RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/MA/M/6
25July1996
ORGANIZATION(96-2915)
Committee onMarket Access
MINUTES OFTHE MEETING OF13JUNE 1996
Chairman: Mr.Jean Saint-Jacques (Canada)
Agenda oftheMeeting Page
1. Introduction 2
2. Tariff Matters 2
2.1 HS96 changes 2
-Submission ofdocumentation 2
-Extension ofHS96 "collective" waiver 2
2.2 Establishment ofconsolidated loose-leaf schedules 6
-Draft Decision andelectronic verification oftheloose-leaf schedules 6
2.3 Semi-annual report totheCouncil forTrade inGoods including factual 7
information onwaivers
3. Non-tariff Matters 8
3.1 Notifications ofquantitative restrictions 8
4. Simplification ofdatarequirements andstandardization offormats 8
5. Report totheCouncil forTrade inGoods inlightoftheMinisterial Meeting 9
6. Integrated database 10
7. Other business 10
7.1 Turkey -communication related tosubmission ofdocumentation in 10
thecontext ofthecustoms union withtheEuropean Communities
7.2 Korea -statement ontheincrease ofbound duties byEcuador fortextiles 10
7.3 United States -circulation oftheannotated agenda 11
7.4 Letter from theChairman oftheCommittee onTrade andDevelopment 11
regarding special provisions infavour ofdeveloping country Members and
inparticular least-developed country Members
7.5 Dateofnextmeetings 11G/MA/M/6
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1. Introduction
1.1 Beforeproceedingtotheadoptionoftheagenda,theChairmanstatedthatasconcernedobservers,
inaddition tothecountries which were acceding totheWTO and,asagreed atthelastmeeting of
theCommittee, theFAO, IMF, ITCB, UNCTAD, WCO andtheWorld Bank hadbeeninvited tothis
meeting. Hesuggested that,untilthecriteria andconditions forobserver status were agreed, these
organizations would alsobeinvited toattend thenextmeeting oftheCommittee.
TheCommittee soagreed.
Theagenda ofthemeeting, contained inWTO/AIR/351 dated 3June1996, wasadopted with
theadditions oftheitems listed above under "Other business".
2. Tariff Matters
2.1 HS96 changes
-Submission ofdocumentation
2.1.1 TheChairman reminded theCommittee thatawaiver onacollective basis fromobligations
under Article IIoftheGATT 1994wasgranted inaccordance withArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement
inDecember 1995 toMembers thathadrequested tobeconsidered under thewaiver (WT/L/124 +
Corr.1). These Members were expected to:
"(a) ...submit by31December 1995,thepages oftheir consolidated schedule containing the
proposed changes together withanaccompanying letter indicating theconcessions which have
beenaltered oronecopyoftheirnational tariffineither itsnational language orinoneofWTO
official languages, withtheHS96 changes clearly indicated; and
(b) ...by31March 1996theremaining documentation required under paragraph 2ofthesimplified
procedures adopted bytheCommittee onTariff Concessions toimplement changes inthe
Harmonized System."
2.1.2 Inthiscontext, theSecretariat hadcommunicated indocument G/MA/TAR/W/5/Rev.2 the
situation regarding thesubmission oftherequired documentation asof6June1996. Ascould beseen
fromthisdocument, thecontent ofthevarious notifications varied greatly fromoneMember toanother.
Outofthe33Members covered bythe"collective" waiver, eleven hadsubmitted aconsolidated schedule
inloose-leaf format including HS96 changes; fifteen ofthemhadforwarded alistshowing theitems
affected bytheHS96 changes; forseven Members thedocumentation represented onlyapreliminary
listofchanges notsubject totheninety days'verification period; eleven haddeposited withthe
Secretariat their1996 national tariffs, andfiveMembers hadnotsubmitted anydocumentation. The
Chairman urged thedelegations which hadnotyetdone so,tosubmit thecomplete required
documentation assoonaspossible. Healsorequested delegations which hadmade general reservations
withrespect tothese schedules, tospecify asquickly aspossible theproblems theyhadencountered
withaschedule ofanother Member, andtotrytoresolve these issues speedily.
-Extension oftheHS96 "collective" waiver
2.1.3 TheChairmanrecalledthatthe"collective"waiverwouldexpireon30June1996.Heexplained
thatinlightofthesituation shown indocument G/MA/TAR/W/5/Rev.2 andthenumber ofreservations
thathadbeenmade onmostofthedocumentation submitted, itwould notseem possible tosettle the
issues involved before theexpiry dateofthewaiver. Given theexceptional circumstances, itwould,
therefore, seem necessary toconsider extending thistime-limit.G/MA/M/6
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2.1.4 Referring tothetiming ofextension ofwaivers ingeneral, theChairman pointed outthat
waivers wereusually extended forperiods ofsixmonths, fromJanuary toJuneandJulytoDecember.
