RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/LIC/W/15
21 September 2001
(01-4493)
Committee on Import Licensing
DRAFT
REPORT (2001) OF THE COMMITTEE ON IMPORT LICENSING
TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS
1. The Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures (the Agreement) which entered  into force on
1 January 1995, establishes disciplines on users of import licensing systems with the principalobjective of ensuring that the procedures applied for granting import licences do not in themselves
restrict trade.  It aims to simplify, clarify and minimize the administrative requirements necessary to
obtain import licences.
2. The Committee on Import Licensing (the Committee) was established to afford Members the
opportunity of consulting on any matters relating to the operation of the Agreement or the furtheranceof its objectives.  The Committee's Rules of Procedure, which were approved by the Council for
Trade in Goods, are contained in document G/L/147.
3. All Members of the WTO are ipso facto  members of the Committee.  Observer governments
in the General Council of the WTO have observer status in the Committee.  In addition,
representatives of the IMF, UNCTAD and the World Bank are invited to attend meetings of theCommittee in an observer capacity.
4. The Committee held two meetings on 4 April and 9 October 2001 (G/LIC/M/13 and 14, to be
issued).  The Committee at its meeting in April 2001 elected Ms. Simone Rudder of Barbados as
Chairperson and Ms. Nancy Johnston of the United States as Vice-Chairperson for 2001.
5. Pursuant to Articles 1.4(a) and/or 8.2(b) of the Agreement and procedures agreed by the
Committee, all Members are required to notify their laws, regulations and administrative procedures
relevant to import licensing and submit copies of any relevant publications or laws and regulationsupon becoming a WTO Member.  Any subsequent changes to these laws, regulations and
administrative procedures are also required to be notified.  Since the entry into force of the WTO
Agreement, 70 Members (the European Communities and its member States counted as one) have
notified their legislation and/or publications under these provisions.  During the period covered by this
report, the Committee dealt with notifications from the following 15 Members:  Burundi, Cameroon,Colombia, Czech Republic, Dominica, Hungary, India, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Mali, Oman,
Switzerland, Turkey and Uruguay.  These notificatio ns may be found in docum ent series G/LIC/N/1/-.
6. Article 7.3 of the Agreement requires all Members to provide replies to the Questionnaire on
Import Licensing Procedures
1 by 30 September each year.  Since the entry into force of the WTO
Agreement, 73 Members (the European Communities and its member States counted as one) havemade notifications under this provision.  This includes replies to the Questionnaire from 11 Members
in 1995,  22 Members in 1996, 25 Members in 1997, 26 Members in 1998, 20 Members in 1999, 32
Members in 2000 and 17 Members in 2001.  During the period covered by this report, the Committee
dealt with notifications from the following 30 Members:  Antigua and Barbuda, Burkina Faso,
Burundi, Chad, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominica, Estonia, the European
                                                     
1 Annexed to document G/LIC/3.G/LIC/W/15
Page 2
Communities, Georgia, Ghana, Hong Kong China, Hungary, India, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Macau
China, Mali, Oman, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
Turkey, Uganda, United States and Zimbabwe.  These notifications may be found in document series
G/LIC/N/3/-.
7. The Committee also received, pursuant to Article 5 of the Agreement, notifications relating to
the institution of new import licensing procedures or changes in these procedures from Gabon, India,
Japan, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Poland, Switzerland a nd Venezuela.  These notifications may be found
in document series G/LIC/N/2/-.
8. The Committee has provided a regular forum for the discussion of specific notifications
submitted by Members and of concerns regarding notifications.  As evident in the Annex of this
report, there is a lack of compliance with the mandatory notification requirements under
Articles 1.4(a), 8.2(b) and 7.3 and with the volunt ary notification requirement under Article 5.  This
lack of compliance of Members with the transparency obligations of the Agreement has been the main
preoccupation of the Committee for some time now.
