RESTRICTED  
  
JOB/CTG/35/Rev.2  
 
10 October  2023 
(23-6793) Page: 1/12 
Council for Trade in Goods    
 
  [DRAFT] REPORT ON THE WTO  RESPONSE TO THE COVID -19 PANDEMIC  
AND PREPAREDNESS FOR FUTURE PANDEMICS  
REPORT BY THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS AND ITS SUBSIDIARY BODIES1 
Revision  
This draft report  has been prepared by the Secretariat at the request of the Chairperson of the 
Council for Trade in Goods further to the Council's informal meeting s of 31  May 2023 and 
19 September  2023. This second  revision incorporates an informal joint submission for Section  3 
by Ecuador,  the E uropean Union , the United Kingdom and Uruguay,  with language that aims to  
largely reproduce text from the "Ministerial Declaration on the WTO  Response to the 
COVID -19 Pandemic and Preparedness for Future Pandemics"  (WT/MIN(22)/31 ) and the 
Committee on Market Access  Lessons Learned from the Experience –Sharing Sessions on Trade in 
COVID -19 Related Goods ( G/MA/409 ). In submitting these inputs, t he aforementioned Members 
also noted that the text had been informally discussed with other M embers.  
 
As provided in document  JOB/CTG/37 , Members are kindly request ed to provide comments on 
these revisions and additions  no later than  COB of  17 October  2023. A new revision will be 
prepared by the Secretariat in case comments are received. T his draft report  will be  considered at 
the formal  meeting of the Council that is scheduled to take place on 30 November  2023.  
 
1   INTRODUCTION  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  1 
2   STOCKTAKING IN THE GOODS AREA  ................................ ................................ ...........  2 
2.1   Transparency / Notifications / Voluntary Communications  ................................ ................  2 
2.2   Trade Concerns  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  5 
2.3   Dedicated / Experience -Sharing Sessions  ................................ ................................ ...... 5 
2.4   Input from External Stakeholders ................................ ................................ .................  8 
2.5   Secretariat Information Notes  ................................ ................................ .....................  9 
2.6   Relevant Outcomes  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 9 
3   LESSONS LEARNED AND CHALLENGES EXPERI ENCED IN THE GOODS AREA  ................  9 
 
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  This report has been prepared by the Council for Trade in Goods (Council or CTG)  pursuant to 
paragraph  24 of the "Ministerial Declaration on the WTO  Response to the COVID -19 Pandemic and 
Preparedness for Future Pandemics"  (WT/MIN(22)/31 ), which was adopted as part of the 
MC12  package. This paragraph  provides as follows:  
 
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  JOB/CTG/35/Rev.2  
 
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  24. Relevant WTO  bodies2 will, within their fields of competence, and on 
the basis of proposals by Members, continue or initiate work as soon as 
possible, to analyze  lessons that have been l earned and challenges 
experienced during the COVID -19 pandemic. A stocktaking exercise will 
be taken of the work by WTO  bodies under this declaration yearly at the 
General Council until the end of 2024, based on the reports of those 
relevant bodies.  
1.2.  On 22 June 2022, the Secretariat issued a report on the " WTO Secretariat's Work in the 
Context of the COVID -19 Pandemic " (WT/MIN(22)/34 ). 
1.3.  In September and early October  2022, f ollowing MC12 , the Chairperson of the CTG consulted 
bilaterally with Members on how they wished to implement the different outcomes of MC12, 
including on the WTO  response to the Pandemic . At an informal  meeting of the Council that took 
place on 14  October  2022, the Chairperson reported on his consultations (JOB/CTG/16 ) and, on 
this issue, noted that, while some Members had considered that it would be useful to engage in 
technical discussions of a horizontal nature, in particular because the CTG oversaw the work of the 
five Committees mentioned in the footnote to paragraph  24, other Members had found it 
premature to engage in  such discussions.  
1.4.  Since  Members had expressed an interest at that meeting to better understand the work that 
had been undertaken in the  aforementioned bodies3, on 25  October  2022, the Chairperson of the 
CTG requested the 14 Chairpersons of the CTG 's subsidiary bodies to prepare reports, under their 
own responsibility and with the assistance of the Secretariat, on the WTO  response to the 
Pandemic and the current functioning of their Committees.4 In addition, the Chairperson of the 
CTG also prepared his ow n reports on this issue. The reports listed in  Annex  1 were discussed by 
Members at the informal meeting of the Council that took place on 31  January  2023. 
1.5.  This report compiles information on the work undertaken by the  CTG and its 14 subsidiary 
bodies5 between the years 2020 and 2023 concerning their response to the COVID -19 pandemic 
and preparedness for future pandemics. It is largely based on the reports that were prepared by 
the Chairpersons of the CTG's subsidiary bodies , but also includes  new developments in those 
bodies up until July 2023. 
2  STOCKTAKING IN THE GOODS AREA  
2.1  Transparency / Notifications / Voluntary Communications  
2.1.  This report covers the bodies which deal with trade in goods, in which several Members 
sought to provide transparency on the measures that they had adopted in response to, or in 
connection with , the COVID -19 pandemic in different ways, including through the regular 
notification obligations under the relevant Agreements and Decisions.  
2.2.  More specifically , 10 of the 15  bodies covered by this report  received notifications from 
Members concerning measures introduced in response to, or in connection with, the 
COVID -19 pandemic . In addition, three  bodies  (the CTG, the COA, and the CMA)  received ad hoc 
communications with inf ormation on COVID -19-related measures  that were submitted voluntarily  
 
