RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/MA/NTM/W/1
26October 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-3301)
Committee onMarket Access
DRAFT
DECISION ONNOTIFICATION PROCEDURES FOR
QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS
TheCommittee, inpursuance ofitsmandate (paragraph (d)ofdocument WT/L/471),agrees
that:
- Members shallmake complete notifications ofthequantitative restrictions which theymaintain
by[31January 1996] andattwo-yearly intervals thereafter, andshallnotify changes totheir
quantitative restrictions asandwhen these changes occur;
- suchnotifications shallcontain:
- afulldescription oftheproducts andtarifflines(orpartsoftarifflines) affected together
withtherelevant heading orsub-heading intheHarmonised System nomenclature;
- aprecise indication ofthetypeofrestriction, using theagreed symbols (BISD 32S/108)
asannexed;
- anindication ofthegrounds andWTO justification forthemeasures maintained,
including theprecise provisions which theyciteasajustification (e.g.therelevant
section ofArticle XVIII orsub-paragraph ofArticle XXorXXIoftheGATT 1995);
- astatement onthetrade effects ofthemeasure; inorder toensure fulltransparency,
thenotification should include adescription oftheadministrative mechanism associated
withthemeasure, unless thismechanism hasbeennotified under theAgreement on
Import Licensing Procedures oranother WTO Agreement. Alsounder trade effects,
thenotification should include information onthequantity ofpermissible imports, on
thedegree ofquota utilization (inthecaseofexisting quotas) and,where available,
onthelevelofproduction orconsumption.
- Memberswhichhavemade,underotherWTOprovisions,notificationsofquantitativerestrictions
(including notifications totheGATT Technical Committee onQuantitative Restrictions and
Other Non-Tariff Measures) which fulfil therequirements forquantitative restrictions
notifications under the1984and1985decisions andwhich areup-to-date, shallnotify thefact;
thereupon, theSecretariat shallinput suchnotifications intothequantitative restrictions data
base;
1Thestatement orunderstanding contained indocument PC/IPL/M/9, paragraphs 6,7and8applies
alsotothisDecision.G/MA/NTM/W/1
Page2
- theSecretariat shallprovide, toassist delegations inthepreparation oftheirnotifications, on
request, theextract ofthequantitative restrictions databasepertaining toitsownrestrictions;
- thenotifications shall bestored inanewdatabase, identical totheexisting quantitative
restrictions database. Thelatter shallcease toexistwhen theGATT 1947 isterminated;
- theSecretariat shallpublish periodically adocument listing theWTO Members having made
anotification. TheSecretariat shallmake available toMembers, asandwhen requested, on
paper orcomputer tape, detailed extracts ofthequantitative restrictions database. The
notifications themselves shallbeavailable forconsultation intheSecretariat;
- theCommittee shall, attwo-yearly intervals afterreceipt ofthecomplete notifications, review
thenotifications received, onthebasis ofSecretariat summaries similar tothesummaries
prepared fortheGATT Technical Group onQuantitative Restrictions andOther Non-Tariff
Measures.G/MA/NTM/W/1
Page3
ANNEX TOTHE DECISION ONNOTIFICATION OF
QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS
Symbols tobeusedinnotifications ofquantitative restrictions2
P Prohibition
CP Prohibition except under defined conditions
GQ Global quota
GQC Global quota allocated bycountry
BQ Bilateral quota (i.e.anything lessthanaglobal quota)
AL Automatic licensing
NAL Non-automatic licensing
STR Quantitative restriction made effective through state-trading operations
MXR Mixing regulation
MPR Minimum price, triggering aquantitative restriction
VER "Voluntary" export restraint
addthefollowing suffixes totheabove asappropriate:
-S Seasonal restriction
-X Export restriction
2BISD 32S/108