WORLD TRADE WT/L/83
15September 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-2690)
JAMAICA -ESTABLISHMENT OFANEW SCHEDULE LXVI
Extension ofTime-Limit
Decision of31August 19951
Considering thattheCONTRACTING PARTIES toGATT 1947, bytheir Decision of
20August 19932andsuccessive Decisions, suspended theapplication oftheprovisions ofArticle II
ofGATT 1947 toenable theGovernment ofJamaica toimplement theHarmonized Commodity
Description andCoding System (Harmonized System) andcarry outnegotiations subsequently;
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 attheentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, which included thewaiver granted
toJamaica fortheestablishment ofanewSchedule LXVI;
Considering thatparagraph 2oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under
theGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1994 provides thatanywaiver ineffect onthedateof
entryintoforceoftheWTOAgreementshallterminateunlessextendedinaccordancewiththeprocedures
setoutinparagraph 1oftheaforementioned Understanding andthose ofArticle IXoftheWTO
Agreement onthedateofitsexpiry ortwoyears from thedateofentry intoforce oftheWTO
Agreement, whichever isearlier;
Noting thattheGovernment ofJamaica hasencountered some technical problems inthe
preparation ofthedocumentation under Article XXVIII negotiations;
Taking intoaccount thatalthough continuing toexperience some problems, theGovernment
ofJamaica hasgiven theassurance thatitwillsubmit thedocumentation by29September 1995, and
wishes toassure theWTO thatitiscommitted tofinalizing thisprocess assoonaspossible;
./.
1TheDecision wasadopted bypostal ballot. There were 85votes infavour andnoneagainst.
2L/7291.
3WT/L/3 andCorr.1.WT/L/83
Page2
Considering thattheGovernment ofJamaica, having fulfilled therequirements ofparagraph 1
oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under theGATT 1994, hasrequested a
further extension ofthewaiver foraperiod ofsixmonths until31December 19954;
TheGeneral Council, acting pursuant totheprovisions ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
Decides, inviewoftheexceptional circumstances outlined above, toextend thewaiver granted
toJamaica bytheDecision of20August 1993, until31December 1995.
4G/L/9.