2 Footnote  1 (original) : Relevant WTO  bodies include the Council for Trade in Goods or its subsidiary 
bodies (including the Committee on Trade Facilitation, the Committee on Technical Barriers to Tr ade, the 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, the Committee on Market Access, and the Committee on 
Agriculture), Trade Policy Review Body, Council for Trade in Services or its relevant subsidiary bodies, Council 
for Trade -Related Aspects of In tellectual Property Rights, Committee on Trade and Development, Working 
Group on Trade and Technology Transfer and Working Group on Trade, Debt and Finance.  
3 See document  JOB/CTG/17 . 
4 See d ocument  JOB/CTG/18 . 
5 The CTG's 14  subsidiary bodies are the Committee on Agriculture (COA), the Committee on 
Anti-Dumping Practices (ADP), the Committee on Customs Valuation (CCV), the Committee on Import 
Licensing (IL), the Committee on M arket Access (CMA), the Committee on Rules of Origin (R OO), the 
Committee on Safeguards (SG), the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), the Committee 
on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM) , the Committee on Technical Barriers to T rade (TBT) , the 
Committee on Trade Facilitation (CTF) , the Committee on Trade -Related Investment Measures (TRIMs), the 
Working Party on State Trading Enterprises (WPSTE), and the Committee of Participants on the Expansion of 
Trade in Information Technology  Products (ITA).  JOB/CTG/35/Rev.2  
 
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  by Members in the interest of transparency , above and beyond the minimum WTO notification 
requirements . 
Body  Notifications and voluntary communications  relating to the 
COVID -19 pandemic  
Council for Trade in Goods 
(CTG)  Notifications : None.  
Ad hoc communications : Three  communications were submitted to the Council 
by two  Members at the beginning of the COVID -19 pandemic, which described 
a series of actions adopted with respect to tariffs, export restrictions, non -tariff 
barriers, and trade facilitation, and which included a list of products considered 
to be essential.  
Committee on Agriculture 
(COA)  Notifications : From 2021, COVID -19 agricultural measures formed part of 
Members' annual notifications.  
Ad hoc communications : Since the majority of regular agricultural notifications 
are submitted annually, in June  2020 the Chairperson of the Committee 
encouraged Members to share ad hoc reports on their agricultural measure s 
taken in response to the COVID -19 pandemic.  Eleven  Members submitted 
22 ad hoc reports and updates on their COVID -19 agricultural measures, which 
were compiled and updated by the Secretariat in G/AG/W/209/Rev.1 . 
Other : At the request of Memb ers, the Secretariat developed a webpage on 
COVID -19 agricultural measures as part of the WTO's overall trade monitoring 
exercise.6 
Committee on Anti -Dumping 
Practices (AD P) Notifications : In accordance with Article  18.5 of the Anti -Dumping Agreement, 
four Members submitted legislative notifications illustrating the procedural 
adaptations they had undertaken in their trade remedies investigations as a 
result of COVID -19. As of 14  October  2022, four  Members had notified 
anti-dumping actions re ferring to the COVID -19 pandemic. These pertained to 
the suspension of anti -dumping measures on syringes and parenteral 
solutions; syringes and vacuum plastic tubes for blood collection; textured 
polyester filament; and on aluminium -zinc coated steel.  
Committee on Import 
Licensing (IL)  Notifications : A few Members submitted import licensing notifications on 
COVID -19-related goods, which were reviewed by the Committee. These 
notifications generally covered import licensing procedures on disinfectants and 
medical and diagnostic kits with the purpose of ensuring that imported 
products met adequate standards and did not pose a threat to animal, plant, 
and human life and/or health.  
Committee on Market Access 
(CMA)  Notifications : The CMA has examined approximately 105  QR notifications 
containing 68  export prohibitions and restrictions by 39  Members. Since 
May 2020, the Secr etariat has prepared a report listing the notifications 
relating to COVID -19, which has been regularly updated and circulated under  
the G/MA/W/157  document series.  Export restrictions and prohibitions were 
most frequently used in the early phases of the pandemic, predominantly in 
the first and second  quarter of 2020. These restrictions covered different 
categories of products following the evol ution of the pandemic. Personal 
protective equipment, sanitizers and disinfectants, but also foodstuffs, were 
among the most restricted categories at the outset of the pandemic. At a later 
stage, COVID -19 vaccines, test kits and other medical devices and e quipment 
were also subject to these measures.  
Ad hoc communications : The CMA considered approximately 
30 communications by 17  Members containing 41  unilateral trade -easing 
measures on imports of COVID -19 goods.  These were also listed in a report 
that was regularly updated by the Secretariat. These communications  referred 
to trade -easing measures adopted by Members in response to the 
COVID -19 pandemic, which sought to facilitate access to those goods 
considered essential to combat the pandemic . The trade -easing measures 
included: (i)  tax-related measures, such as the 
reduction/suspension/elimination of import tariffs, internal taxes and other 
duties and charges to minimize costs to importers, businesses and consumers; 
as well as (ii)  simplified customs proced ures, expedited clearance, and 
paperless trade, to accelerate the import process and ensure resilient supply 
chains.  
 
