RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/C/W/10
23June1995
ORGANIZATION(95-1695)
COUNCIL FOR TRADE INGOODS
3July1995
JAMAICA -ESTABLISHMENT OFANEW SCHEDULE XLVI
Draft Decision onExtension ofTime-Limit
Considering thattheCONTRACTING PARTIES, bytheirDecision of20August 19931and
successive Decisions, suspended theapplication oftheprovisions ofArticle IIofGATT 1947toenable
theGovernment ofJamaica toimplement theHarmonized Commodity Description andCoding System
(Harmonized System) andcarry outnegotiations subsequently;
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 19952theGeneral Council established alistof
waivers existing attheentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, which included thewaiver granted
toJamaica fortheestablishment ofanewSchedule XLVI;
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;
Noting thattheGovernment ofJamaica hasencountered some technical problems inthe
preparation ofthedocumentation under Article XXVIII negotiations;
Taking intoaccount thatalthough continuing toexperience some problems, theGovernment
ofJamaica hopes tosubmit thedocumentation forcirculation prior totheGeneral Council tobeheld
inJuly1995, andwishes toassure theWTO thatitiscommitted tofinalizing thisprocess assoonas
possible;
1L/7291.
2W/L/3 +Corr.1.
./.G/C/W/10
Page2
Considering thattheGovernment ofJamaica, having fulfilled therequirements ofparagraph 1
oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under theGATT 1994, hasrequested a
further extension ofthewaiver foraperiod ofsixmonths until31December 19953;
TheGeneral Council, acting pursuant totheprovisions ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
Decides, inview oftheexceptional circumstances, toextend thetime-limit provided forin
theDecision of20August 1993, until31December 1995.
3G/L/9.