RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/L/50
22November 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-3785)
Committee onMarket Access
REPORT (1995) OFTHE COMMITTEE ONMARKET ACCESS
1. TheCommittee onMarket Access hasbeenestablished under Article IV,paragraph 7ofthe
WTO bytheGeneral Council atitsmeeting of30January 1995. Theterms ofreference ofthe
Committee arecontained indocument WT/L/47. Mr.JeanSaint-Jacques (Canada) hasbeenelected
Chairman, andMrs. Marie Gosset (Côte d'Ivoire), ViceChairperson oftheCommittee.
2. Inthecourseof1995theCommitteehadfourformalmeetings,on25April,26June,31October
and22November andanumber ofinformal meetings. Detailed reports ontheformal meetings can
befound indocuments G/MA/M/1 to3and4(tobeissued).
3. Areport oftheCommittee covering itsactivities anddecisions taken during thefirstsixmonths
of1995 hasbeencirculated indocument G/MA/1 dated 29June1995.
4. Onthequestion ofobservers, theCommittee agreed thatgovernments which wereintheprocess
ofacceding totheWTO orhadinitiated negotiations todoso,orhaddeclared theirintention todo
sointhenearfuture would bewelcome toattend themeetings oftheCommittee. TheCommittee
alsoagreed that,pending theapproval ofthecriteria andcondition forobserver status forinternational
intergovernmentalorganizationsintheWTO,thefollowingorganizations:FAO,IMF,ITCB,UNCTAD,
WCO andtheWorld Bank would beinvited toattend themeetings oftheCommittee inthecapacity
ofobservers.
5. Atitsmeeting of31October 1995, theCommittee adopted itsRules ofProcedure (document
G/MA/W/2) based ontheRules ofProcedure adopted bytheCouncil forTrade inGoods andapproved
bytheGeneral Council on31July1995(document WT/L/79). TheCommittee 'sRules ofProcedure
havebeenforwarded totheCouncil forTrade inGoods foradoption.
6. InOctober 1995, theCommittee alsoadopted twoDecisions onnon-tariff measures:
(1)Notification procedures ofquantitative restrictions (document G/MA/NTM/W/1/Rev.1) and
(2)Reverse notification onnon-tariff measures (document G/MA/NTM/W/2/Rev.1).
7. Atthemeeting inOctober theCommittee Members alsoexamined several issues concerning
thefuture oftheIntegrated DataBaseandtheyagreed tomake every effort toprovide thenecessary
trade andtariff datainorder toestablish areliable database. Inaddition theCommittee agreed that:
(1)theSecretariat prepare asimplified format fortheIDBdatasubmissions anddevelop PCapplications
forthepreparation ofdataincapitals; (2)theSecretariat undertake astudy onthe"downsizing" of
theIDBfromamainframe toaPCenvironment; (3)theIDBbemade operational withbasicinformation
ontariffs andimports before broadening itsscope byincluding non-tariff measures andother types
ofrestrictions; and(4)access totheIDBcould begiven tointernational organizations.G/L/50
Page2
8. During thesecond halfoftheyeartheactivities oftheCommittee were, foralarge part,
dedicated totheintroduction ofamendments totheHarmonized System nomenclature recommended
bytheCounciloftheWorldCustomsOrganization(WCO)whichwillenterintoforceon1January1996
andtotheprocedures tofollow under theWTO torectify theSchedules ofConcessions. Inthiscontext,
atthemeeting of22November, Members agreed tothetextofaDraft Decision foracollective waiver
forthesuspension oftheprovisions ofArticle IIoftheGATT 1994 inaccordance withArticle IX
oftheWTO Agreement forthose Members which requested awaiver fortheintroduction oftheHS96
changes. TheDraft Decision isforwarded totheCouncil forTrade inGoods foradoption.
9. During thecourse oftheyeartheCommittee alsoexamined various issues related tothe
establishment ofconsolidated loose-leaf schedules. These issues related, among other things, tothe
legal implications; thecoverage onunbound items; advalorem, specific andmixed duties; rates
ofstaging; other duties andcharges (ODCs); treatment ofagriculture andInitial Negotiating Rights
(INRs).Atthemeetingon22November1995theCommitteeagreedtotheestablishmentofconsolidated
loose-leaf schedules onthebasis ofproposals bytheChairman contained indocument
G/MA/TAR/W/4/Rev.2. ADraft Decision tothiseffect willbeprepared forconsideration bymembers
atthenextmeeting oftheCommittee.