6 WTO | COVID -19: Agricultural Measures  JOB/CTG/35/Rev.2  
 
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  Body  Notifications and voluntary communications  relating to the 
COVID -19 pandemic  
Committee on Market Access 
(CMA) (cont'd)  Other : At the formal meeting of 12 and 16  November  2020, Members further 
tasked the Secretariat with preparing a more detailed report summarizing the 
content of these notifications and voluntary communications. The report was 
regularly circulated under the  G/MA/W/168  document series and discussed at 
the formal CMA  meetings.  At the request of Members7, this report was modified 
in October  2021 to compile and analyse, in addition to the measures submitted 
to the CMA, information on trade and trade -related measures collected as part 
of the WTO's Trade Monitoring Exercise, as listed on the webpage  COVID -19: 
Measures affecting trade in goods . 
Committee on Rules of Origin 
(ROO)  Notifications : None. However, some of the n otifications to the Committee on 
Trade Facilitation described measures taken in the context of the 
COVID -19 pandemic and which related to rules of origin and origin 
requirements.  
Other : In May 2023, the Secretariat circulated  a report on the "Origin Related 
Measures T aken During the COVID -19 Pandemic : Compilation of Measures 
Affecting Certificates of Origin and Proofs of Origin" (G/RO/W/219 ). This 
document consolidated  information based on different sources, including the 
compendium of measures prepared for the Committee on Trade Facilitation 
(see below), the document with lessons learned in the Committee on Market 
Access, and the measures compiled in the context of the Trade Monitoring 
Exercise.  
Committee on Safeguards 
(SG) Notifications : In accordance with Article  12.6 of the Agreement, one  Member 
submit ted several legislative notifications illustrating the procedural 
adaptations it had undertaken in its trade remedies investigations as a result of 
COVID -19. 
Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)  Notifications : As of 1  July 2023, 31 Members had submitted a total of 
133 SPS COVID -19-related documents, including notifications of new or 
changed SPS  regulations and other communications.  Initially, the notified 
measures mainly related to restrictions on imports of animals or animal 
product s and/or transit from affected areas and increased certification 
requirements, many of which were subsequently lifted. While a few new 
restrictions were imposed at a later stage, most notifications and 
communications submitted since the beginning of April  2020 relate to 
measures taken to facilitate trade, representing about two-thirds of all notified 
measures. The last COVID -19-related SPS  notification s were received on 
16 January  2023. 
Committee on Subsidies and 
Countervailing Measures 
(SCM)  Legislative Notifications : In accordance with Article  32.6 of the Agreement, 
four Members submitted legislative notifications illustrating the procedural 
adaptations they had undertaken in their trade remedies investigations as a 
result of the COVID -19 pandemic.  
Subsidy Notifications : In accordance with Article  25.1 of the Agreement and 
Article  XVI of the GATT  1994, all Members were required to submit new and 
full notifications of subsidies by 30  June 2023. As of 21  July 2023, a total of 
nine Members have submitted subsidy notifications containing references to 
pandemic -related measures. The number of measures directly linked to the 
COVID -19 pandemic reache d 142. In the broader context, there are 
18 Members who have notified subsidy measures, while five Members have 
explicitly stated that they d o not maintain any notifiable subsidies  (the 
European Union is counted as one  Member ). 
Committee on Technical 
Barriers to Trade (TBT)  Notifications : 34 Members submitted 225  COVID -19-related notifications to the 
TBT Committee.8 The notified measures mostly deal with extraordinary and 
temporary streamlining of certification and related procedures, and the 
introduction of new regulatory requirements for medical goods, in response to 
the pandemi c. 
 
