G/TFA/W/72  
 
11 November  2021 
(21-8534) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Trade Facilitation  Original: English  
 
TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT FOUR YEAR REVIEW  
ARTICLE 23.1.6 OF THE TFA  
COMMENTS ON THE FIRST REVIEW OF THE OPERATION AND IMPLEMENTATION  
OF THE TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT (G/TFA/W/41/REV.4)  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE UNITED STATES  
The following communication, dated 10 November  2021, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of the United States . 
 
_______________  
 
The United States suggests inserting additional text to section 5 of document G/TFA/W/41/Rev.1. 
The additional  text comprises a final sentence in paragraph 5.2 and new paragraphs 5.7 to 5.10, as 
follows:  
 
5 SECTION 5: REPORTS TO THE COMMITTEE BY THE TRADE FACILITATION 
AGREEMENT FACILITY AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS PLUS THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE ON 
TRADE FACILITATION ON THEI R ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT MEMBERS IN THE 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TFA  
5.1 The Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) provides regular reports on its activities to 
the Committee.1 These include updates on workshops and other events relating to trade facil itation 
matters organized with donors, partner organizations and representatives from the private sector. 
The Facility also reports on the grant program that offers project preparation and project 
implementation grants to assist Members in identifying and liaising with donors and with the 
implementation of category C measures as a contingency when no other assistance has been 
identified. The Facility further provides annual reports on its activities. These reports and all other 
information relating to its g rant work, coordination efforts with the Annex D+ partner organizations 
and all other activities can be found on the TFAF website.2 
5.2 During the review period TFAF made seven  presentations to the Committee. An information 
session was organized in the margins of the Committee meeting of 25 -26 June 2019 on the 
operational and administrative structure of the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF). 
The session provided in formation on the origins, structure and membership of the STDF, its 
management, and its relationship with the WTO Secretariat.  The STDF had been an important 
partner in developing the operational rules for the TFAF and the rules for the Facility grant prog ram, 
which learned from the experience of the STDF.3 
5.3 Annex D organizations (i.e., IMF, OECD, UNCTAD, WCO and WBG) are invited to and regularly 
attend Committee meetings. In addition, certain of these organizations have made presentations to 
the Commit tee regarding their work in the area of trade facilitation . The ITC made presentations at 
the meetings of 22 -23 June 2021 and 19 -21 October 2021; O ECD made presentations at the 
meetings of 26 June 2018 and 19 -21 October 2021.  
 
1 See G/L/1201 , G/L/1267, G/L/1329 , and G/L/1375 . The most recent reports by t he Facility to the 
Committee can be found at G/TFA/W/28  (20-21 October 2020) , G/TFA/W/37  (22-23 April 2021)  and 
G/TFA/W/66 (19 -21 October 2021) . 
2 TFAF - Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility ( http://www.tfafacility.org ). 
3 G/TFA/M/8 (text taken directly)  G/TFA/W/72  
 
- 2 - 
 
  5.4 UNCTAD made presentations  during the meetings of 15 -16 October 2019 (including a 
presentation with Rwanda); 3 March 2021, 22 -23 June 2021 (including a presentation with Vanuatu), 
and 19 -21 October (including a presentation with Honduras ). The WBG made a presentation during 
the mee ting of 19 -21 October 2021 and the WCO has share d information during the meetings of 
11 February 2020, 26 -27 January 2021, 3 -4 March 2021 , 19-20 July  2021, and 19 -21 October 2021.   
5.5 In an informal session of the Committee held on 30 September 2020, UNCT AD, WCO and the 
WBG, along with the ITC, and GATF, each made presentations on matters relating to measures 
adopted in response to the COVID -19 situation.4 
5.6 In addition, the Annex D+ partner organizations provided report s that w ere circulated to the 
Committee in the context of the dedicated session s on technical assistance and capacity building 
that took place on 20-22 October 20205 and 19 -21 October 20216. The Annex D partners and the 
ITC also provided a report to the Committee for the 22 -23 April 2021 meeting that with respect to 
each organization outlined their role in supporting implementation of the TFA, offered a brief 
description of upcoming assistance and activities, and described how Members could request 
assistance.7 
 
TFAF Operation  
5.7 Since 2017, the Committee engaged in discussions to clarify the operational structure of the 
TFAF and intended interaction between the Committee, WTO Secretariat, and TFAF.8 At the 
Committee’s meeting of 9 -11 October 2018, the Committee considered an agenda item on the 
administrative separation between the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility and the Committee on 
Trade Facilitation.9 At the Committee’s meeting of 25 -26 June 2019, the Committee requested TFAF 
address how it worked in line with the Par is and Busan principles.10  
5.8 The first TFAF Workplan was circulated in advance of the Committee’s meeting of 
20-22 October 2020. In response, Members raised concerns regarding TFAF grant program operation 
and representation of the Committee at internati onal events.11 The US requested the TFAF continue 
to focus only on its grant programme, and not pursue other activities provided for in its operational 
guidelines including technical assistance, capacity -building and coordination with Annex D partner 
organ izations.12  
5.9 In 2021, the Committee began discussions regarding TFAF guidelines which sought to further 
clarify who directs the activities and functions of TFAF as well as ensure transparency concerning 
proposed activities and grants. At the Committee meeting of 22 – 23 April 2021, the United States 
submitted a proposal calling for the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) to fall under the 
purview and direction of the TF Committee as a means to ensure that Committee oversight, direction, 
and res ponsibility will provide transparency to the TFAF activities being undertaken, the funding of 
TFAF, and transparency to Member's assistance by TFAF.13 The Committee agreed at its meeting of 
22-23 April that the Chair would hold consultations in an effort t o resolve the current moratorium 
on technical assistance elements of TFAF's activities.14 
5.10 The Chair held [715] rounds of consultations, four of which were open -ended format, and the 
remainder were small -group meetings. An on -line assistance activity request form for submission to 
the TFAF, and enhancements to transparency through a tracker dashboard were developed which 
offers Committee Members the ability to monitor the follow -up to these requests in real -time. 
__________  
 
4 https://tfadatabase.org/trade -facilitation -committee/meeting/2020 -09-30. 
5 G/TFA/W/29.  
6 G/TFA/W/67.  
7 G/TFA/W/39 . 
8 G/TFA/M/2  
9 G/TFA/M/6  
10 G/TFA/M/8  
11 G/TFA/M/13  
12 G/TFA/W/64  
13 G/TFA/W/36.  
14 G/TFA/W/64  
15 20 May, 9 June, 7 July, 28 July, 15 September, 1 Oc tober, 14 October.