RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/PTA/M/8  
 
6 April 2022  
(22-2770) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Eighth Dedicated Session on Preferential Trade 
Arrangements    
 
  
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 25 MARCH  2022 
Chairman: H.E. Dr Muhammad Mujtaba Piracha (Pakistan)  
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
B. NOTIFICATIONS RECEIVED  ................................ ................................ .....................  1 
(I) Notifications of changes to existing preferential trade arrangements  ................................  1 
(a) Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by the United States 
(WT/COMTD/N/1/Add.12)  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 1 
(b) Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by Norway (WT/COMTD/N/6/Add.8)  ........  2 
C. STATUS OF THE WORK OF THE DEDICATED SESSION  ................................ ..............  2 
(I) Status of the preparation of factual presentations – Report by the Chairman 
(WT/COMTD/PTA/W/6)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 2 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 3 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The draft agenda  for the 8th Dedicated Session on Preferential Trade Arrangements (PTAs) of 
the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) , as contained in 
Airgram  WTO/AIR/COMTD/PTA/ 7/Rev.1 of 15 March  2022, was adopted .  
B. NOTIFICATIONS RECEIVED  
(I) Notifications of changes to existing preferential trade arrangements  
2. The Chairman  said that  two notifications of changes to existing PTAs were listed under 
the present agenda item . The notifications , by the United States and Norway, concern ed 
the Generalized  System of Preferences (GSP) schemes of these Members .  
(a) Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by the United States  
(WT/COMTD/N/ 1/Add.12) 
3. The Chairman  said that  the notification by the United States concerning its GSP scheme was 
contained in document WT/COMTD/N/ 1/Add.1 2. 
4. The representative of  the United States  said that  legal authorization for duty -free treatment 
under the United States' GSP programme had lapsed as of 1 January 20 21. As a result, imports 
entering the United States that were eligible for duty -free treatment under GSP up to that date were 
now subject to regular most-favoured -nation ( MFN) rates of duty.  Renewal of the GSP program me 
require d a legislative act of the Unit ed States Congress. GSP enjoy ed bipartisan support in Congress 
and a number of bills reauthorizing the program me had been introduced.  Despite the GSP 
program me currently being lapsed, the tariff line coverage continue d under the African Growth and 
Opportu nity Act ( AGOA ) program me for th ose 36 beneficiaries . WT/COMTD/PTA/M/8  
 
- 2 - 
 
  5. The representative of the European Union  said that he had a question regarding 
the reaut horization of the lapsed  GSP scheme  of the United States . In particular, he wished to know 
whether  this would take effect retroactively.   
6. The representative of the United States  thanked the European Union for the question. She 
said that she would be happy to take the conversation online and explain the details of how the 
renewal process was going to take place. She would also be happy to update the Committee when 
she had more information about the renewal process . 
 
7. The Committee took note  of the notification by the United States , and of the interventions.  
(b) Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by Norway  
(WT/COMTD/N/ 6/Add.8) 
8. The Chairman  said that the notification by Norway  concerning its GSP scheme was contained 
in document WT/COMTD/ N/6/Add.8 . 
 
9. The representative of Norway  said that  the notification sought to inform Members of changes 
affecting the implementation of Norway's GSP scheme. Since Norway's previous notification  
circulated in November 2019 , free trade agreements negotiated through the European Free Trade 
Association (EFTA)  had entered into force between Norway and Ecuador , and between  Norway and 
Indonesia . Ecuador and Indonesia  were therefore withdrawn from the GSP scheme.  Furthermore, 
on 1 July 2021, changes in the Regulations to the Act on Customs Duties and Movement of G oods 
went into force. For countries that were ranked in a higher income category in the Development 
Assistance Committee ( DAC) list of official development assistance ( ODA) recipient s in two main 
revisions, the tariff preferences for the higher category would  now be implemented on the first day 
of the second year after the second revision. For countries that were ranked in a lower income 
category or were included on the list after the t hree-year main revision, the change was implemented 
on the first day of the year after the revision. For countries that were removed from the DAC list, 
ordinary duty rates were implemented on the first day of the second year after the three -year main 
audit. There were no changes to the underlying principles and structure of the Norwegian GSP.  The 
notification further contain ed an overview of country re -categorisations reflecting amendments to 
the DAC list, and an overview of the countries and territories th at were part of the Norwegian GSP 
but ha d not yet applied the Registered Exporter system.  
10. The representative of the United States  thank ed Norway  for its notification  and for the 
transparency of the exercise .  
11. The Committee took note  of the notification by Norway , and of the interventions.  
C. STATUS OF THE WORK OF THE DEDICATED SESSION  
(I) Status of the preparation of factual presentations – Report by the Chairman 
(WT/COMTD/PTA/W/ 6) 
12. The Chairman  said that his report on the status of the preparation of factual presentations of 
PTAs was contained in document WT/COMTD/PTA/W/ 6. As indicated in the report, there were a 
number of PTAs that had been notified since the establishment of the Transparency M echanism for 
PTAs, for which the Secretariat ha d still not received the full set of data or information required for 
the preparation of the factual presentations. He therefore urge d the notifying Members to provide 
all the required data and information as soon as possible.  He was nevertheless pleased to note that 
the Secretariat ha d sufficient data and information to begin the process of drafting the factual 
presentations for the PTAs being implemented by India and the United Kingdom. The Secretariat 
would maintain contact with both these delegations as necessary through the drafting process for 
any additional clarifications on the data and information provided.  
13. The representative of the United  States  thanked the Chairman  for his report, and  welcomed 
his remarks and his interest in th e transparency exercise. She urged all Members that had not yet 
notified their PTAs to do so promptly.   
 
14. The representative of China  said that her country  had actively fulfill ed its notification 
obligation s, and valued  the transparency mechanism of the WTO. China  had successfully submitted WT/COMTD/PTA/M/8  
 
- 3 - 
 
  import data for the years 2010 to 2018 , after great efforts to resolv e the data discrepancies with 
the Integrated Database . Her delegation was  additionally  preparing a communication to provide 
updated information on China's duty-free market access treatment for LDCs , which involved a wider 
coverage of ze ro-tariff lines . The translation of up -to-date regulations in a WTO language was also 
under p reparation. The renewed link, together with the translated text, would  be submitted to the 
Secretariat in due time.  
15. The Committee took note  of the Chairman's report , and of the interventions . 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  
16. No matter was raised under "Other Business".  
17. The meeting was adjourned . 
__________