7 G/MA/M/74 , para graphs  5.31 and 5.32.  
8 The figures are current as of 26  October  2022.  JOB/CTG/35/Rev.2  
 
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  Body  Notifications and voluntary communications  relating to the 
COVID -19 pandemic  
Committee on Trade 
Facilitation (CTF)  Notifications : Under Section  I of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), 
Members are required to submit several transparency notifications under 
Articles  1.4 (import, export, and transit procedures); 10.4.3 (single window); 
10.6.2 (customs brokers) ; and 12.2.2 (exchange of customs in formation). 
Eight Members submitted transparency notifications to update the sources of 
information for measures undertaken to face the pandemic in the period 
2020-2022.9 
Other : On 25  March  2021, Members agreed, through written procedures, to 
request the Secretariat to prepare a compilation of trade facilitation measures 
implemented by WTO  Members and observers in response to COVID -19. Since 
then, the Secretariat has updated the compendium wh ich has been circulate d 
under the G/TFA/W/40 /Rev document series.  
 
2.2  Trade Concerns  
2.3.  Four of the 15 bodies covered by this report considered trade concerns raised against  
measures introduced in response to, or in connection with , the COVID -19 pandemic. These 
included the Council for Trade in Goods10 and the Committee on Market Access11, both of which 
considered the same  trade concern relating to an export licens ing requirement  on 
COVID -19 vaccines . In the context of the SPS Committee , two specific trade concerns were raised 
against measures th at made a link to COVID -19.12 Finally, in the TBT  Committee, WTO  Members 
made references to the COVID -19 pandemic in 54  specific trade concerns (STCs) . The vast 
majority of these STCs were not linked to COVID -19-related notifications or medical goods. 
Rather, they addressed the significant impact of the pandemic on Members' economies, in 
particular: (i)  the difficulties to comply with regulatory requirements; (ii)  the difficulties to perform 
conformity assessment procedures; and (iii)  the overall  impact on Members' work in the areas of 
standards and regulations.  
2.3  Dedicated /Experience -Sharing Sessions  
2.4.  Between 2021 and 2023, 10 of the 15  bodies covered by this report had at least 
one dedicated  discussion  relating to the impact of the COVID -19 pandemi c on the measures 
covered by their terms of reference . While most bodies addressed these issues in the context of 
formal or informal meetings, some of the se bodies organized dedicated sessions or 
experience -sharing sessions on the issues.  
Body  Dedicated sessions/ experience -sharing sessions  
Council for Trade in Goods 
(CTG)  At its meeting of 10  June 2020, the Council considered a  proposal ( G/C/W/780 ) 
for the CTG to have increased monitoring and transparency of trade -related 
measures introduced in relation to t he COVID -19 pandemic, and to include a 
dedicated item on the CTG's agenda to discuss them ( G/C/M/137 ). The 
proposal was discussed again at the formal meeting of 25  November  2020, but 
there  was no con sensus on it (G/C/M/138 ). 
Committee on Agriculture 
(COA)  On 18  June 2020, a special meeting of the Committee was convened pursuant 
to paragraph  6 of the Committee's working procedures ( G/AG/1 ), which 
focused on COVID -19 and agricultural trade policies within the framework of 
the Agreement.13 At this meeting, Members emphasized the importance of 
transparency and of the monitoring of COVID -19 agricultural measures, and 
agreed to include "COVID -19 and Agriculture" a s a standing item on the 
agenda of future Committee meetings. On 28  July 2020, the Secretariat 
organized an Information Session with a number of international organizations 
(see below).  
 
9 Canada, China, Dominican Republic, European Union, Indonesia, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, 
United  States.  
10 See G/C/M/139 . 
11 See G/MA/M/74 . 
12 See SPS STC 487  and SPS STC 488 . 
13 The summary report of this meeting is contained in documents  G/AG/R/94  and G/AG/ R/94/Add.1 . JOB/CTG/35/Rev.2  
 
