RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/MA/M/12
4February 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-0375)
Committee onMarket Access
MINUTES OFTHE MEETING OF2DECEMBER 1997
Chairman: Mr.Moha Ouali Tagma (Morocco)
Agenda ofthemeeting Page
1. Adoption oftheagenda ...................................... 1
2. Submission ofHS96 documentation ............................... 1
3. Integrated DataBase(IDB) .................................... 2
4. Report (1997) oftheCommittee totheCouncil forTrade inGoods ........... 4
5. Other business ............................................ 5
5.1 Canada -Report ontheannual jointministerial andleaders '
meeting oftheAPEC Forum ............................... 5
5.2 Switzerland -Loose-leaf schedules oftariff concessions .............. 6
5.3 Dateofthenextmeeting .................................. 6
1. Adoption oftheagenda
1.1 Theabove agenda, which appeared indocument WTO/AIR/741 of20November 1997, was
adopted withtheaddition ofitems 5.1to5.3.
2. Submission ofHS96 documentation
2.1. TheChairman saidthatdocument G/MA/TAR/2/Rev.12 reflected thecurrent situation with
respecttothesubmissionoftherequireddocumentation.Accordingtothatdocument,ofthe39Members
covered bywaivers ninehadsubmitted onlypreliminary information ornoneatall,namely Bulgaria,
Egypt, ElSalvador, Honduras, Malta, Mexico, Pakistan, South Africa andZimbabwe. Three ofthose
countries (Egypt, ElSalvador andHonduras) hadrequested technical assistance from theSecretariat
andreported thatthepreparation oftherequired documentation wasunder way. Nevertheless, henoted
thatsincetheprevious meeting some progress hadbeenmade withrespect tothespecification ofgeneral
reservations thathadbeenmade bysome Members, andexpressed thehopethattheissueofverification
ofdocumentation could besettled shortly sothatthewaivers would notneedtobeextended onceagain
beyond 30April 1998.
2.2 Therepresentative oftheEuropean Communities reported thathisauthorities wereworking
veryhardontheoutstanding verifications withaviewtomeeting thesuggested deadline. He,moreover,
noticed thatsome press reports hadindicated thattariff increases hadbeenannounced inMercosur
countries which would havetobeexamined inthecontext oftheHS96 notifications submitted bythose
countries. Hisdelegation would beincontact withthecountries concerned about thismatter.G/MA/M/12
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2.3 Therepresentative oftheUnited States indicated thatherauthorities toohadbeenworking
veryhardtoreview thedocumentation andexpected tofinish thistaskshortly.
2.4 Therepresentative ofEgypt saidthathisdelegation wasworking withtheSecretariat towards
thefinalization oftheHS96 documentation andhewashoping tosubmit itveryshortly.
3. Modalities andoperation oftheIntegrated DataBase
3.1 Before opening thediscussion onthethree agenda items ontheIntegrated Data Base, the
Chairman informed theCommittee thatanexample ofatablesummarizing thesituation regarding IDB
submissions hadbeencirculated intheroom. Herecalled thatatthelastmeeting oftheCommittee,
ithadbeenagreed thatthisinformation would henceforth beregularly provided totheCommittee.
Heinformed theCommittee ofthestatus ofimplementation ofthePCIDB. Guidelines forsupplying
theIDBinformation hadbeencirculated andthePCIDBconversion facility wasready. Programs
fordataanalysis andfortheIDBCD-ROM were being prepared andthebasic system should be
operational bytheendoftheyear, withthepossible exception oftheIDBInternet site,forwhich some
conditions regarding passwords hadtobedefined inconsultation withMembers. Furthermore, several
countries hadalready provided submissions totheSecretariat.
3.2 TheChairman noted thattherewerethreepoints fordiscussion regarding theIDB:theadoption
ofprovisions concerning thedeadlines forsupplying IDBsubmissions, access totheIDB, andthe
modalities oftechnical assistance concerning theIDB(G/MA/IDB/W/3). Herecalled that,ashadbeen
agreed atthelastmeeting oftheCommittee, informal consultations hadbeencarried outontheproposals
forthedeadlines andaccess totheIDB. Adocument describing these proposals, which hadbeen
accepted bydelegations during theinformal consultations, hadbeencirculated toallMembers ofthe
Committee on13November 1997.
