RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/C/W/23
22November 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-3811)
COUNCIL FOR TRADE INGOODS
1December 1995
BANGLADESH -ESTABLISHMENT OFANEW SCHEDULE LXX
Draft Decision onExtension ofTime-Limit
Considering thattheCONTRACTING PARTIES toGATT 1947, bytheir Decision of
18July19881,suspended theapplication oftheprovisions ofArticle IIofGATT 1947 totheextent
necessary toenable theGovernment ofBangladesh toimplement theHarmonized System on1July1988
andcarry outnegotiations subsequently;
Taking intoaccount that,bysuccessive Decisions, thetime-limit ofthewaiver granted to
Bangladesh hasbeenextended until31December 19952;
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
toBangladesh fortheestablishment ofanewSchedule LXX;
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;
Considering thatthedocumentation relevant tothetransposition ofBangladesh 'sSchedule into
theHarmonized System wascirculated on6December 1990 indocument SECRET/HS/29;
1BISD 35S/348.
2WT/L/80.
3WT/L/3 +Corr.1.
./.G/C/W/23
Page2
Noting thattheGovernment ofBangladesh hasinitiated consultations under Article XXVIII
withfourcountries andhasconcluded negotiations withtwoofthem, andhasprovided theassurance
thatitwillmake every effort tocomplete theprocess asearly aspossible;
ConsideringthattheGovernmentofBangladesh,havingfulfilledtherequirementsofparagraph1
oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under theGATT 1994 has,therefore,
requested afurther extension oftheexemption ofitsobligations under Article IIofGATT 1994 until
30June19964;
TheGeneral Council, acting pursuant totheprovisions ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
Decides, inviewoftheexceptional circumstances outlined above, toextend thewaiver granted
toBangladesh bytheDecision of18July1988, until30June1996.
4G/L/42.