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  Body  Dedicated sessions/ experience -sharing sessions  
Committee on Agriculture 
(COA) (cont'd)  The discussions under the standing agenda item have been organized based on 
Members' submissions, as well as contributions by observer international 
organizations.14 Since the September  2022 meeting of the Committee, the 
discussions on COVID -19 and agriculture have taken place with in the overall 
guidance of the MC12  Declaration on the WTO  Response to the 
COVID -19 Pandemic and Preparedness for Future Pandemics, specifically in 
light of paragraph  24 of the Declaration. The Committee also addresses 
COVID -19-related matters, as relevant , in the context of the implementation of 
the Ministerial Decision on World Food Programme Food Purchases Exemption 
from Export Prohibition or Restrictions15, and the Ministerial Declaration on the 
Emergency Response to Food Insecurity.16 
Committee on Anti -Dumping 
Practices (AD P) Two Members requested to place an item on the agenda of the October  2020 
meeting pertaining to Members' anti -dumping investigation procedures during 
the pandemic, including the temporary suspension of international onsite 
verifications. At this meeting, Members explored, in an informal mode, whether 
competent authorities had made any adjustments to their laws, practices , or 
procedures as they continued to operate during the pandemic period , and the 
different approaches followed by Members in this respect.17 
Committee on Customs 
Valuation (CCV)  At its meeting of 24  May 2023, Members were invited to share information on 
customs valuation experiences and practices since the start of the 
COVID -19 pandemic in 2020. Conducted in informal mode, this discussion 
included presentations by three  Members.  
Committee on Import 
Licensing (IL)  At its meeting of 7  March  2022, the Chairperson informed Members of a series 
of experience -sharing sessions on trade in COVID -19-related goods being 
organized by the Committee on Market Access and sought delegations' views 
on the Committee holding a similar experience -sharing session in respect of 
import licensing procedures. There was no consensus.  
Committee on Market Access 
(CMA)  The CMA has discussed measures relating to the COVID -19 pandemic both in 
its regular work and, since 2022, in the context of experience -sharing sessions. 
The first  discussion took place on 20  May 2020, in the context of an informal 
meeting, which had  COVID -19 as the main substantive topic on the agenda. In 
addition to presentations by the Secretariat on two  information notes which 
had been prepared18, the Committee also shared experiences and discussed 
notifications concerning export restrictions and prohibitions which had been 
notified under the QR  Decision19, as well as ad hoc communications with 
unilateral trade measures  aimed at easing the importation of 
COVID -19 essential goods.  Since  June 2020, and until April 2023, the item 
"Trade-Related Measures Relating to the COVID -19 Pandemic " was included on 
the agenda of the Committee's formal meetings.  
On 28  January  2022, the CMA held an Information session on trade in 
COVID -19-related goods  where the WTO  Secretariat presented five  reports and 
information notes that were relevan t to the work of the Committee, as well as 
the WTO-IMF COVID -19 Vaccine Tracker . Based on inputs received from 
Members, the CMA agre ed to organize five  experience -sharing sessions to 
discuss the topics which had been identified by Members, which took place on 
4 March  2022, 26 April 2022, 18 July 2022, 16 September  2022, and 
21 November  2022. These sessions were held based on a flexible and 
bottom -up approach. At each session, Members volunteered to share 
information and data on their national experiences in relation to the relevant 
topics. In light of the close relationship between some of these topics with the 
application of the Harmonized System (HS), the World Customs Organization 
(WCO) was invited to participate in the first  two sessions on classification and 
monitoring of trade in COVID -19 goods. The Secretariat summarized the 
discussions of each experience -sharing session in document  JOB/MA/152  and 
its addenda. A sixth  session focusing on the experiences  of the Least  
Developed Members took place on 24 March  2023. 
 
14 Please refer to attachment  2 of WTO/AIR/AG/64  for a comprehens ive list of COVID -19 written 
submissions considered by the Committee starting from the June  2020 special meeting.  
15 WT/MIN(22)/29 . 
16 WT/MIN(22)/28 . 
17 G/ADP/M/58 . 
18 "Trade in Medical Goods " and " Export Prohibitions and Restrictions ". 
19 2012 Decision on the notification of Quantitative Restrictions , G/L/59/Rev.1 . JOB/CTG/35/Rev.2  
 
