RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/TMB/N/67/Add.1
14December 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-4076)
Original: English Textiles Monitoring Body
AGREEMENT ONTEXTILES AND CLOTHING
Notification under Article 3.1
Malta
Addendum
TheTextiles Monitoring Body hasreceived afurther notification from Malta, pursuant to
paragraph 1ofArticle 3.
TheTMB, inaccordance withparagraph 5ofArticle 3,iscirculating thisnotification to
WTO Members fortheirinformation.
./.G/TMB/N/67/Add.1
Page2
Permanent Mission ofMalta
GNV/5/2/10
Geneva, 28November 1995
Mr.András Szepesi
Chairman
Textiles Monitoring Body
Centre William Rappard
RuedeLausanne 154
1211 Geneva
Dear Mr.Szepesi,
Irefertoyourletterdated26October1995whereinyouhadrequestedmoredetailedinformation
ontheoperation ofthelicensing system applied byMalta onimports offlour bagsandhand-made
lace,aswellastheGATT 1994 justification forsuchrestrictions.
Ihavebeengiven thefollowing information bymyGovernment:
Flour Bags: They currently require animport licence, butitisadministrative formality -
importation isnotprohibited. Alegal notice removing flour bagsfrom thelistofimports
requiring alicense isawaiting theMinister ofTrade 'ssignature.
Lace: There arenorestrictions whatsoever onmachine-made lace,onthisitemanimport
licence isnotrequired. Applications forlicences toimport hand-made lacearereferred to
theDepartment ofIndustry, which asthelawstands, isobliged tovetothem. (Hand-made
Lace islisted intheFirst Schedule oftheLocal Manufacturers (Promotion) Act,which is
intended toprotect anindustry which isconsidered toform partofournational heritage.)
Thepolicy ofnotissuing licences fortheimportation ofhand-made laceisjustified under the
terms ofArticle XX,paragraph (f)ofGATT 1994. Theprohibition isneither discriminatory
norarbitrary -allrequests fortheimportation ofhand-made lace,fromallcountries, arerefused.
(signed) Dr.Jacqueline Aquilina
f/Permanent Representative