Inhisview, itwasadvisable tocontemplate achange inthetiming forextension ofwaivers ingeneral
forpractical reasons andbecause therewasnotalways ameeting oftheGeneral Council inthatperiod
oftheyear. TheChairman therefore proposed thatinfuture waivers should beextended from May
toOctober andfrom November toApril. Headded thatwhile aMarch/September schedule might
seem more logical, itwould notafford sufficient timeformeetings afterthesummer break. Inthe
caseofthe"collective" waiver, itwould mean anextension exceptionally until30April 1997. Ifagreed,
thechanges intiming should apply alsotoother waivers granted inconnection withthetransposition
ortherenegotiation ofschedules oftariff concessions.
2.1.5 Returning tothequestion ofthe"collective" waiver anditsextension, theChairman suggested
thatMembers already covered bythewaiver -andother Members which felttheneedtobecovered -
would have tosubmit requests inwriting totheSecretariat, giving thereasons tothateffect, by
20June1996. Regarding thedatesforsubmission ofdocumentation tobeincluded inthedraftdecision
ofthewaiver extension, hesuggested thattheybemodified asfollows compared withtheoriginal waiver
text: 31December 1995 would bereplaced by30June1996; 31March 1996 would bereplaced by
30September 1996. ThedraftDecision would beputbefore theCouncil forTrade inGoods atits
meeting of5July1996, andthenforwarded forapproval totheGeneral Council atitsmeeting of
18July1996.
2.1.6 Therepresentative oftheUnited States said,thatalthough hisGovernment would prefer to
haveallthedocumentation onHS96 changes submitted bytheendofJune, itcould accept thatthe
listofchanges besubmitted bytheendofJuneandtherestofthedocumentation, bytheendof
September.
2.1.7 Thedelegates oftheCzech Republic (also onbehalf oftheSlovak Rep.), theEuropean
Communities, India, Japan andthePhilippines (onbehalf oftheASEAN countries) supported the
proposals putforward bytheChairman concerning theextension ofthe"collective" waiver, stressing
theexceptional character ofthewaiver andtheneedtorespect thedatesforthesubmission oftherequired
documentation. Anumber ofdelegations urged theMembers thathadmade general reservations to
specify theirconcerns assoonaspossible.
2.1.8 Therepresentative ofCuba informed theCommittee thatherdelegation would submit arevised
version ofthedocumentation contained inG/SECRET/HS96/21 circulated on11March 1996. She
alsoreported thatCanada hadasked forconsultations under Article XXVIII andthatCanada 'sconcerns
hadbeentransmitted totheCuban authorities. Herdelegation supported theChairman 'sproposals
regarding theextension ofthe"collective" waiver.
2.1.9 Therepresentative ofSwitzerland expressed concern regarding thesituation presently faced
bymostWTO Members withrespect tothechanges inHSnomenclature. Asconcerns theuseofthe
term"collective" waiver, intheopinion ofhisdelegation, theDecision of13December 1995granted,
individually toeachMember included inthelistannexed totheDecision, awaiver from Article II
provisions ofGATT 1994. Only forreasons ofconvenience, thewaivers granted totheMembers
concerned hadbeengrouped collectively under onesingle decision, which innowaychanged the
individual nature ofthewaiver. IftheMembers concerned wished anextension ofthewaiver, they
would havetosubmit anindividual request tothateffect totheWTO through theSecretariat. Each
request would havetobesubstantiated andwould havetoexplain thespecial circumstances prevailing
inthecountry concerned. Inorder toavoid unnecessary bureaucracy, Switzerland suggested that
theSecretariat prepare alistofthewellsubstantiated requests forsubmission tothenextmeeting of
theCouncil forTrade inGoods. Headded thatthiswould beacondition sinequanonforhisdelegation
toaccept anextension ofthewaiver. Herecalled totheCommittee thathisdelegation wasfirmlyG/MA/M/6
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opposed toanyautomatic extension ofwaivers thatwould nothavebeenmotivated byacceptable
exceptional circumstances.