3.3 TheChairman explained theproposal regarding thedeadlines forIDBsubmissions. Forthe
firstsubmissions, Members would submit their 1996 tariffs andimports, and1997 tariffs by
30December 1997. However, because ofdifficulties thatmight ariseinpreparing thefirstsubmission,
ithadbeenagreed thatcertain flexibility would beallowed regarding thisfirstdate. Forsubsequent
submissions, thedeadline fortariff dataofthecurrent yearwould be30March andforimports of
theprevious year, 30September. Thedeadlines would beadjusted forthose Members whose customs
tariffs hadnotbeenestablished onthebasis ofthecivilyear, inorder totakeintoaccount thedate
atwhich thenational tariffs entered intoforce. TheChairman recalled thatintheinformal consultations,
ithadbeenagreed togrant access totheIDBtocountries intheprocess ofnegotiating theiraccession
totheWTO under certain conditions. Those countries would haveaccess providing thattheythemselves
hadfurnished theSecretariat withtherequired information, respecting thedeadlines andthemodalities
appearing inthebasicdocument G/MA/IDB/1/Rev.1. Furthermore, theCommittee would beregularly
informed about thestatus ofthose submissions, soastodecide whether those countries would continue
tohaveaccess totheIDB.
3.4 Therepresentative oftheEuropean Communities informed theCommittee thathisdelegation
hadprovided itsfirstsubmission totheSecretariat.
3.5 Therepresentative ofKorea saidthathisdelegation hadsubmitted their1996tariffs andimports.
Because oftechnical problems, ithadnotbeenpossible toprovide the1997 tariffs, which would be
included inthesecond submission along withthe1998 tariffs.
3.6 TheChairman asked theCommittee toformally adopt theproposals regarding deadlines for
IDBsubmissions andaccess totheIDB, which would becirculated officially inanaddendum tothe
basic document G/MA/IDB/1/Rev.1. Itwassoagreed.G/MA/M/12
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3.7 TheChairman thenintroduced document G/MA/IDB/W/3 thatdescribed thepossibilities for
establishing atechnical assistance program fortheIDB. Themainpoints ofthedocument concerned:
software forthepreparation ofIDBsubmissions, participation intraining seminars organized bythe
WTO,organizationofIDBseminarsdevelopedaccordingtoregionalrequirementsandthoseofindividual
Members, establishment ofcontacts withmissions andcapitals, collaboration withother international
organizations andregional secretariats, andfinancial issues, inparticular anamount Sfr490,000 had
beenplanned tostartupthetechnical assistance program fortheIDBin1998.
3.8 Therepresentative oftheUnited States saidthatherGovernment hadrecognized theneedfor
technical assistance fortheIDB andwould support such efforts. Asconcerned document
G/MA/IDB/W/3, shewasoftheopinion thatperhaps more work would berequired toidentify what
wasactually needed. Relevant software toassist countries inpreparing theirbasic submissions would
beveryuseful. Sheinformed theCommittee thatsuchsoftware hadalready beendeveloped asajoint
project oftheInter-American Development BankandSIECA, andthattheInter-American Development
Bankwould beprepared tomake thatsoftware available toWTO Members, thuseliminating theexpense
ofdeveloping newsoftware. Inthecontext ofexercises taking place intheAmericas involving similar
datawork, thesoftware hadbeenmostuseful forplanning seminars andworkshops. TheSecretariat
should analyze theIDBsubmissions todetermine thekindofadditional assistance thatwould beneeded,
withaviewtoimproving thequality ofsubmissions, making theexercise easier, andobtaining more
standardized submissions. Technical assistance concerning theIDBshould operate fromknowledge
rather thanfrom ahypothetical work program andseminars andworkshops should bedeveloped as
appropriate, based ontheavailability ofdata. Shenoted thatitmight bepremature todiscuss funding
which should bedeveloped through theBudget Committee. Shestressed thatprovision ofdatafor
theIDBshould betheresponsibility ofWTO Members. While Members could work withother
international organizations toprepare thedata,Member governments, notthose organizations, should
provide theinformation totheSecretariat. Inthiscontext, shesuggested thattheSecretariat prepare
aninventory ofwhere suchdataexisted, inorder toidentify possible sources ofdata. Inherview,
theinformation should atthisstage bemade available onlytoWTO Members. Access tousers outside
theWTO should bediscussed inmore detail atalaterstage.
3.9 Therepresentative ofMorocco stated thattechnical assistance fortheIDBshould helpcertain
member countries oftheWTO toregularly andsatisfactorily provide theinformation. Hisdelegation
wasoftheopinion thatwhatwasplanned inthisrespect atthisstage wasnotsufficient, bothinterms
offunding andthenumber ofcountries thatwould benefit. Amore ambitious andrealistic program
wasrequired which should benefit countries where theinfrastructure required considerable technical
support, thusenabling those countries tobecome properly involved intheinternational trading system.
