. /.RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/REG80/4
6 February 2001
(01-0575)
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements Original:  English
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN POLAND AND LATVIA
Questions and Replies
This document reproduces questions addressed to the Parties and the responses submitted.
The questions and replies set out below are organized in accordance with document WT/REG80/3.
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I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE AGREEEMENT
4. Trade Data
We would be grateful for more information on:(a) the percentage of trade between the parties (for each Party) which face zero
duties, less than MFN rates or MFN rates in the agricultural and industrial
sectors;
(b) the specific agricultural product lines, which face zero duties, less than MFN
rates or MFN rates;
(c) when the Parties might negotiate full li beralization on trade in the agricultural
sector.
(a) Information is provided in annexed tables – see Annex.
(b) Parties believe that data on a tariff-line basis is not necessary to determine
compatibility of the Agreement with GATT Article XXIV.
(c) Agreement does not exclude further liberalization of trade in agricultural products
between the Parties by granting Parties each other further concessions.  So far no date
has been set for further liberalization.
II. TRADE PROVISIONS
1. Import Restrictions
Generally, we would be interested in the Pa rties' views on how the use of concession
rates complies with the requi rement in GATT Article XXIV that "the duties and other
restrictive regulations of commerce … are el iminated on substant ially all the trade".
Agreement meets the requirement in GATT 1994 Article XXIV that the "duties and the
restrictive regulations of commerce … are eliminated on substantially all the trade" and the Parties are
of the opinion that application of concession rates does not contravene the said Article.WT/REG80/4
Page 2
ANNEX
Table 1:  Imports of Poland from Latvia, 1997-99
1997
Agricultural products Industrial products Total imports Duty rate
US$ % % of total
tradeUS$ % US$ %
MFN 1,556,777 100.00 1.19 17,988,821 100.00 19,545,598 100.00
Total 1,556,777 100.00 1.19 17,988,821 100.00 19,545,598 100.00
1998
Agricultural products Industrial products Total imports Duty rate
US$ % % of total
tradeUS$ % US$ %
0% 27,231 1.46 0.01 14,077,288 50.86 14,104,519 47.74
Less than MFN 237,577 12.75 0.11 6,014,340 21.73 6,251,917 21.16
MFN 1,599,261 85.79 0.76 7,786,084 27.41 9,185,345 31.09
Total 1,864,069 100.00 0.91 27,677,712 100.00 29,541,781 100.00
1999
Agricultural products Industrial products Total imports Duty rate
US$ % % of total
tradeUS$ % US$ %
0% 913,232 24.21 0.39 20,145, 694 80.33 21,058,926 72.00
Less than MFN 2,270,357 60.18 0.98 4,932,679 19.67 7,203,036 24.97
MFN 589,167 15.62 0.26 0.00 0.00 589,167 2.04
Total 3,772,756 100.00 1.63 25,078,373 100.00 28,851,129 100.00
Table 2:  Imports of Latvia from Poland, 1999
Percentage of trade which is duty free and which have tariff preferences
for agriculture and industrial products
With concessions Country Total agricultural
imports from Poland
(thousands US$) Zero import duties Reduced dutiesMFN rate
Agric.
ProductsIndust.
GoodsAgric.
ProductsIndust.
GoodsAgric.
ProductsIndust.
Goods
%%%%% %
Latvia 30,105.58 16.9 100 47.38 0 35.72 0
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