9. At the 4 April meeting, the Committee continued its discussion on this issue with a view to
agreeing how to ensure full compliance of all Members.  The Chairman stated that in spite ofreminders and urging from the Committee, and periodic reminders from the Central Registry of
Notifications, the situation had not improved.  Many Members in fact had not submitted any
notification at all since joining the WTO.  There existed a large gap between what was required by the
Agreement and the actual number of notifications received.  Several Members suggested possible
ways of remedying the problem (G/LIC/M/13, paragra ph 2).  Following the above meeting, as a first
step, the Chairperson sent letters to all Members who had not notified at all to express the concerns of
the Committee and to urge them to undertake all nece ssary efforts with their authorities to bring them
up to date with the notifications before the October 2001 meeting.  The Chairperson recalled that
Members which did not apply any import licensing procedures or had no laws or regulations relevant
to the Agreement were also required to notify the Committee of this fact in order to obtain a completeoverview of the import licensing regimes of Members.  Relevant parts of the handbook on WTO
notification requirements, which gives a detailed explanation of the notification requirements as well
as examples of notifications, were also attached to these letters.  In addition, those who meet with
difficulties in notifying were requested to indica te how they thought the Secretariat could assist to
overcome those difficulties.  Of the 42 Members to whom the letters were addressed, only four,
namely, Antigua and Barbuda, Cameroon, Gabon and Georgia, have submitted notifications so far;
and no Member has indicated its difficulties in notifying or any technical assistance needs.
[To be completed following the meeting of the Committee on 9 October 2001.]G/LIC/W/15
Page 3
ANNEX
Notifications
Member Footnote 5 to Article 2.2
Two-year delayed
application
(date of WTO
Membership)Articles 1.4.(a)/8.2.(b)
Publications/legislation -
First notification upon WTO
Membership, ad hoc
thereafter
(date of latest
communication)Article 7.3
Replies to Questionnaire -
Annual, by 30 September
(date of latest
communication)Article 5 - Ad hoc
(date of latest
communication)
Albania Not notified Not notified
Angola Not notified Not notified
Antigua & Barbuda Not notified G/LIC/N/3/ATG/1 (13.5.01)
Argentina G/LIC/N/1/ARG/1-2
(19.12.97)G/LIC/N/3/ARG/1 + Corr.1
& ARG/2 (19.12.97)G/LIC/N/2/ARG/1-6
& ARG/2/Rev.1
(26.11.99)
Australia G/LIC/N/1/AUS/1 & Add.1
(28.4.97)G/LIC/N/3/AUS/1 & Rev.1
(28.4.97)
Bahrain G/LIC/N/1/BHR/1 (27.5.97) G/LIC/N/3/BHR/1 (5.9.00)
Bangladesh G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) G/LIC/N/1/BGD/1 (31.3.00) G/LIC/N/3/BGD/1 (31.3.00)
Barbados G/LIC/N/1/BRB/1 (4.10.96) G/LIC/N/3/BRB/1 (15.9.95)
Belize Not notified Not notified
Benin G/LIC/N/1/BEN/1 (18.12.96) Not notified
Bolivia G/LIC/1/Add.2 (13.9.95) G/LIC/N/1/BOL/1 (29.5.97) G/LIC/N/3/BOL/1-2 &
