RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/LIC/1/Add.2
16February 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0622)
Committee onImport Licensing
AGREEMENT ONIMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES
INVOCATION OFFOOTNOTE 5TOARTICLE 2.2
Note bytheSecretariat
Pursuant tofootnote 5toArticle 2.2oftheWTO Agreement onImport Licensing Procedures,
adeveloping country Member, other thanadeveloping country Member which wasaParty to
theAgreement onImport Licensing Procedures doneon12April 1979, which hasspecific difficulties
complying withtherequirements ofsubparagraphs (a)(ii) and(a)(iii) may, upon notification tothe
Committee, delay theapplication ofthese subparagraphs bynotmore thantwoyears fromthedateof
entry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement forsuchMember.
Article 2.2(a)oftheAgreement onImport Licensing Procedures states thatautomatic licensing
procedures shallnotbeadministered insuchamanner astohaverestricting effects onimports subject
toautomatic licensing. Itfurther states thatautomatic licensing procedures shallbedeemed tohave
trade-restricting effects unless, interalia:
subparagraph (i): anyperson, firmorinstitution which fulfils thelegalrequirements oftheimporting
Member forengaging inimport operations involving products subject toautomatic
licensing isequally eligible toapply forandtoobtain import licences;
subparagraph (ii): applications forlicences maybesubmitted onanyworking daypriortothecustoms
clearance ofthegoods;
subparagraph (iii): applications forlicences when submitted inappropriate andcomplete form are
approved immediately onreceipt, totheextent administratively feasible, butwithin
amaximum of10working days.
Inaddition tothedeveloping country Members listed indocuments G/LIC/1 andAdd.1, Bolivia
andtheDominican Republic haveinvoked theprovisions fordelayed application under footnote 5to
Article 2.2oftheAgreement onImport Licensing Procedures. TheWTO Agreement entered intoforce
forthem on13September and9March 1995 respectively. Thetextsofthecommunications received
from them arecontained indocuments WT/Let/48 andWT/Let/56.