2.1.10 TheSwissdelegatenotedfurthermorethatsomeMemberswerecompelledtorequestanextension
because ofreservations presented byother Members under Article XXVIII. Switzerland wasvery
concerned thatanumber ofthose reservations wereofpurely general character, didnotspelloutwhat
specific problems hadarisen andcontained norequest forclarification withrespect totheinformation
provided under theDecision of13December 1995. Thismade itimpossible toholdconsultations
ortosupply additional information. Inhisviewthiswasunacceptable andcreated further legalinsecurity
andambiguity, which wasdetrimental tothemultilateral tradesystem. Thispractice wasalsorunning
against theobjectives oftheWTO which aimed atensuring thesecurity ofconcessions byproviding
aclear andpredictable environment. Switzerland urged those members which hadentered general
reservations toclearly specify thejustification forthereservation under Article XXVIII ofGATT 1994.
Hecalled upon theChairman toundertake assoonaspossible consultations toimprove procedures
andstrengthen,asappropriate,therelevantguidelinesinordertosignificantlyreducethelegaluncertainty
arising fromtheundue extension ofthewaivers andother similar measures. Switzerland alsorequested
theChairman toplace thisquestion ontheagenda ofthenextmeeting oftheMarket Access Committee
andtomake concrete proposals designed tosolve theproblem.
2.1.11 Therepresentative ofTrinidad andTobago saidthat,while hecould agree withtheprocedures
outlined bytheChairman, hewaspreoccupied bytheCommittee 'sconcern overdeadlines. Hewas
wondering whycountries having metthedeadline forthesubmission ofthedocumentation hadtorequest
anextension onlybecause onemember hadentered ageneral reservation. Thedelegate ofTrinidad
andTobago agreed thatthequestion beputontheagenda ofthenextmeeting oftheCommittee.
2.1.12 Therepresentative ofZimbabwe welcomed theChairman 'sproposals regarding theextension
ofthewaiver andassured theCommittee thathisauthorities would submit therequired documentation
before thenewdeadlines elapsed.
2.1.13 TheChairman stressed thefactthattheCommittee wasonlyrequested toexamine hisproposal
related totheextension ofwaivers andthatthefinaldecision would havetobetaken bytheGeneral
Council. Following theSwiss suggestion, theissues related totheprocedures andthesubmission of
documentation withregard towaivers would beputontheagenda ofthenextCommittee meeting.
2.1.14 Therepresentative ofNorway saidthathisdelegation remained concerned about theconcept
ofextending theHS96 "collective" waiver. Hereiterated theposition ofhisdelegation thatwaivers
should beexceptions andthatasufficient degree oftransparency should beensured intheexercise.
Hisauthorities would havepreferred thatthewaiver beextended onanindividual basis, allowing for
theexamination oftheindividual waiver requests under theauspices oftheCommittee. However,
duetothetimeconstraint, hisdelegation recognized theneedforsome pragmatism. Therefore, while
stressing theneedfortransparency, hisdelegation could goalong withtheChairman 'sproposal on
theextension ofthe"collective" waiver, provided thatrequests forinclusion under thewaiver bemade
inwriting withashort explanation giving thereasons fortherequest. Norway expected that,atthe
endofthewaiver period, theCommittee would undertake areview ofthestatus ofMembers '
implementation ofHS96 changes intotheirschedules andthusreview theneedforfurther waiver
extensions. TheNorwegian delegate alsovoiced concern withregard tothewidespread practice of
making general reservations. Intheview ofhisdelegation thispractice wasinnowaywarranted.
Reservations should besubstantiated either byreference totheneedforfurther written material or
other information orbycorrectly identifying thesubstance. General reservations delayed theprocess
ofverification andratification ofHS96 changes inanundue manner. Inlightofthisconcern, Norway
would support theSwiss suggestion thattheChairman initiate aprocess aimed atthereaffirmation
ofthedisciplines thatmustguide theprocess tobefollowed under Article XXVIII negotiations, theG/MA/M/6
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process having adirect impact onthesolution totheproblem ofextension ofwaivers. TheNorwegian
delegation could accept thatthedeadline forthewaiver besetfor30April 1997 andthatthedeadline
forthesubmission ofthedocumentation be30September 1996.
2.1.15 Insumming upthediscussion, theChairman noted thattherewasgeneral agreement toextend
the"collective" waiver aswellastheother waivers until30April 1997 andthatMembers accepted
theperiods MaytoOctober, andNovember toApril fortheextension ofwaivers. Members which
wished tobeincluded inthe"collective" waiver would havetomake asubstantiated request. Those
requests should reach theSecretariat by20June1996. Thenewdates proposed forthesubmission
ofdocumentation would be30June1996 and,ifthatdidnotprove possible, by30September 1996
atthelatest. Headded thatthewaiver would beopentoallWTO Members, andnotonlytothose
thatwere already covered bytheinitial waiver. Itwassoagreed .