Corr.1, BOL/3 (20.6.00)
Botswana Not notified Not notified
Brazil G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) G/LIC/N/1/BRA/1 (24.4. 98) G/LIC/N/3/BRA/1 (24.4.98) G/LIC/N/2/BRA/1
(24.4.98)
Brunei Darussalam Not notifie d G/LIC/N/3/BRN/1 (4.3.97)
Bulgaria G/LIC/N/1/BGR/1 (20.3.97) G/LIC/N/3/BGR/1 (20.3.97)
Burkina Faso G/LIC/1/Add.1 (3.6.95) G/LIC/N/1/BFA/1 (8.1.97) G/LIC/N/3/BFA/1/Add.1
(24.11.00)
Burundi G/LIC/N/1/BUR/1 (3.4.01) G/LIC/N/3/BUR/1 (3.4.01)
Cameroon G/LIC/1/Add.3
(13.12.95)G/LIC/N/1/CMR/1 (13.7.01) Not notified
Canada G/LIC/N/1/CAN/1 (29.1.96) G/LIC/N/3/CAN/1-3 (2.9.99)
Central African Rep. Not notified Not notified
Chad G/LIC/N/1/TCD/1-2
(18.7.00)G/LIC/N/3/TCD/1-2
(13.6.01)
Chile G/LIC/N/1/CHL/1 (16.7.96) G/LIC/N/3/CHL/1 &
Adds.1-2 (3.2.99)
Colombia G/LIC/1 (30.4.95) G/LIC/N/1/COL/1 & Add.1
(4.12.00)G/LIC/N/3/COL/1 &
Adds.1-2 (4.12.00)
Congo Not notified Not notified
Congo, Dem Rep. of Not notified Not notified
Costa Rica G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) G/LIC/N/1/CRI/1 (21.11.95) G/LIC/N/3/CRI/1-3
(15.12.00)
Côte d'Ivoire G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) Not notified Not notified
Croatia Not notified Not notified
Cuba G/LIC/N/1/CUB/1 (11.1.96) Not notified
Cyprus G/LIC/N/1/CYP/1 (30.5.96) G/LIC/N/3/CYP/1+ Rev.1 &
CYP/2 (28.8.98)
Czech Republic G/LIC/N/1/CZE/1 + Add.1
& CZE/2 (14.3.01)G/LIC/N/3/CZE/1 (27.3.01)
Djibouti Not notified Not notified
Dominica G/LIC/N/1/DMA/1 (8.2.01) G/LIC/N/3/DMA/1 (8.2.01)
Dominican Rep. G/LIC/1/Add.2 (9.3.95) Not notified Not notified
Ecuador Not notified G/LIC/N/3/ECU/1 (1.8.95)
Egypt Not notified Not notified
El Salvador G/LIC/1 (7.5.95) Not notified Not notifiedG/LIC/W/15
Page 4
Member Footnote 5 to Article 2.2
Two-year delayed
application
(date of WTO
Membership)Articles 1.4.(a)/8.2.(b)
Publications/legislation -
First notification upon WTO
Membership, ad hoc
thereafter
(date of latest
communication)Article 7.3
Replies to Questionnaire -
Annual, by 30 September
(date of latest
communication)Article 5 - Ad hoc
(date of latest
communication)
Estonia G/LIC/N/1/EST/1+Add.1
(10.5.00)G/LIC/N/3/EST/1 (5.10.00)
European
CommunitiesG/LIC/N/1/EEC/1/Rev.2
&Adds.1-2 & EEC/2 +Add.1-2 (10.1.00)G/LIC/N/3/EEC/1 & Add.1-
EEC/2 & Adds.1-27EEC/3 &Adds.1-26 (6.10.00)G/LIC/N/2/EEC/1-2
(4.7.97)
Fiji G/LIC/N/1/FJI/1 (30.7.97) G/LIC/N/3/FJI/1 (1.4.97)
Gabon G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) Not notifie d Not notified G/LIC/N/2/GAB/1
(25.5.01)
Gambia Not notified G/LIC/N/3/GMB/1
(31.10.97)
Georgia Not notified G/LIC/N/3/GEO/1 (3.7.01)
Ghana Not notified G/LIC/N/3/GHA/1-2
(17.8.01)
Grenada Not notified Not notified
Guatemala G/LIC/1/Add.1 (21.7.95) G/LIC/N/1/GTM/1-2
(20.1.00)G/LIC/N/3/GTM/1
20.1.00
Guinea Not notified Not notified
Guinea Bissau Not notified Not notified
Guyana Not notified Not notified
Haiti G/LIC/N/1/HTI/1 (8.10.99) G/LIC/N/3/HTI/1-2 (27.4.00)
Honduras G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) G/LIC/N/1/HND/1
(31.10.96)Not notified
Hong Kong, China G /LIC/N/1/HKG/1-4