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  Body  Dedicated sessions/ experience -sharing sessions  
Committee on Rules of Origin 
(ROO)  There were no COVID -19-related activities in the context of the CRO. However, 
during the CRO  meeting held on 13  November  2020, the Secretariat drew the 
Committee's attention to the fact that a number of Members had implemented 
trade -facilitating measures in relation to origin requirements ( RD/RO/90 ). 
Some delegations also took the floor to report on the measures that they had 
introduced ( G/RO/M/75 , agenda item  6). 
Committee on Safeguards 
(SG) Two Members requested to place an item on the agenda of the 
26 October  2020 meeting pertaining to Members' safeguards investigation 
procedures during the pandemic.20 Members explored, in an inf ormal mode, 
whether competent authorities had made any adjustments to their laws, 
practices , or procedures as they continued to operate during the pandemic 
period , and the different approaches followed by Members in this respect.  
Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)  In June  2020, the SPS  Committee held an informal information -sharing session 
on COVID -19. The programme was circulated in document  G/SPS/GEN/1795 . 
The WTO  Secretariat presented an overview of documents submitted by 
Members in relation to COVID -19. The STDF presented on its 
COVID -19 response, underscoring the importance of building food safety and 
animal and plant health capacity to enable the public and private sectors, 
especially i n developing countries, to respond to crises.  Members also provided 
information on their activities undertaken since the beginning of the pandemic 
and stressed the importance of providing a coordinated response to ensure 
that trade in agricultural and food  products was not unduly disrupted.  In 
addition, several  external stakeholders participated in this session (see 
Section  2.4, below). The report of the session is contained in 
document  G/SPS/R/98 . 
Committee on Technical 
Barriers to Trade (TBT)  Members discussed and exchanged experiences on COVID -19-related matters 
in the TBT  Committee, including at an informal meeting of the TBT  Committee 
held on 8  December  202021; at the thematic session on technical assistance 
held on 27  October  202022; during 2021 in the context of the Ninth  Triennial 
Review of the TBT  Agreement23; and at the thematic session on conformity 
assessment procedures held on 8  March  2022.24 These discu ssions related to 
trade -facilitating measures and regulatory flexibilities introduced in the context 
of the pandemic, technical assistance , and capacity -building projects, 
development of and access to standards, and the role of accreditation.  
At the 10  February  2022 informal meeting of the TBT  Committee, Members 
shared views on how the Committee could initiate its Ninth  Triennial Review 
mandated work on COVID -19 and future pandemic preparedness. At the 
9-11 March  2022 meeting of the TBT  Committee, and in this connection, 
Members requested the Secretariat to prepare a background document on the 
COVID -19-related work of the TBT  Committee since the start of the pandemic 
as a reference point for further work.25 
Committee on Trade 
Facilitation ( CTF) On 30  September  2020, the CTF held an informal meeting to discuss the trade 
facilitation measures that Members had implemented in the context of the 
COVID -19 pandemic. Twenty  Members informed the Committee of the 
measures that they had implemented, and several e xternal stakeholders also 
presented their views (see Section  2.4, below).  Following this meeting, 
Members continued the practice of sharing their experiences in responding to 
the pandemic under the regular session s of the Committee.  
In 2023, the CTF has th us far held two  informal panel discussions, organized 
by the United States on "Disaster Preparedness: A View from the Border". The 
objective of the panel discussions was to share experiences and highlight the 
challenges WTO  Members, aid agencies, and non -governmental organizations 
face in moving humanitarian aid and relief supplies across international borders 
during times of disaster, whatever form it may take. The intent of the panel 
discussions is to identify future work the Committee on Trade Facilitati on could 
undertake to streamline procedures and expedite humanitarian shipments.  
 
 
20 G/SG/M/57 , paragraphs  17.1-17.4; see also G/SG/M/57/Corr.1 . 
21 JOB/TBT/395 ; RD/TBT/333 ; RD/TBT/336 ; RD/TBT/337 ; RD/TBT/338 ; RD/TBT/339 . 
22 G/TBT/GEN/306 . 
23 G/TBT/46 ; G/TBT/W/736 . 
24 JOB/TBT/447 . 
25 G/TBT/M/86 , para graph  2.478.  JOB/CTG/35/Rev.2  
 
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  2.4  Input from External Stakeholders  
2.5.  Five of the 15  bodies covered by this report invited different types of external stakeholders to 
provide inputs to their discussions , including other international organizations and representatives 
of the private sector . 
Body  Input from external stakeholders  
Committee on Agriculture 
(COA)  At the Committee's special meeting of 18  June 2020, Members agreed to invite 
the observer international organizations to contribute to the discussions under 
a standing item entitled "COVID -19 and Agriculture", and benefit from their 
work on the monitoring and analysis of COVID -19 agricultural measures.  
On 28  July 2020, the Secretariat organized an Information Session where the 
following organizations were invited: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); 
the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFR PI); the International 
Grains Council (IGC); and the International Trade Centre (ITC) to present their 
COVID -19-related work.  
Committee on Market Access 
(CMA)  At the request of Members, the fifth experience -sharing session  of the CMA , 
which took place on 21 November  2022, focused mainly on the lessons learned 
from the COVID -19 pandemic, and involved representatives from the private 
sector (DHL and Western Union of Dominica, CEPI, and Medtr onic) and other 
international organizations (Organisation for Economic Co -operation and 
Development (OECD) ). 
Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures 
(SPS)  At a dedicated session  that took place in June  2020, t he three  relevant 
international standard -setting bodies (Codex Alimentarius, the World 
Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) , and the International Plant Protection 
Convention (IPPC)), WHO , and other observer  organization s provided 
information on their activities undertaken since the beginning of the pandemic. 
The WHO  explained the role of the International Health Regulations in 
facilitating information exchange on public health responses, ensuring that 
responses are commensurate to the risk and avoiding unnecessary 
interference with international trade and transportat ion. The WHO also 
referred to its COVID -19-related guidance, produced with FAO, for food 
businesses and food safety control systems. See G/SPS/R/98 . 
In June  2022, the SPS  Committee held a Thematic Session on the Use of 
Remote (Virtual) Audit and Verification in Regulatory Frameworks .26 The 
purpose of the thematic session was to provide an opportunity to share 
experiences on the use of remote assessment methods, discuss how such 
approaches may assist Members with their obligations under Annex  C of the 
SPS Agreement, and take a closer look at the relevance and scope for future 
use. It also sought to provide insight on ongoing initiatives, including guidance 
being developed by Codex under its Committee on Food Import and Export 
Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS), and allow Members and 
industry representatives to discuss the benefits and challenges of remote 
audit, drawing from their experiences.  
Committee on Technical 
Barriers to Trade (TBT)  A range of external stakeholders participated in experience -sharing sessions 
described in Section  2.3 (above), including the Advanced Medical Technology 
Association (AdvaMed), the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New 
Zealand (JAS -ANZ), and Phillips.  
Committee on Trade 
Facilitation (CTF)  At the invitation of the Chairperson of the CTF, several organizations 
participated at the informal meeting of 30  September  2020: the International 
Trade Centre, the World Bank, the World Customs Organization, and the 
United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (a ll Annex  D 
trade facilitation partners); and the Global Alliance updated the Membership on 
their COVID -19 trade facilitation work.  
Committee on Trade 
Facilitation (CTF)  (cont'd)  In the March and June  2023 informal panel discussions organized by the 
United States on "Disaster Preparedness: A View from the Border " (see 
section  2.3, above) , the following external stakeholders participated: the 
IMPACCT (IMPortation and Customs Clearance Together!) Working Grou p, 
International Medical Corps, International Federation of Red Cross and Red 
Crescent Societies (IFRC), Medair, Médecins  sans Fronti ères, the 
UN International Children 's Fund (UNICEF), and the UN  Population Fund 
(UNFPA).  
 