10. TheCommittee tooknoteofthefactual information provided bymembers under current waivers
related totherenegotiation ortransposition intoHSoftheirSchedules ofconcessions. Thisinformation
isreproduced asanAnnex tothisreport.G/L/34
Page3Annex
FACTUAL INFORMATION RELATED TOTHE EXTENSION OFWAIVERS
Country Date of
original
waiverDate of
submission
ofHS
documentationNof
extensions
anddatesNofcountries
withwhich
Article XXVIII
negotiations
have been
initiatedNof
countries
withwhich
Article
XXVIII
negotiations
have been
concludedStatus of
outstanding
Article XXVIII
negotiationsOutlook for
concluding
theprocessRequest
for
extension
anddraft
decision
1.Bangladesh 18.07.1988 06.12.1990
SECRET/HS/29Thirteen:
24.07.1989
05.12.1989
16.07.1990
13.12.1990
12.08.1991
04.12.1991
20.07.1992
03.12.1992
19.07.1993
17.01.1994
21.07.1994
09.12.1994
15.09.1995Four One Consultations areprogressing Intention toconclude
negotiations withtwo
remaining countries as
soonaspossibleExtension
requested
G/L/42
G/C/W/23
2.Bolivia 03.12.1992 G/SECRET/HS/6 Three:
17.01.1994
21.07.1994
09.12.1994Extension
requested
G/L/43
G/C/W/24
3.Guatemala 26.01.1994 G/SECRET/HS/7 Two:
09.12.1994
31.08.1995Extension
requested
G/L/44
G/C/W/25G/L/50
Page4Country Date of
original
waiverDate of
submission
ofHS
documentationNof
extensions
anddatesNofcountries
withwhich
Article XXVIII
negotiations
have been
initiatedNof
countries
withwhich
Article
XXVIII
negotiations
have been
concludedStatus of
outstanding
Article XXVIII
negotiationsOutlook for
concluding
theprocessRequest
for
extension
anddraft
decision
4.Jamaica 20.08.1993 06.10.1995
G/SECRET/HS/5Three:
21.07.1994
09.12.1994
31.08.1995Documentation under
examination (time-limit not
over)Extension
requested
G/L/45
G/C/W/26
5.Malawi 03.12.1992 Sept. 1992 (partial
documentation -
statistics missing)Four:
17.01.1994
21.07.1994
09.12.1994
[Subm. toGC
of15.11.1995]Technical problems were
encountered inthe
transposition oftheschedule
intotheHarmonized System,
andinthecompilation ofthe
required statisticsTechnical assistance
being extended to
Malawi bythe
Secretariat
(November 1995)Request for
extension not
yetreceived
6.Morocco 20.07.1992 08.06.1995
G/SECRET/HS/2Five:
19.07.1993
17.01.1994
21.07.1994
09.12.1994
31.08.1995Two None Documentation under
examinationIntends toconclude
negotiations assoon
aspossibleExtension
requested
G/L/56
G/C/W/35
7.Nicaragua 26.01.1994 28.06.1995
G/SECRET/HS/3One:
09.12.1994Two None Nicaragua isexpecting
request listsfrom trading
partnersExtension
requested
G/L/46
G/C/W/27G/L/34
Page5Country Date of
original
waiverDate of
submission
ofHS
documentationNof
extensions
anddatesNofcountries
withwhich
Article XXVIII
negotiations
have been
initiatedNof
countries
withwhich
Article
XXVIII
negotiations
have been
concludedStatus of
outstanding
Article XXVIII
negotiationsOutlook for
concluding
theprocessRequest
for
extension
anddraft
decision
8.Pakistan 29.11.1977 Thedocumentation
related tothe
original waiver was
circulated indoc.
L/4567 andL/4609
andAdd.1-2. HS
documentation not
submittedNineteen:
22.11.1982
07.11.1983
30.11.1984
26.11.1985
24.11.1986
03.12.1987
23.01.1989
24.07.1989
05.12.1989
16.07.1990
01.07.1991
04.12.1991
20.07.1992
03.12.1992
19.07.1993
17.01.1994
21.07.1994
09.12.1994
[Subm. toGC
of15.11.1995]Nine Eight Negotiations pending with
onememberHopes toreach
settlement before the
endoftheyearExtension not
requested
9.Senegal 07.12.1990 18.11.1993
SECRET/341 and
Add.1Eight:
04.12.1991
20.07.1992
03.12.1992
19.07.1993
17.01.1994
21.07.1994
09.12.1994
31.08.1995Four One Questions transmitted tothe
relevant authorities.
Negotiations pending with
three membersHopes toconclude
soonExtension
requested
G/L/52
G/C/W/32G/L/50
Page6Country Date of
original
waiverDate of
submission
ofHS
documentationNof
extensions
anddatesNofcountries
withwhich
Article XXVIII
negotiations
have been
initiatedNof
countries
withwhich
Article
XXVIII
negotiations
have been
concludedStatus of
outstanding
Article XXVIII
negotiationsOutlook for
concluding
theprocessRequest
for
extension
anddraft
decision
10.SriLanka 08.11.1988 12.01.1990
SECRET/HS/26Twelve:
24.07.1989
16.07.1990
07.12.1990
01.07.1991
04.12.1991
20.07.1992
03.12.1992
19.07.1993
17.01.1994
21.07.1994
09.12.1994
31.08.1995Five One Conclusion isexpected with
onecountry verysoon, and
theother negotiations arein
progressExpects toconclude
thenegotiations within
twomonthsExtension
requested
G/L/48
G/C/W/29
11.Trinidad &Tobago 20.08.1993 01.09.1995
G/SECRET/HS/4Three:
21.07.1994
09.12.1994
31.08.1995Documentation under
examination (time-limit not
over)Extension
requested
G/L/49
G/C/W/30
12.Zambia 26.11.1993
(2years)Documentation
being prepared by
M.A. DivisionTechnical assistance
being extended to
Zambia bySecretariat
inNovember 1995Extension
requested
G/L/53
G/C/W/33