RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SCM/W/467
4 October 2001
(01-4763)
Committee on Subsidies
and Countervailing MeasuresOriginal:  Spanish
IMPLEMENTATION-RELATED ISSUES REFERRED TO THE
COMMITTEE AT THE REQUEST OF THE CHAIRMAN OF
THE GENERAL COUNCIL ON 31 JULY 2001
Review by the SCM Committee of the Provisions of the Agreement on Subsidies and
Countervailing Measures Regarding Countervailing Duty Investigations
Communication from the Dominican Republic
The following communication, dated 27 September 2001, has been received from the
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic.
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The Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations and Other
International Organizations in Geneva sends its co mpliments to the Director-General of the World
Trade Organization (WTO), Mr. Mike Moore, and has the pleasure of transmitting herewith, on behalf
of its own delegation and those of Bolivia, Ecuador , El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, a copy of
the Joint Declaration adopted at the V Latin-Am erican Conference on Free Zones on 31 August 2001
with the request that it be formally circulated as a public document through the General Council's
special implementation mechanism and at tomorrow's meeting of the Committee on Subsidies and
Countervailing Measures.
The Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic would like to take this opportunity to
highlight the important political message contained in this Joint Statement.  This message isparticularly crucial, as we prepare for the 4
th Ministerial Conference, in instilling a sense of urgency in
the discussions we have been holding at the WTO since 1998 in an effort to solve implementation
problems relating to the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.G/SCM/W/467
Page 2
V Latin American Conference on Free Zones
Joint Declaration
On the occasion of the V Latin American Conference on Free Zones, held in Colon, Panama,
from 30 to 31 August 2001, the representatives of the Latin American free zones,
Considering:That the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM) of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) provides for the elimination, as from 1 January 2003, of certain fiscal incentiveswhich have made possible the creation and development of the free zones of Latin America;
That the free zones have become a valid instrument for the development of our peoples and
an effective way of boosting income and improving the standard of living of our inhabitants;
That the significant contributions to economic and social development by the free zones have
not yet sufficed to meet the basic needs of the peoples of Latin America;
That the elimination of the fiscal incentives applied in the free zones could have a highly
negative impact on the ability of our countries to retain and attract investments, to maintain their
employment levels and to prevent emigration to the developed countries;
That the Agreement provides for preferential mechanisms which favour investment in the
relatively less developed countries;
Hereby  declare :
1. That the Member countries of the WTO should ensure that our countries retain the power to
continue granting fiscal incentives in the free zones by adopting a binding Ministerial Decision during
the 4
th Ministerial Conference to be held in Doha, Qatar, from 9 to 13 November 2001;
2. That the maintenance of the incentives granted in the free zones should be for an indefinite
period of time, subject to the criteria established in the economic policies and development strategies
of our countries;
3. That the representatives of the free zones of Latin America authorize the Committee on Free
Zones of the Americas to examine the different alternatives submitted during the course of the
V Latin American Conference on Free Zones with a view to proposing to the WTO, through its
Members, alternatives for bringing the incentives of the free zone regime into conformity, where
appropriate, with the provisions of the Agreement.
The members of the Latin American Committee on Free Zones are urged to contact their
respective governments to ensure that they take the necessary steps to guarantee the implementation
of the resolutions contained in this Joint Declarati on and any other initiative that contributes to the
further development of the free zones in our countries.
Done at Colon, Panama, on the 31st day of the month of August 2001.G/SCM/W/467
Page 3
Name of Representative Country
Héctor Vargas Costa Rica
José Clase Dominican Republic
Galo Pinto Panama
Fernando Álvarez Honduras
Ricardo Antonio Ávila El Salvador
Oscar Ewel Bolivia
Carlos Lara Ecuador
Isidoro Hodara Uruguay
Germán Díaz Ecuador
Gastón Barone Argentina
Federico Domínguez Dominican Republic
Silvia Castañer Cuba
Ernesto Guerrero Cuba
Juan Rivera Colombia
Anilde Istillate Venezuela
Claudia de Del Águila Guatemala
Agustín Echevarría Puerto Rico
Ernesto Moreno Argentina
Ricardo Villanueva Argentina
Fernando Moncayo EcuadorG/SCM/W/467
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COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE ON FREE TRADE ZONES
OF THE AMERICAS
Period 2001-2001
Chairman Héctor Vargas, Costa Rica
First Vice-Chairman José Clase, Dominican Republic
Second Vice-Chairman Galo Pinto de la Ossa, Panama
Secretary Fernando Álvarez, Honduras
Assistant Secretary Oscar Ewel, Bolivia
Treasurer Gastón Barone, ArgentinaMember 1 Silvia Castañer, Cuba
Member 2 Isidoro Hodara, Uruguay
Alternate 1 Federico Domínguez, Dominican Republic
Alternate 2 Orlando Seghesio, Argentina
Alternate 3 Orlando Solórzano, NicaraguaInspector Ernesto Guerrero, Cuba
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