2.1.16 Withrespect tothestatements made byanumber ofdelegations regarding waivers ingeneral,
theChairman identified twotypes ofproblems: (1)Members should provide asmuch information
asmight berequested byothers toenable them toreview theirschedules andtocomplete thisreview
assoonaspossible, (2)Members wishing tomake reservations would needtospecify theexact nature
ofthereservations inorder toallow theMembers concerned either tosupply theinformation missing
ortoengage inconsultations asquickly aspossible, thefinalobjective being toavoid extension of
thewaivers. Hestrongly urged Members todotheirutmost tobring thisexercise toafruitful conclusion.
Healsoinformed theCommittee thathewould carry outconsultations ontheissues raised bythe
delegations ofSwitzerland andNorway concerning theprocedures governing Article XXVIII.
2.1.17 Therepresentative oftheWorld Customs Organization expressed appreciation ofhis
organization fortheefforts being made bytheCommittee Members tointroduce HS96 changes. In
thiscontext, heindicated thatthere werepresently 86Contracting Parties totheHSConvention. In
May1996, 47contracting parties hadimplemented HS96 changes intheircustoms tariffs andtrade
statistics,12countrieshadindicatedthattheywouldimplementthechangeson1July1996.Theposition
ofother countries wasbeing ascertained through asurvey anditwasexpected tohavetheresults by
theendofJuly. TheWCO Secretariat hadorganized regional seminars tofacilitate theimplementation
process. Theimportance ofrevising theWTO schedules oftariff concessions wasalsoemphasised
intheseseminars and,onseveral occasions, theWCO participants hadbenefitted fromtheparticipation
ofarepresentative fromtheWTO Secretariat toexplain theWTO procedures related totheintroduction
ofthechanges intotheirschedules. TheWCO Secretariat wasprepared toextend anyfurther co-
operation totheWTO inthisregard. Inthisconnection, hementioned thathisDivision hadbeen
assisting several administrations withthework oftransposition forthe1996 version oftheirnational
customs tariff.
2.1.18 Healsoinformed theCommittee thattheHarmonized System Committee atits17thSession
lastMayexamined thequestion ofCD-ROM drives anddecided toclassify thisproduct inHSheading
8471 (HScode8471.70) asaunitofautomatic dataprocessing machines. Thisdecision wassubject
toapproval bytheWCO Council. Anapproval procedure wasprescribed forthispurpose under which
acontracting party could enter areservation within twomonths (i.e.until31July1996).
2.1.19 Finally, hementioned thatthenextrevision oftheHSwasunder wayinaccordance withthe
practice ofupdating thenomenclature onceevery fourtofiveyears toreflect thedevelopments in
technology, trade patterns andneeds ofHSusers. Theresults ofthisreview would beimplemented
bytheyear2000or2001, depending onthedevelopments onHarmonized Rules ofOrigin which might
require HSamendments.G/MA/M/6
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2.2 Establishment ofconsolidated loose-leaf schedules
-Draft decision andelectronic verification oftheschedules
2.2.1 TheChairman recalled that,atthemeeting heldinNovember 1995, theCommittee had
approvedaseriesofproposalsonthissubjectwhichwerecontainedindocumentG/MA/TAR/W/4/Rev.2.
Withthehelpofthelegalservices oftheSecretariat, these proposals hadbeentransposed intothetext
ofadraft decision, circulated indocument G/MA/TAR/W/6 fortheinformation ofdelegations.
However, theissueoftheverification oftheconsolidated loose-leaf schedules remained tobeclarified.
Inthiscontext, hehadcarried outinformal consultations during which thepossibility ofdeveloping
anelectronic verification oftheloose-leaf schedules hadbeenraised. Heintended topursue these
consultations, withtheobjective oftrying toarrive atadecision onthismatter andtoreport atthe
nextmeeting. Herealized thatthisissue wasofconcern foranumber ofcountries thathadalready
deposited theirdocumentation inloose-leaf form.
2.2.2 Therepresentative ofSwitzerland believed thatanelectronic verification oftheloose-leaf
schedules could beauseful toolforMembers oftheWTO. However, anumber ofMembers had
already submitted theirloose-leaf schedules including theHS96 changes. Thesetting-up ofanelectronic
verification system should notholduptheelaboration ofprocedures aimed atensuring verification
andcertification ofloose-leaf schedules. Heinvited theChairman tocontinue hisconsultations with
aviewtodrawing upaframework which would ensure that,asearlyaspossible, onesingle document
containing theconcessions ofWTO Members could beestablished.
2.2.3 Therepresentative oftheUnited States supported anelectronic verification ofloose-leaf
schedules. Infact,inhisview, itmight onlybepossible tocomplete theverification exercise ifthe
information existed inanelectronic format. Theamount ofwork involved insuchanexercise had
become solarge andcomplex thatfeasibility wasnotassured iftraditional methods were used. He
encouraged theChairman tocontinue hisconsultations, inparticular withaviewtoclosely integrating
theelectronic versions oftheloose-leaf schedules withtheIDB.
