touimi (Morocco) willactasdiscussants
forthereview ofUnited States. Documents summarizing themainpoints toberaised bythediscussants
willbecirculated oneweek inadvance ofthemeetings.
(iii) Structure ofthemeeting
5. Trade policy review cover fourbroad headings:
(a) appreciation ofthefullrange oftheMember 'strade policies andpractices;
(b) relevant background: wider economic anddevelopmental needs, including theexternal
environment;
(c) impactoftheMember'stradepoliciesandpracticesonthefunctioningofthemultilateral
trading system; and
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Page2
(d) general comments bywayofassessment andevaluation.
Meetings takeplace intwosessions. Thefirstsession isdevoted totheopening statements bythe
Member under review andthediscussants, andremarks andquestions fromthefloor. Thediscussion
inthesecond session, when theMember under review willreply toquestions, isbased onmainthemes
identified aftertheopening meeting bytheChairperson, discussants andSecretariat inconsultation
withtheMember.
(iv) Documentation andpress arrangements
6. Reports bytheMembers under review andtheSecretariat arecontained inthefollowing
documents:
WT/TPR/G/16 Report bytheGovernment ofUnited States
WT/TPR/S/16 United States: Report bytheSecretariat
7. Thepress embargo forthereview ofUnited States willendat13.00 GMT (14.00 localtime)
on12November 1996.
(v) Minutes
8. Minutes ofthemeeting willbecirculated promptly andwillbepublished together withthe
reports bytheGovernment andtheSecretariat.
(vi) Answers inwriting bythecontracting parties under review afterthespecial Council meetings
9. Inthecourse ofthediscussions atthereview meeting, theMember under review mayindicate
thatitintends toprovide supplementary information, inwriting, onspecific points raised. Upon receipt,
theSecretariat willcirculate adocument containing thisinformation toallMembers. Suchinformation
willnotbereflected intheminutes ofthemeeting.