RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/C/W/75
3April 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-1363)
Original: English Council forTrade inGoods
14April 1997
ZAMBIA -RENEGOTIATION OFSCHEDULE LXXVIII
Draft Decision onExtension ofTime-Limit
Considering thattheCONTRACTING PARTIES toGATT 1947, bytheir Decision of
26November 19931,suspended theapplication oftheprovisions ofArticle IIofGATT 1947 tothe
extent necessary toenable theGovernment ofZambia toimplement theHarmonized Commodity
Description andCoding System (Harmonized System) on1January 1988 andcarry outnegotiations
subsequently;
Taking intoaccount thatbyDecision of18July1996, thetime-limit ofthewaiver hasbeen
extended until30April 19972;
Considering thatthefootnote toAnnex IA,Section onGATT 1994, sub-paragraph 1(b)(iii)
oftheAgreement establishing theWorld Trade Organization requires theMinisterial Conference to
establish atitsfirstsession arevised listofwaivers granted under Article XXV ofGATT 1947 and
stillinforce onthedateofentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement;
Considering thatbyaDecision of31January 19953theGeneral Council established alistof
waivers existing atthetimeofentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, which included thewaiver
granted toZambia fortherenegotiation ofitsSchedule LXXVIII;
Considering thatparagraph 2oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under
theGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1994 provides thatanywaiver ineffect onthedateof
entryintoforceoftheWTOAgreementshallterminateunlessextendedinaccordancewiththeprocedures
setoutinparagraph 1oftheaforementioned Understanding andthose ofArticle IXofthe
WTO Agreement onthedateofitsexpiry ortwoyears from thedateofentry intoforce ofthe
WTO Agreement, whichever isearlier;
Taking intoaccount thattherelevant documentation necessary forrenegotiations under
Article XXVIII wascirculated indocument G/SECRET/HS/8 on12March 1996;
ConsideringthattheGovernmentofZambiahasinitiatednegotiationswiththreetradingpartners,
andhopes tofinalize theprocess soon;
1BISD, 40S/102.
2WT/L/171.
3WT/L/3 +Corr.1.
./.G/C/W/75
Page2
Considering thattheGovernment ofZambia, having fulfilled therequirements ofparagraph 1
oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under theGATT 1994, hasrequested a
further extension oftheexemption ofitsobligations under Article IIofGATT 19944;
TheGeneral Council, acting pursuant totheprovisions ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
Decides, inviewoftheexceptional circumstances outlined above, toextend thewaiver granted
toZambia bytheDecision of26November 1993, until31October 1997.
4G/L/162.