2.2.4 Therepresentative ofNorway stated thathisauthorities would notliketoseethedecision
onloose-leaf schedules heldupbydiscussions onapossible scheme forelectronic verification. Both
thetimeframe forsuchanexercise andthefactthatelectronic verification could notbeanalternative
-butrather acomplement -toMembers 'own"manual" verification, should leadMembers totake
thedecision onaloose-leaf schedule without further delay. Asconcerns thetime-frame forverification
oftheloose-leaf schedules, i.e.para. 12ofthedraftdecision, hisdelegation would liketoseewording
thatensured thatobjections presented within theagreed timelimithadtobesubstantiated. Thisconcern
could forexample betaken careofbyadding theword "substantiated" inthesecond lineofoption 2,
which wastheoption favoured byhisgovernment.
2.2.5 Therepresentative oftheEuropean Communities supported consultations onthequestion
ofelectronic verification oftheloose-leaf schedules. Electronic verification should notbeanalternative
butrather acomplement toenable Members toaccomplish thework more precisely thanifcarried
outmanually. Inhisview, atthisstagealloptions should remain openasconcerns thedelay forcarrying
outtheverification exercise.
2.2.6 Therepresentative ofthePhilippines (onbehalf oftheASEAN countries), supporting theviews
expressed thattheelectronic verification should becomplementary inorder tofacilitate theverification
process, requested Members to"substantiate" objections theyhadmade toschedules thathadbeen
submitted.
2.2.7 Therepresentative ofMexico noted thatthetextofthedraftdecision, especially paragraph 12,
hadbeenmodified fromwhathadbeenoriginally agreed. Hewondered whether theoptions reflectedG/MA/M/6
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inparagraph 12,together withtherelevant problem ofelectronic verification, constituted twoelements
ofaformal nature. Healsosupported theview thattheelectronic verification should notdelay a
decision ontheestablishment ofconsolidated loose-leaf schedules, norcould itsubstitute foramanual
verification.
2.2.8 TheChairman saidthathehadcirculated thedraftdecision totheMembers toprovide them
withtheopportunity toseethetextinitslegalform. Theissue onelectronic verification would be
pursued ininformal meetings withthehopeoffinalizing thedraftdecision atthenextmeeting ofthe
Committee.
2.2.9 Therepresentatives ofMorocco andPoland feltthattheproblem ofverification explained
inpartthereservations entered withregard totheHS96 changes. Anelectronic verification would
greatly helpsmall delegations thatdidnothavethemeans tocarry outamanual verification.
2.3 Semi-annual report totheCouncil forTrade inGoods including factual information onwaivers
2.3.1 TheChairman mentioned thatadraftreport totheCTG ontheactivities oftheCommittee
during thefirsthalfof1996hadbeencirculated indocument G/MA/SPEC/2 forconsideration bythe
Committee. Thereport would becompleted inlightofthediscussion inthismeeting.
2.3.2 Inaccordance withtheDecision oftheCommittee taken atitsmeeting of25April 1995, the
countries under waivers expiring on30June1996 notrelated toHS96 changes, hadbeenasked to
provide theSecretariat withfactual information onthestatus oftheirconsultations ornegotiations,
aswellasonthesubmission ofdocumentation. Together withthisinformation, arequest forextension
ofthewaiver hadbeenreceived fromBangladesh, Bolivia, Guatemala, Jamaica, Morocco, Nicaragua,
Senegal, SriLanka andZambia. Thefactual information submitted todatebyMembers wasreproduced
inanAnnex totheReport oftheCommittee totheCouncil forTrade inGoods. Ascould beseen
from thedocument, allthecountries concerned, except Malawi, hadnowcirculated therequired
documentation forcarrying outpossible Article XXVIII negotiations. However, itseemed that,in
several cases, thenegotiations could notbeconcluded forlackofresponse from delegations which
hadraised objections. Referring tothediscussion under item2onthetiming forgranting extensions
ofwaivers, theChairman proposed thatalsothose waivers alsobeextended exceptionally until
30April 1997. Heurged theMembers concerned toaccelerate theprocess ofnegotiations or
consultations inorder toterminate thislong-lasting series ofwaivers asquickly aspossible, andanyway
notlaterthan30April 1997.
2.3.3 Therepresentative ofAustralia raised concern overthelackofresponse fromsome countries
which wished toextend theirwaivers andurged themtoconclude thenegotiations assoonaspossible.
