WORLD TRADE WT/L/80
15September 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-2687)
BANGLADESH -ESTABLISHMENT OFANEW SCHEDULE LXX
Extension ofTime-Limit
Decision of31August 19951
Considering thattheCONTRACTING PARTIES toGATT 1947, bytheir Decision of
18July19882,suspended theapplication oftheprovisions ofArticle IIofGATT 1947 totheextent
necessary toenable theGovernment ofBangladesh toimplement theHarmonized System on1July1988
andcarry outnegotiations subsequently;
Takingintoaccountthat,bysuccessiveDecisions,theCONTRACTINGPARTIEStoGATT1947
extended thetime-limit ofthewaiver granted toBangladesh until30June19953;
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 19954theGeneral 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 thattherequired HSdocumentation forrenegotiation under Article XXVIII has
beensubmitted totheSecretariat andcirculated tothecontracting parties on6December 1990 in
document SECRET/HS/29;
./.
1TheDecision wasadopted bypostal ballot. There were 84votes infavour andnoneagainst.
2BISD 35S/348.
3L/7593.
4WT/L/3 andCorr.1.WT/L/80
Page2
Noting thattheGovernment ofBangladesh hasinitiated consultations under Article XXVIII
withsixcountries, andthatithasprovided theassurance thatitwillmake every effort tofinalize these
consultations asearly aspossible;
ConsideringthattheGovernmentofBangladesh,havingfulfilledtherequirementsofparagraph1
oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under theGATT 1994 has,therefore,
requested afurther extension oftheexemption ofitsobligations under Article IIofGATT 1994 until
31December 19955;
TheGeneral Council, acting pursuant totheprovisions ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
Decides, inviewoftheexceptional circumstances outlined above, toextend thewaiver granted
toBangladesh bytheDecision of18July1988, until31December 1995.
5G/L/8.