(20.4.98)G/LIC/N/3/HKG/1 + Rev.1-
2, HKG/2 -HKG/3+Corr.1HKG/4 (29.9.00)G/LIC/N/2/HKG/1-2
(27.1.98)
Hungary G/LIC/N/1/HUN/1-4 (8.3.01) G/LIC/N/3/HUN/1-3 +
HUN/3/Add.1 (8.3.01)G/LIC/N/2/HUN/1
(19.1.98)
Iceland G/LIC/N/1/ISL/1
(8.1.99)G/LIC/N/3/ISL/1-2 (5.6.00)
India G/LIC/N/1/IND/1/Rev.1 +
IND/2 -3 (10.11.00)G/LIC/N/3/IND/1-4
(24.10.00)G/LIC/N/2/IND/1-3
(10.11.00)
Indonesia G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) G/LIC/N/1/IDN/1 (27.10.98) G/LIC/N/3/IDN/1 (27.10.98)
Israel Not notified Not notified
Jamaica G/LIC/N/1/JAM/1 (1.7.96) G/LIC/N/3/JAM/1+ Add.1
(14.3.2000)
Japan G/LIC/N/1/JPN/1 &
JPN/2/Rev.1 (7.1.97)G/LIC/N/3/JPN/1 + Corr.1
(2.4.98)G/LIC/N/2/JPN/1-3
(12.4.01)
Jordan G/LIC/N/1/JOR/1-2 (3.9.01) G/LIC/N/3/JOR/1 (2.10.00) G/LIC/N/2/JOR/1
(1.12.00)
Kenya G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) No t notified G/LIC/N/3/KEN/1
(10.11.97)
Korea G/LIC/N/1/KOR/1-3 (3.4.98) G/LIC/N/3/KOR/1-2 (6.4.98)
Kuwait Not notified Not notified
Kyrgyz Republic G/LIC/N/1/KGZ/1 (6 .1.00) G/LIC/N/3/KGZ/1 (11.4.00)
Latvia G/LIC/N/1/LVA/1 (18.5.99) G/LIC/N/3/LVA/1 (18.5.99)
Lesotho Not notified Not notified
Liechtenstein G/LIC/N/1/LIE/1 -2
(17.10.00)G/LIC/N/3/LIE/1 + Add.1 -
LIE/2 -3/Rev.1(23.3.01)G/LIC/N/2/LIE/1 -2
(17.10.00)
Lithuania Not notified Not notified
Macau, China Not notified G/LIC/N/3/MAC/1-3/Rev.1
(28.2.01)
Madagascar G/LIC/N/1/MDG/1-2
(31.3.2000)Not notified
Malawi G/LIC/N/1/MWI/1 (10.5.99) G/LIC/N/3/MWI/1 (10.5.99)
Malaysia G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) Not notified G/LIC /N/3/MYS/1 (4.12.97) G/LIC/N/2/MYS/1-2
(21.7.99)
Maldives Not notified Not notifiedG/LIC/W/15
Page 5
Member Footnote 5 to Article 2.2
Two-year delayed
application
(date of WTO
Membership)Articles 1.4.(a)/8.2.(b)
Publications/legislation -
First notification upon WTO
Membership, ad hoc
thereafter
(date of latest
communication)Article 7.3
Replies to Questionnaire -
Annual, by 30 September
(date of latest
communication)Article 5 - Ad hoc
(date of latest
communication)
Mali G/LIC/N/1/MLI/1 (23.7.01) G/LIC/N/3/MLI/1-2
(23.7.01)
Malta G/LIC/N/1/MLT/1 (29.5.96) G/LIC/N/3/MLT/1-2 +Corr.1
& Add.1 (6.6.00)
Mauritania Not notified Not notified
Mauritius G/LIC/N/1/MUS/1 &
Adds.1-3 (4.5.98)G/LIC/N/3/MUS/1 (2.11.95)
Mexico Not notified Not notified G/LIC/N/2/MEX/1
(16.10.98)
Moldova Not notified Not notified
Mongolia Not notified Not notified
Morocco G/LIC/N/1/MAR/1 (3.7.96) G/LIC/N/3/MAR/1-2 +
MAR/2/Add.1 (18.2.99)
Mozambique Not notified Not notified
Myanmar G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) Not notified Not notified
Namibia Not notified G/LIC/N/3/NAM/1-3
(30.3.2000)
New Zealand G/LIC/N/1/NZL/1 (2.8.96) G/LIC/N/3/NZL/1 + Add.1
(24.3.98)
Nicaragua G/LIC/N/1/NIC/1 (18.7.96) Not notified
Niger G/LIC/N/1/NER/1 (10.12.97) Not notified
Nigeria G/LIC/N/1/NGA/1 (16.2.98) G/LIC/N/3/NGA/1-2
(16.2.98)G/LIC/N/2/NGA/1-2
(16.2.98)
Norway G/LIC/N/1/NOR/1-2
(3.11.97)G/LIC/N/3/NOR/1 + Corr.1
& NOR/2 +
Add.s.1-2 (7.4.00)
Oman G/LIC/N/1/OMN/1 (9.1.01) G/LIC/N/3/OMN/1 (1.4.01)