2.3.4 Referring tohiscountry 'sschedule, therepresentative ofTrinidad andTobago recalled that
hiscountry hadbeengranted anextension ofthewaiver aftermuch debate oncondition thattherequired
documentation bepresented within averystrict time-frame. After much effort, hiscountry hadmet
those deadlines. Onedelegation hadraised areservation onedaybefore thetime-limit forobjections
hadelapsed. Since then,more than90dayshadpassed, without hisauthorities having beenapproached
forconsultations. Inthese circumstances, hefeltthathiscountry didnotneedtorequest anextension
ofthewaiver.
2.3.5 Therepresentative ofJamaica supported theremarks oftherepresentative ofTrinidad and
Tobago andsaidthatalthough Jamaica hadrequested anextension ofitswaiver, shedidnotthink that
thiswasnecessary, sinceonlyonedelegation hadentered ageneral reservation totheJamaican schedule
without giving aclear indication ofthereason forthereservation norwhen itwould belifted. She
wished tojoinother delegations inexpressing Jamaica 'sdissatisfaction withthesituation.G/MA/M/6
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2.3.6 Therepresentative ofBolivia ,associating herdelegation withthecomments made byJamaica
andTrinidad andTobago regarding reservations entered bysomecountries without substantiating them,
urged those delegations thathadlodged reservations withrespect totheBolivian schedule toinitiate
consultations withaviewtoconcluding theprocess assoonaspossible.
2.3.7 Therepresentative ofSenegal stated thathisdelegation hadbeenengaged innegotiations or
consultationswithCanada,theEuropeanCommunities,NewZealand,SwitzerlandandtheUnitedStates,
andthatagreement hadbeenreached withtheEU,NewZealand andSwitzerland. Since theUnited
States hadonlyrequested clarifications, theextension ofthewaiver hadbeenrequested toconclude
thenegotiations withCanada.
2.3.8 TherepresentativeofMoroccosaidthathisdelegationhadheldnegotiationswithtwodelegations
andhadconcluded them withoneofthem longago. Negotiations withtheother country wereabout
tobefinalized.
2.3.9 The Chairman saidthatthediscussion illustrated theneed forMembers tosubstantiate
reservations. Hetherefore urged theMembers concerned tospecify theirconcerns assoonaspossible.
Heconfirmed thatthefactual information related totheextension ofthewaivers would bereproduced
inanAnnex totheReport.
2.3.10 TheCommittee approved thereport subject tothenecessary adaptations tobemade inlight
ofthediscussion heldduring themeeting.
3. Non-Tariff Matters
3.1 Notifications ofQuantitative Restrictions
3.1.1 TheChairman called Members 'attention totherecently circulated document onnotifications
ofquantitative restrictions (G/MA/NTM/QR/1/Add.1). Henoted thatanerrorintheairgram identified
thedocument asaRevision, butitwasinfactanAddendum which listed theadditional Members which
hadnotified theirquantitative restrictions under theDecision contained inG/L/59 since thelastsuch
document hadbeencirculated. These notifications brought thetotalnumber ofnotifications received
under thisDecision tothirteen. Recalling thattheDecision originally called forMembers tonotify
by31January 1996, heurged those delegations which hadnotyetnotified, todosoassoonaspossible.
TheSecretariat hadinformed himthattherehadbeensome requests fortechnical assistance inputting
together thesenotifications. Heassured delegations thatanysuchrequests werewelcome andheinvited
delegations toseeksuchassistance ifitwere tofacilitate compliance withtheDecision.
4. Simplification ofData Requirements andStandardization ofFormats
4.1 TheChairman drewtheattention oftheCommittee toaletteraddressed tohimbytheChairman
oftheWorking Group onNotification Obligations andProcedures, circulated indocument G/MA/W/5.
Oneoftheitems under discussion intheWorking Group onNotification Obligations andProcedures
concerned thescope forsimplification ofdatarequirements andthestandardization offormats. The
Market Access Committee hadbeenrequested togiveconsideration to(a)theidentification ofany
formats/questionnairescurrentlyinusewhichsoughtinformationgoingbeyondthespecificrequirements
oftherelevant agreement, and(b)suggestions astoanyadditional areas where formats/questionnaires
could bedeveloped.