26 The dedicated webpag e for the Thematic Session can be accessed here: 
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/sps_e/thematic_session_21jun22_e.htm . JOB/CTG/35/Rev.2  
 
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  2.5  Secretariat Information Notes  
2.6.  Annex  1 to the report on the " WTO Secretariat's Work in the Context of the 
COVID -19 Pandemic " (WT/MIN(22)/34 ) provides a full list of all Information Notes, Databases, 
Staff Working Papers , and Joint Publications with other International Organizations concerning 
COVID -19, including those produced in the goods area.  
2.7.  In addition, the Secretariat has continued  updating t he dedicated WTO COVID -19 and world 
trade section of the WTO  website , which contains all COVID -19-related news as well as information 
on COVID -19-related WTO  work, reports , and events. The subsection " COVID -19: Measures 
affecting trade in goods ", compile s two sets of measures : the first set contain s information and 
measures identified from official sources, including notifications, and government and ministry 
websites and communications ; while the second  set contain s information and measures obtained 
from other public sources, for example, media reports. This list is only available on the Members' 
website. Neither section is exhaustive.  
2.6  Relevant Outcomes  
2.8.  For the moment, the Committee on Market Access is the only body of the 15  covered by this 
report which has agreed to concrete outcomes, which relate to the following two  areas:  
•  Proposals to the Harmonized System Committee : As a result of the discussions that 
took place during the first  two experience -sharing sessions, the CMA  Chairperson, on 
behalf of the Committee, submitted a letter to the Harmonized System Committee (HSC) 
of the WCO ( G/MA/406 ) to raise awareness among WCO  delegates of some of the key 
issues that had been faced by WTO  Members with respect to the cla ssification of 
COVID -19 essential goods, and to propose practical suggestions to improve the 
HS classification of certain essential medical goods in the next version of the nomenclature 
(HS2027). The CMA  letter was included on the agenda of the 70th Sessio n of the HSC, 
which took place in September  2022, and the CMA  Chairperson and the WTO  Secretariat 
were invited to attend the meeting. The statement by the CMA  Chairperson to the HSC 
was circulated in document  JOB/MA/155 . To date, the WCO has been discussing 
two possible amendments to the HS2027  nomenclature stemming from the CMA  process 
with respect to the classificatio n of (i)  facemasks and respirators ; and (ii)  ambulances and 
mobile clinics ; 
 
•  Document on  lessons learned  from the experience -sharing sessions : At the 
fifth experience -sharing session of 21  November  2022, Members requested the Secretariat 
to prepare a report compiling the main lessons learned by Members from the 
COVID -19 pandemic.27 Based on a draft prepared by the Secretariat , and following 
informal consultations  that took place on 9 February  2023, on 20  April 2023 the CMA 
agreed to a document entitled "Lessons Learned from the Experience -Sharing Sessions on 
Trade in COVID -19-Related Goods" (G/MA/409 ). A request for additional lessons learned 
was submitted afterwards and is currently being discussed  in the Committee . 
 
3  LESSONS LEARNED AND CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED IN THE GOODS AREA  
3.1.  Paragraph  23 of the Ministerial Declaration on the WTO  Response to the COVID -19 Pandemic 
and Preparedness for Future Pandemics underscores the importance of understanding how 
WTO rules have supported Members during the COVID -19 pandemic, and their role in future 
pandemics, and affirms the need to review and build on all the lessons l earned and the challenges 
experienced during the COVID -19 pandemic, to build effective solutions in case of future 
pandemics.  
3.2.  The Council welcomes the experiences shared and analysis developed by its subsidiary 
bodies . It would underline the detailed conte nts of CMA  Report Lessons Learned from the 
Experience -Sharing Sessions on Trade in COVID -19 Related Good (G/MA/409 ), within the area of 
its competence . 
 