Pakistan G/LIC/N/1/PAK/1 (6.5.96) Not notified G/LIC/N/2/PAK/1
(6.5.96)
Panama G/LIC/N/1/PAN/1-2
(19.10.98)G/LIC/N/3/PAN/1 (22.1.99) G/LIC/N/2/PAN/1
(21. 7.98)
Papua New Guinea Not notified Not notified G/LIC/N/2/PNG/1
(6.2.98)
Paraguay Not notified Not notified
Peru G/LIC/N/1/PER/1 (13.2.96) G/LIC/N/3/PER/1-2 + Add.1
(4.10.99)
Philippines G/LIC/N/1/PHL/1 (6.4.98) G/LIC/N/3/PHL/1-
3+PHL/3/Corr.1 (11.1.00)
Poland Not notified G/LIC/N/3/POL/1 (7.10.97) G/LIC/N/2/POL/1-5
(4.6.01)
Qatar G/LIC/N/1/QAT/1 (24.3.98) G/LIC/N/3/QAT/1 (24.3.98)
Romania G/LIC/N/1/ROM/1-2
(1.3.99)G/LIC/N/3/ROM/1-2 +Add.1
(12.12.00)G/LIC/N/2/ROM/1-2
(6.7.99)
Rwanda Not notified Not notified
St. Kitts & Nevis G/LIC/N/1/K NA/1 (17.7.98) Not notified
St. Lucia Not notified Not notified
St. Vincent &
GrenadinesNot notified Not notified
Senegal Not notified G/LIC/N/3/SEN/1 (20.1.97)
Sierra Leone Not notified Not notified
Singapore G/LIC/N/1/SGP/1-3
(23.02.2000)G/LIC/N/3/SGP/1-3
(13.10.00)G/LIC/N/2/SGP/1-2
(23.02.2000)
Slovak Republic Not notified Not notified
Slovenia G/LIC/N/1/SVN/1 (27.11.96) G/LIC/N/3/SVN/1 (6.6.97)
Solomon Islands Not notified Not notifiedG/LIC/W/15
Page 6
Member Footnote 5 to Article 2.2
Two-year delayed
application
(date of WTO
Membership)Articles 1.4.(a)/8.2.(b)
Publications/legislation -
First notification upon WTO
Membership, ad hoc
thereafter
(date of latest
communication)Article 7.3
Replies to Questionnaire -
Annual, by 30 September
(date of latest
communication)Article 5 - Ad hoc
(date of latest
communication)
South Africa Not notified G/LIC/N/3/ZAF/1-3 +
ZAF/3/Rev.1(14.8.01)G/LIC/N/2/ZAF/1
(9.7.97)
Sri Lanka G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) Not notified Not notified
Suriname Not notified Not notified
Swaziland G/LIC/N/1/SWZ/1 (19.8.96) Not notified
Switzerland G/LIC/N/1/CHE/1-2
(21.9.00)G/LIC/N/3/CHE/1-3+Add.1
(21.2.01)G/LIC/N/2/CHE/1-2
(21.9.00)
Tanzania Not notified Not notified
Thailand G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) Not notified Not notified
Togo Not notified Not notified
Trinidad & Tobago G/LIC/N/1/TTO/1 (28.10.98) G/LIC/N/3/TTO/1-3
(27.2.01)
Tunisia G/LIC/1 (29.3.95) G/LIC/N/1/TUN/1 + Add.1
(21.1.99)G/LIC/N/3/TUN/1-3 +
Add.1 (11.12.00)
Turkey G/LIC/1 (26.3.95) G/LIC/N/1/TUR/1,
TUR/2/Rev.1 & TUR/3
+Add.1 (3.7.01)G/LIC/N/3/TUR/1-2 +
TUR/2/Corr.1, TUR/3-4
(3.7.01)
Uganda G/LIC/N/1/UGA/1 (16.8.96) G/LIC/N/3/UGA/1 + Add.1
(8.11.00)
United ArabEmiratesG/LIC/1/Add.3 (10.4.96) G/LIC/N/1/ARE/ 1 (19.3.97) G/LIC/N/3/ARE/1 (11.4.00)
United States G/LIC/N/1/USA/1 & Rev.1
(1.10.96)G/LIC/N/3/USA/1-3
(6.11.00)
Uruguay G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) G/LIC/N/1/URY/1 -3
(17.9.01)G/LIC/N/3/URY/1 + Add.1
(27.1.99)
Venezuela G/LIC/1 (1.1.95) Not notif ied Not notified G/LIC/N/2/VEN/1-2
(14.2.01)
Zambia Not notified Not notified
Zimbabwe G/LIC/N/1/ZWE/1-2
(21.9.98)G/LIC/N/3/ZWE/1+Adds.1-
2 (15.2.01)
TOTAL
MEMBERS =127224 702732222
__________
                                                     
2 The European Communities and its member States counted as one Member.