3.10 Therepresentative oftheEuropean Communities agreed thatthequestion offunding should
beaddressed outside theCommittee. Apositive aspect wasthenetsaving thathadbeenoffered through
theInter-American Development Bank software. Hesupported theideaofmaking useofmissions
thathadalready beenorganized bytheSecretariat toestablish IDBcontacts. Hesuggested thatthe
Secretariat contact theother organizations mentioned intheSecretariat document todetermine exactly
whatinformation wasavailable. Atthenextmeeting oftheCommittee, thisinformation could beused
toclarify outstanding submissions, inparticular whycertain countries hadprovided theinformation
tothose otherorganizations butnottotheIDB. Heagreed thattheIDBsubmissions should befurnished
bythecountries themselves.
3.11 TheChairman theninvited theSecretariat tocomment ontechnical assistance concerning the
IDB. Arepresentative oftheSecretariat informed theCommittee thattheInter-American Development
Bank hadalready beencontacted regarding theuseoftheirsoftware fortheIDB. TheSecretariat was
awaiting acopyofthesoftware forevaluation. Although thesoftware incorporated certain information
thatwasnolonger required forthePCIDBandmight needtobemodified, itcould beusedbyMembersG/MA/M/12
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toprepare theirIDBsubmissions. Contacts withregional secretariats would beestablished tofacilitate
communication oftherequirements forpreparation ofIDBsubmissions. Itmight bepossible toorganize
thedistribution ofthesoftware forpreparing submissions through theseorganizations andtoparticipate
inseminars already scheduled bytheseorganizations. TheIDBsubmissions would needtobeevaluated
todetermine requirements fortechnical assistance. TheSecretariat hadsofarplanned theseminars
thatcould beconducted inthesecond halfof1998.
3.12 TheChairman proposed thattheCommittee takenoteofthese clarifications andrevert tothe
issue oftechnical assistance atfuture meetings. Itwassoagreed.
4. Report (1997) oftheCommittee totheCouncil forTrade inGoods
4.1 TheChairman toldtheCommittee thatadraft report hadbeen circulated indocument
G/MA/Spec/6 on24November 1997 which wasbased onthetwoperiodic reports oftheCommittee
totheCouncil forTrade inGoods thathadbeencirculated inApril andOctober 1997 indocuments
G/MA/57 andG/MA/58. Heinvited theCommittee members totakenoteofthedrafttextwhich
would becompleted inthelightofthediscussions atthepresent meeting, inparticular asconcerned
theissues related tothemodalities andoperation oftheIntegrated DataBase. Therevised textwould
becirculated indocument G/L/215 forexamination bytheCouncil forTrade inGoods atitsmeeting
of4December.
4.2 Therepresentative oftheEuropean Communities referred toparagraph 5ofthereport and
requested thatthewords "onthebasis ofexisting rules" bedeleted andthesentence beended after
theword "delay" inorder toreflect correctly thediscussion onthisissue inprevious meetings ofthe
Committee.
4.3 Thedelegate ofSwitzerland strongly supported themaintenance oftheparagraph asitstood
andrecalled thattheCommittee members hadagreed topursue thework ontheverification and
certification ofHS96 documentation without delay andonthebasis ofexisting rules.
4.4 TherepresentativeofNewZealandbroughtupthequestionofthestatusofquantitativerestriction
notifications.HerequestedthatthismatterbeincludedintheworkprogrammeoftheCommitteefor1998
sincecertain points concerning thescope andcoverage ofthedecision needed clarification. Hesuggested
adding some words tothiseffect inparagraph 8.
4.5 Referringtoparagraph10,theUnitedStatesdelegateassumedthatitwouldreflectthediscussion
heldontheIDBandwould alsoindicate thefactthataperiodic status report ofthePCIDBsubmissions
would becirculated regularly totheCommittee members. Moreover, regarding thequestion oftechnical
assistance, itshould alsoindicate thattheCommittee would continue discussing thisissueandthatthe
document thathadbeensubmitted inthiscontext wasonlyameans toinitiate discussion.
4.6 Inreply totheintervention made byNewZealand, therepresentative ofMexico feltthatsince
theDecisionandtheformatforquantitativerestrictionnotificationshadbeenapprovedonlyveryrecently,
itwasnotadvisable toinitiate sosoonadebate related toitspossible modification. Inhisdelegation 's
view, itwould bebetter towaitandseehowtheDecision would work inpractice before starting a
process ofrevision inthenearfuture.