27 Document JOB/MA/152/Add.4 . JOB/CTG/35/Rev.2  
 
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  3.3.  The Council highlights the following elements in particular:  
3.1  Improving coordination and cooperation at different levels  
3.4.  Many Members established or reinforced interagency coordination mechanisms, as well as 
improved dialogu e with non -state actors to inform the policymaking response at each step. Timely 
coordination among relevant government agencies and other stakeholders was a critical 
component to keep under control the spread of the virus.  
3.5.  International organizations play ed a key role in supporting Members ' responses to the 
pandemic. The need for greater collaboration among International Organizations , and for more 
flexibility in the way in which they provide support to their membership , was considered.  
3.2  Understand ing trade -related measures during crises  
3.6.  Members recognized that trade played a key role in the fight against COVID -19. Facilitating 
the access to and affordability of COVID -19 essential goods , and sharing information about their 
trade-related measures through regular notifications to the WTO , were highlighted.  
3.7.  Some Members touched upon export restrictions, highlighting that they may be used as "last 
resort " measures to manage domestic supply issues in emergency situations. When introduced, 
they should b e transparent, temporary, necessary and proportionate. LDCs suggested that WTO 
should facilitate conversation among Members on the use of restrictions during times of crisis 
which may adversely impact economies. Some Members noted that export restrictions should 
include a review mechanism, and exemptions and exceptions should be made available and be 
based on, inter alia, the principle of international solidarity.  
3.8.  In case important elements are not covered by a notification obligation, providing additional 
information, on a voluntary basis, should be considered. For example with respect to: the type of 
measures; the rationale underpinning the introduction of such measures, their extension or 
termination ; and information about their effectiveness.  
3.9.  Bilateral a nd regional cooperation played a crucial role in addressing the impact of the 
pandemic on LDCs, particularly landlocked LDCs. Some Members , including LDCs, highlighted the 
importance  of facilitating trade flows, ensuring transit of essential goods, and res toring supply 
chain connectivity, by reducing or eliminating tariff and non -tariff measures on COVID -19 essential 
goods.  
3.3  Enhanc ing transparency and experience -sharing at the WTO  
3.10.  Transparency is one of the main pillars of the WTO and Members recognized that  this is 
even more important during crises. To better understand the impact and implications of COVID -19 
pandemic on international trade, several Members stressed the importance of sharing information 
and experiences among st themselves  with a view to ident ifying common issues and solutions to 
respond to this and future emergencies.  
3.4  Improv ing data collection and sharing information  
3.11.  Having access to timely and detailed trade data is an essential element for the adoption of 
informed trade policy measures. It i s also key to understand ing the impact of the pandemic on 
global supply chains of essential goods and the effects that COVID -19 had on industries, 
particularly on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) . 
3.5  The role of digitalization  
3.12.  The COVID -19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation in many Members and sectors of 
their economies. At the same time, it also accentuated the i mportance of bridging the digital divide 
for a better response to pandemics. The international community plays a key role in facilitating a 
dialogue and collaboration among Members for the design and implementation of global rules for 
more inclusive digita lization.  JOB/CTG/35/Rev.2  
 
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  3.6  Identify "essential " goods and their tariff classification  
3.13.  The identification of essential goods varied from one  Member to the other and included 
health -related items as well as foodstuffs, particularly in the case of LDCs. The guidance of 
Intern ational Organizations  proved useful in informing the approach taken by Members in the 
identification of their list of essential goods and their tariff classification. Some Members  and 
external stakeholders  discussed sharing  information about their national  lists of essential products 
and classification decisions , with a view to pooling information and facilitating the establishment of 
common reference lists and their regular update.  
_______________  JOB/CTG/35/Rev.2  
 
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ANNEX  1: 
REPORTS BY THE CTG AND SUBSIDIARY BODIES  
CONCERNING THE WTO  RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC  
WTO  Body  Report  
(Document Symbol)  
Council for Trade in Goods  (CTG)  G/L/1464  
Committee on Agriculture (COA)  G/L/1469  
Committee on Anti -Dumping Practices (AD P) G/L/1448  
Committee on Import Licensing (IL)  G/L/1478  
Committee on Market Access (CMA)  G/L/1459  
Committee on Rules of Origin (ROO)  G/L/1466  
Committee on Safeguards (SG)  G/L/1451  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)  G/L/1477  
Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM)  G/L/1450  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)  G/L/1457  
Committee on Trade Facilitation (CTF)  G/L/1475  
Committee on Trade -Related Investment Measures (TRIMs)  G/L/1453  
Working Party on State Trading Enterprises (STEs)  G/L/1455  
 
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