4.2 Asconcerned tariffs, theChairman pointed outthere were nospecific regular notification
procedures andnospecial format. OnQRs, there wasnoformat atthisstage butthere wereagreed
guidelines fornotification ofremaining QRsasdescribed indocument G/L/59. Itseemed tohimthat,G/MA/M/6
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atthisstage, given thefactthatthese were residual notifications, there wasnoneedtodevelop any
particular format forthatpurpose. Thesameapplied tothereverse notification possibility fornon-tariff
measures. Hetherefore proposed thattheCommittee authorize himtoinform theChairman ofthe
Working Group onNotification Obligations andProcedures thatneither intheareaoftariffs noron
QRs, wasaformat/questionnaire currently inuse,andthatatthisstage there wasnoneedtodevelop
anyadditional format/questionnaire. Headded thattheCommittee would keep under review the
possibility ofdeveloping aformat intheareaofquantitative restrictions ifitbecame necessary ata
latertime.
4.3 TheCommittee soagreed .
5. Report totheCouncil forTrade inGoods inlightoftheMinisterial Meeting
5.1 TheChairmanrecalledthattheChairmanoftheGeneralCouncil,atameetingon16April1996,
hadmade astatement concerning reporting procedures fortheSingapore Ministerial Conference
(WT/L/145). Inthiscontext, ithadbeenstated thateachbody oftheWTO would havetodecide on
theformat ofthereport which itdeemed most appropriate forconsideration ofrelevant issues.
5.2 Asconcerns theformat andcontents oftheReport oftheCommittee onMarket Access tothe
Singapore Ministerial Conference, theChairman proposed thatthestructure ofthereport should be
asfollows:
(1) aBackground Section;
(2) aStatus Report Section which would include afactual report onthework undertaken
bytheCommittee; and
(3) asection onAssessment ofProgress and/or onnecessary future work tobecarried
outbytheCommittee.
Heproposed thattheCommittee might mandate theChairman toproduce, together withtheSecretariat,
afirstdraftonthebasisofbroad, representative, wide-ranging andtransparent consultations. Inthis
context, hereminded theCommittee thataspecial meeting fortheconsideration ofthereport hadbeen
scheduled for18October 1996.Heexpected thatafinaldraftwould becirculated toMembers by
25September 1996.
5.3 Therepresentative oftheUnited States wished toreserve theposition ofhisdelegation on
thequestion oftheformat ofthereport.
5.4 Therepresentative ofAustralia saidthatgiven thevarious interests ofdelegations concerning
thebuilt-in agenda anddiscussions thatweregoing onelsewhere andwhich alsoaffected thisCommittee,
herdelegation supported theusefulness ofinformal consultations inorder toenable delegations tobe
fullyinvolved intheprocess ofdrafting theReport.
5.5 TheChairman saidheunderstood thatdelegations could support thesuggestion thathewould
draftareport inconsultation withMembers andwiththeassistance oftheSecretariat. Hewould hold
informal consultations withanyone wishing toparticipate atanearly date.
5.6 Therepresentative ofSwitzerland supported theproposals made bytheChairman andindicated
hisdelegation 'sinterest inparticipating intheconsultations.
5.7 TheCommittee agreed totheproposals made bytheChairman.G/MA/M/6
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6. Integrated Data Base
TheChairman recalled thedecisions oftheCommittee taken atitsmeeting of31October 1995
onanumber ofissues pertaining totheIntegrated DataBase. Inthiscontext, theSecretariat hadprepared
andcirculated toMembers simplified formats fortheIDBdatasubmissions andaPCsoftware forthe
preparation ofdataincapitals. Astudy onthe"downsizing" oftheIDBfrom amainframe toaPC
environment would beinitiated inSeptember 1996. Withrespect tothesubmission ofdata,however,
heregretted thatveryfewcountries hadsubmitted therequired information. Heurged allMembers
toabide bythedecisions taken bytheCommittee andtoprovide whatever information wasavailable.
Informal consultations would bepursued onthismatter which waslinked tothequestion ofelectronic
verification.
7. Other Business
7.1 Turkey -Communication related tothesubmission ofdocumentation inthecontext ofthe
customs union withtheEuropean Communities
7.1.1 Therepresentative ofTurkey, alsoonbehalf oftheEuropean Communities, informed the
Committee thatherdelegation would submit within thecoming daysthebasic datarequired under
paragraphs 5and6ofArticle XXIV.
7.2 Korea -Statement ontheincrease ofbound duties fortextiles byEcuador
7.2.1 Therepresentative ofKorea recalled thediscussion which tookplace atthemeeting ofthe
Committee on14March 1996 concerning thetariff increases ontextile products imported from five
countries, including Korea, which hadbeenannounced byEcuador inDecember 1995. Hisdelegation
wished torefertothecommitment made byEcuador atthatmeeting, namely thatunder nocircumstances
would themeasure berenewed (pursuant toArticle 2ofAct711oftheEcuadorian anti-dumping
legislation). Henoted thattheKorean authorities hadinformed himoftheapparent renewal ofthis
measure forafour-month period, until7August 1996. Ifthisinformation weretrue,itwould contradict
theassurances given bytheEcuadorian delegation attheMarch meeting. Herequested whether the
Ecuadorian delegation could provide current information onthismatter. Given theuncertainty ofthe
situation, Korea wished toreserve itsrights under therelevant WTO provisions.
