WORLD TRADE G/L/203
7November 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4876)
Committee onImport Licensing
REPORT (1997) OFTHE COMMITTEE ONIMPORT LICENSING
1. TheAgreement onImport Licensing Procedures (theAgreement) establishes disciplines on
users ofimport licensing systems withtheprincipal objective ofensuring thattheprocedures applied
forgranting import licences donotinthemselves restrict trade. Itaimstosimplify, clarify andminimize
theadministrative requirements necessary toobtain import licences.
2. TheCommittee onImport Licensing (theCommittee) wasestablished toafford Members the
opportunity ofconsulting onanymatters relating totheoperation oftheAgreement orthefurtherance
ofitsobjectives.
3. AllMembers oftheWTO areipsofactomembers oftheCommittee. Observer governments
intheGeneral Council oftheWTO haveobserver status intheCommittee. Inaddition, representatives
oftheIMF, UNCTAD andtheWorld Bank attend meetings oftheCommittee inanobserver capacity.
4. TheCommittee heldtwomeetings on22April and15October 1997 (G/LIC/M/5 and6).
TheCommittee atitsmeeting inApril 1997elected Mr.Tomasz Jodko (Poland) asChairman andMr.
Rossman Ithnain (Singapore) asVice-Chairman for1997. Pursuant totheCommittee 'sRules of
Procedure, theytookoffice attheendofthatmeeting.
5. Pursuant toArticles 1.4(a) and/or 8.2(b) oftheAgreement, allMembers arerequired tonotify
theirlaws, regulations andadministrative procedures relevant toimport licensing. During theperiod
covered bythisreport, theCommittee received notifications fromAustralia; Bahrain; Benin; Bolivia;
Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; European Communities; Fiji;Honduras; Hong Kong, China; Hungary; India;
Japan; Korea; Liechtenstein; Mauritius; Norway; Singapore; Slovenia; Switzerland; Tunisia andthe
United ArabEmirates. Since theentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, 44Members (theEuropean
Communities anditsmember States counted asone)havenotified theirlegislation and/or publications
under these provisions. These notifications maybefound indocument series G/LIC/N/1/-.
6. Article 7.3oftheAgreement requires allMembers toprovide replies totheQuestionnaire on
Import Licensing Procedures1by30September eachyear. Since theentry intoforce oftheWTO
Agreement, 45Members (theEuropean Communities anditsmember States counted asone)havemade
notifications under thisprovision. Thisincludes replies totheQuestionnaire from11Members in1995,
22Members in1996and21Members in1997. During theperiod covered bythisreport, theCommittee
received notifications fromAustralia; Bolivia; Brunei Darussalam; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Canada;
Chile;Colombia;EuropeanCommunities;Fiji;Gambia;HongKong,China;Japan;Korea;Liechtenstein;
Mali; Namibia; NewZealand; Norway; Philippines; Poland; Senegal; Singapore; Slovenia; South
Africa; Switzerland; Tunisia andUganda. These notifications maybefound indocument series
G/LIC/N/3/-.
1Annexed todocument G/LIC/3.G/L/203
Page2
7. TheCommittee alsoreceived pursuant toArticle 5oftheAgreement notifications relating to
theinstitution ofnewimport licensing procedures orchanges inthese procedures from Argentina;
European Communities; Hong Kong, China; Liechtenstein; South Africa andSwitzerland. These
notifications maybefound indocument series G/LIC/N/2/-.
8. TheCommitteehasprovidedaregularforumforthediscussionofspecificnotificationssubmitted
byMembers andofconcerns regarding notifications. Itshould benoted thatthemandatory notification
requirements under Articles 1.4(a), 8.2(b) and7.3arecomplied withonlybyabout halfofWTO
Members. TheAnnex reflects thecurrent status ofnotifications. Inlight ofthissituation, the
Committee, recognizing theimportance ofnotifications fortheeffective implementation andfunctioning
oftheAgreement, urges Members tofulfil theirnotification obligations.G/L/203
Page3
ANNEX
(i) Notifications oflegislation and/or publications (Articles 1.4(a) and/or 8.2(b)) received from:
(44)(G/LIC/N/1/- series)
Argentina
Australia
Bahrain
Barbados
Benin
Bolivia
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Cyprus
ECFiji
Honduras
Hong Kong, China
Hungary
India
Jamaica
Japan
Korea
Liechtenstein
Malta
Mauritius
Morocco
NewZealand
Nicaragua
NorwayPakistan
Peru
Romania
Singapore
Slovenia
Swaziland
Switzerland
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uruguay
Zimbabwe
(ii) Replies totheQuestionnaire onImport Licensing Procedures (Article 7.3)received from:
(45)(G/LIC/N/3/- series) Thedateoflatest communication isindicated within brackets.
Argentina (24.1.96)
Australia (28.4.97)
Barbados (15.9.95)
Bolivia (28.10.96)
Brunei Dar.(4.3.97)
Bulgaria (20.3.97)
BurkinaFaso(8.1.97)
Canada (2.10.97)
Chile (9.9.97)
Colombia(29.11.96)
CostaRica(21.11.95)
Cyprus (29.4.96)
Ecuador (1.8.95)
EC(29.7.97)
Fiji(1.4.97)Gambia (31.10.97)
Hong Kong, China (25.9.97)
Hungary (8.10.96)
India (29.11.95)
Japan (21.10.96)
Korea (24.10.96)
Liechtenstein (18.4.97)
Mali(9.5.97)
Malta (15.5.95)
Mauritius (2.11.95)
Morocco (3.7.96)
Namibia (28.2.97)
NewZealand (25.10.96)
Nigeria (17.7.96)
Norway (3.11.97)Peru(27.8.96)
Philippines (25.10.96)
Poland (7.10.97)
Romania (4.9.96)
Senegal (20.1.97)
Singapore (21.10.96)
Slovenia (6.6.97)
South Africa (13.5.97)
Switzerland (14.4.97)
Trinidad&Tobago(17.1.96)
Tunisia (31.10.96)
Turkey (20.5.96)
Uganda (17.6.97)
United States (29.9.95)
Uruguay (4.9.96)G/L/203
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(iii) Notifications ofinstitution ofimport licensing procedures orchanges therein (Article 5)received
from: (11)(G/LIC/N/2/- series)
Argentina
EC
Hong Kong, China
Japan
Liechtenstein
MalaysiaNigeria
Pakistan
Romania
South Africa
Switzerland
(iv) Developingcountrieswhichhaveinvokedthetwo-yeardelayedapplicationprovisions(footnote5
toArticle 2.2): (24)(G/LIC/1 andAdds.1-3)
Bangladesh (asfrom 1.1.95) Dominican Republic (9.3.95) Myanmar (1.1.95)
Bolivia (13.9.95) ElSalvador (7.5.95) SriLanka (1.1.95)
Brazil (1.1.95) Gabon (1.1.95) Thailand (1.1.95)
Burkina Faso(3.6.95) Guatemala (21.7.95) Tunisia (29.3.95)
Cameroon (13.12.95) Honduras (1.1.95) Turkey (26.3.95)
Colombia (30.4.95) Indonesia (1.1.95) UnitedArabEmirates(10.4.96)
Costa Rica(1.1.95) Kenya (1.1.95) Uruguay (1.1.95)
Côted'Ivoire (1.1.95) Malaysia (1.1.95) Venezuela (1.1.95)