RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/MA/W/4/Rev.1
22November 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-3737)
Committee onMarket Access
INTRODUCTION OFHARMONIZED SYSTEM CHANGES INTO
WTO SCHEDULES OFTARIFF CONCESSIONS ON1JANUARY 1996
DRAFT DECISION
TheGeneral Council
Recognizing thattheadoption oftheHarmonized Commodity Description andCoding System
(hereinafter referred toasthe"Harmonized System") has,inaddition tofacilitating international trade
andtheanalysis oftradestatistics, ensured greater uniformity incountries 'customs classification, thus
enabling them tomonitor andprotect thevalue oftariff concessions;
Noting that,inaccordance withArticle 16oftheHarmonized System Convention, theCouncil
oftheWorld Customs Organization adopted aRecommendation on6July1993concerning amendments
totheHarmonized System tocome intoforce on1January 1996 (hereinafter referred toas"HS96
changes");
Recalling thesimplified procedures adopted bytheCommittee onTariff Concessions to
implement changes intheHarmonized System1,inparticular paragraph 2ofthose procedures, which
incertain cases mayrequire negotiation orconsultation under Article XXVIII ofGATT 1994,
Considering thattheMembers concerned would needmore timetoproceed withconsultations
orpossible Article XXVIII negotiations,
Acting pursuant totheprovisions ofparagraph 3ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
Decides, inviewoftheexceptional circumstances, tosuspend theapplication oftheprovisions
ofArticle IIofGATT 1994, until30June1996, forthepurpose ofenabling theMembers listed in
theAnnex toimplement on1January 1996therecommended amendments totheHarmonized System
nomenclature, subject tothefollowing conditions:
(i) TheMember concerned shallsubmit, totheextent possible, by31December 1995,
thedocumentation required under paragraph 2ofthesimplified procedures adopted
bytheCommittee onTariff Concessions toimplement changes intheHarmonized
System1;
1BISD 39S/300.G/MA/W/4/Rev.1
Page2
ifthisisnotpossible:
(a)theMember concerned shallsubmit by31December 1995, thepages of
itsconsolidated schedule containing theproposed changes together withan
accompanying letterindicating theconcessions which mayhavebeenaltered
oronecopy ofitsnational tariff ineither itsnational language orinone
oftheWTO official languages, withtheHS96 changes clearly indicated;
and
(b)theMember concerned shall submit by31March 1996 theremaining
documentation required under paragraph 2ofthesimplified procedures
adopted bytheCommittee onTariff Concessions toimplement changes in
theHarmonized System;
(ii) theMember concerned shall, where necessary, promptly enter intonegotiations and
consultations withinterested Members pursuant toparagraphs 1-3ofArticle XXVIII
ofGATT 1994;
(iii) thenegotiations andconsultations mentioned above shallbecompleted notlaterthan
30June1996;
(iv) pending theentryintoforceoftheresults ofthenegotiations orconsultations mentioned
above, theother Members willbefreetosuspend concessions initially negotiated with
theMember concerned totheextent thattheyconsider thatadequate compensation
isnotoffered bytheMember concerned.G/MA/W/4/Rev.1
Page3
ANNEX
WTO MEMBERS WHICH HAVE REQUESTED TOBECOVERED BY
THE WAIVER UNDER THE ATTACHED DECISION
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
Colombia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
European Communities
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Israel
Japan
Malaysia
Mexico
Norway
Paraguay
Philippines
Poland
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
South Africa
SriLanka
Switzerland
Thailand
Turkey
United States
Uruguay
Venezuela