7.2.2 Therepresentative ofHong Kong ,recalling thathiscountry wasalsosubject totheEcuadorian
measure inquestion, echoed theconcern expressed bythedelegate ofKorea. Hisdelegation wasequally
seeking clarification fromtheEcuadorian delegation astowhether thereported renewal ofthemeasure
wasineffect ornot.Inaddition, Hong Kong wished todrawattention tothestatement made byEcuador
atthelastmeetingoftheCommitteetotheextentthatEcuadorwouldcomplywiththerelevantprovisions
oftheWTO Agreement, inparticular withregard tonotifications. Headded thathisdelegation would
alsoreserve allitsrights under theWTO Agreement.
7.2.3 With reference tothestatements made bythedelegates ofKorea andHong Kong, the
representative ofEcuador explained thatinEcuador thetextile sector hadbeenstrongly affected by
theopening ofitstrade regime, andithadbeennecessary toapply corrective measures inorder to
preserve theaffected businesses which accounted foragreat number ofjobs. Thissituation occurred
before Ecuador acceded totheWTO, andthemeasure towhich Korea objected wastaken lastyear,
afteraten-month longinvestigation. Since imports from anumber ofAsian countries hadprovoked
astrongdecreaseinsales,investmentandprofitabilityofthebusinessesconcerned,therelevantMinistries
haddecided toextend Act711which hadbeenproclaimed inNovember 1995. Herepeated thatthe
measure hadbeentaken before Ecuador acceded totheWTO, andnoted thattheagreement concerning
theimplementation ofArticle VIofGATT 1994ditnotcontain anyprovisions related toanti-dumpingG/MA/M/6
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measures taken before theAgreement came intoforce foragiven country. Heemphasized thatthis
measure wastaken inthecontext ofanti-dumping, andthattheMarket Access Committee wasnot
theappropriate forum todiscuss it.Hisdelegation wished tore-emphasize thetemporary nature of
themeasure, which would expire asof7August 1996. Finally, while reaffirming hisGovernment 's
desire tocomply withallthecommitments undertaken byEcuador upon accession totheWTO, he
feltthatthiswasnotoneofEcuador 'scommitments. Theconcerns ofKorea andHong Kong would,
however, betransmitted tohisGovernment.
7.3 United States -Circulation oftheannotated agenda
7.3.1 Therepresentative oftheUnited States ,noting theimportance oftheannotated agenda for
thepreparation ofthemeetings oftheMarket Access Committee, suggested thatitwould bemosthelpful
todelegations ifthisdocument could becirculated atthesame timeastheairgram announcing the
meetings. Henoted thatiffurther additions orcorrections were needed, arevised version ora
supplement could beissued shortly before meetings oftheCommittee.
7.4 Letter from theChairman oftheCommittee onTrade andDevelopment
7.4.1 TheChairman informed theCommittee thathehadreceived recently aletterfromtheChairman
oftheCommittee onTrade andDevelopment drawing hisattention to"theapplication ofspecial
provisionsintheMultilateralTradeAgreementsandrelatedMinisterialDecisionsinfavourofdeveloping
Members, andinparticular least-developed country Members". Thisletter requested theCommittee
onMarket Access toreport onthework undertaken intheCommittee toensure theimplementation
ofthose provisions. Heexplained thatthere were nospecial provisions concerning developing and
least-developed countries intheareas ofQRsandnon-tariff measures. Asconcerned tariffs, mention
should bemade oftheprovisions contained intheDecision onMeasures inFavour ofLeast-Developed
Countries allowing LLDCs tosubmit theirSchedules ofconcessions ongoods oneyearlater, i.e.by
15April 1995. While alarge number ofLLDCs hadtaken advantage ofthispossibility, thisprocess
hadnowbeencompleted. Hetherefore suggested totheCommittee thatareply along these linesbe
forwarded totheChairman oftheCTD.
7.4.2 TheCommittee soagreed .
7.5 Dates ofnextmeetings oftheCommittee
7.5.1 TheChairman reminded theCommittee that,according totheschedule ofmeetings, thenext
meeting oftheCommittee would beaspecial formal meeting on18October 1996, toexamine and
adopt thereport totheMinisterial Meeting inSingapore ontheCommittee 'sactivities during 1996.
Thenextregular meeting oftheCommittee wasplanned for21November 1996.