WORLD TRADE WT/L/131
16February 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0579)
MALAWI -RENEGOTIATION OFSCHEDULE LVIII
Extension ofTime-Limit
Decision of6February 19961
Considering thattheCONTRACTING PARTIES toGATT 1947, bytheir Decision of
3December 19922,suspended theapplication oftheprovisions ofArticle IIofGATT 1947totheextent
necessary toenable theGovernment ofMalawi toimplement theHarmonized System andcarry out
negotiations subsequently;
Takingintoaccountthat,bysuccessiveDecisions,thetime-limitofthewaivergrantedtoMalawi
hasbeenextended until31December 19953;
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
toMalawi fortherenegotiation ofSchedule LVIII;
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 ofMalawi 'sSchedule into
theHarmonizedSystemisbeingfinalisedwiththehelpoftheSecretariat,andwillhopefullybecirculated
toWTO Members before theendof1995;
./.
1Adopted inaccordance withtheProcedures onWTO Decision-Making under Articles IXandXIIoftheWTO Agreement
agreed bytheGeneral Council (WT/L/93).
2BISD 39S/384.
3WT/L/103.
4WT/L/3 andCorr.1.WT/L/131
Page2
Considering thattheGovernment ofMalawi, having fulfilled therequirements ofparagraph 1
oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under theGATT 1994 has,therefore,
requested afurther extension oftheexemption ofitsobligations under Article IIofGATT 1994 until
30June19965;
TheGeneral Council, acting pursuant totheprovisions ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
Decides, inviewoftheexceptional circumstances outlined above, toextend thewaiver granted
toMalawi bytheDecision of3December 1992, until30June1996.
5G/L/51.