4.7 Therepresentative ofNewZealand thought thatthere wasamisunderstanding astowhathis
delegation 'sintention hadbeen. Hedidnotpropose toreview theformat forsuchnotifications, nor
diditwish theDecision tobereviewed initsentirety, theonlyaspect thatseemed unclear tohis
delegation wasthescope andthenature ofthequantitative restrictions thathadtobenotified under
theDecision. Itappeared tohisauthorities that,judging bythenotifications submitted sofar,differentG/MA/M/12
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countries haddifferent views astowhatquantitative restrictions should benotified. Hisdelegation
feltthatitwould beuseful toexamine thenature ofthose quantitative restrictions already notified in
order tofindoutwhether therewasacommon understanding astowhatwasrequired. Suchadiscussion
should bewithout prejudice towhatwould befinally agreed.
4.8 TheMexican delegate while expressing gratitude tothedelegate ofNew Zealand forthe
clarifications given, reiterated hisposition andstressed thefactthattheDecision approved onlyafew
months agoreferred toresidual notifications. Inhisviewitwould therefore bedifficult toclarify what
should benotified ornot. Herequested thathisposition bereflected inthereport.
4.9 TherepresentativeoftheEuropeanCommunitiespointedoutthatitwasclearthattheCommittee
hadsome work todoonquantitative restrictions andthatthisissue hadtobeontheagenda ofthe
Committee inthecoming year. Heagreed thatMembers hadtonotify quantitative restrictions not
onlytothisCommittee buttoother committees aswell, andfeltthatthewhole question ofquantitative
restrictions hadtobeexamined without restriction orprejudice towhathappened inother committees.
4.10 Therepresentative oftheUnited States agreed thattheissueofquantitative restrictions needed
tobeaddressed tobytheCommittee during nextyear.
4.11 TheChairman summarized thecomments thathadbeenmade onthedraftannual report and,
inviewoftheshort delay between theCommittee meeting andthenextmeeting oftheCouncil for
Trade inGoods, hesuggested thatforreasons oftransparency andinorder tosubmit totheCTG an
agreed report, theSecretariat prepare arevised version ofthereport taking intoaccount thecomments
made andthediscussion which tookplace atthemeeting, andcirculate ittothedelegations which
intervened inthedebate forpossible comments. Thereport would thenbecirculated formally as
document G/L/215 before themeeting oftheCTG.
Itwassoagreed.
5. Other business
5.1 Canada -Report ontheannual jointministerial andleaders 'meeting oftheAPEC forum
5.1.1 Therepresentative ofCanada reported totheCommittee ontherecent APEC meeting held
recently inCanada andattended by18Pacific Rimeconomies which together accounted foroverhalf
ofglobal economic output andsaidthatintheirclosing declaration, APEC leaders reaffirmed "the
primacy oftheopen, rules-based multilateral trading system under theWTO" andreiterated their
"commitment toAPEC 'sactivity proceeding onthebasis ofopenregionalism." Hebrought tothe
attention oftheCommittee oneofthekeyoutcomes oftheVancouver meeting, specifically, the
unanimous agreement byMinisters responsible fortradetopursue anongoing programme ofvoluntary
liberalization in15sectors. Thefollowing ninesectors hadbeenidentified forimmediate action:
- Environmental goods andservices;
- fishandfishproducts;
- forest products;
- medical equipment andinstruments;
- telecommunications equipment mutual recognition arrangement;G/MA/M/12
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- energy sector;
- toys;
- gems andjewellery;
- chemicals.
5.1.2 Headdedthatthroughout1998,APECmemberswouldfurtherdevelopthespecificliberalization
measures tobetaken withaviewtoimplementation starting in1999 wherever possible. Moreover,
APEC members agreed theywould build onAPEC 'searly voluntary liberalization inthose sectors
asabasisforextending participation beyond theAPEC region and,where appropriate, forincorporation
intotheWTO. Accordingly, hisdelegation looked forward todiscussing, intheCommittee andother
appropriate WTO bodies, thebenefits andmodalities ofreaching plurilateral sectoral agreements in
those sectors.
5.2 Switzerland -Loose-leaf schedules oftariff concessions
5.2.1 Therepresentative ofSwitzerland recalled thatalthough themodalities related totheverification
andthecertification ofloose-leaf schedules hadnotyetbeenfinalized, thesubmission, theverification
andthecertification ofschedules inaloose-leaf format should beachieved before anewround of
negotiations waslaunched, sothatMembers would haveattheirdisposal acomplete, certified basis,
possibly alsoinelectronic form. Hesuggested thatthediscussion related tothemodalities of
verification andcertification ofloose-leaf schedules bereactivated andthatthework becarried out
inclose linkwiththeconsultations being heldpresently bytheChairman oftheCouncil forTrade
inGoods ontherectification andmodification ofschedules.
5.3 Dateofthenextmeeting
5.3.1. TheChairman informed theMembers oftheCommittee that,unless otherwise announced,
thenextmeeting oftheCommittee would takeplace on26March 1998.
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