G/L/1464  
 
5 December  2022 
(22-8997) Page: 1/2 
Council for Trade in Goods    
 
WTO  RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC  
REPORT BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE  
COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS  
The following report is being submitted by the Chairperson of the Council for Trade in Goods (CTG , 
or the Council), Mr Etienne  OUDOT DE DAINVILLE, under his own responsibility. The report was 
prepared with the assistance of the Secretariat and follows the same approach as the reports that 
were requested from the Chairpersons of the CTG 's 14 subsidiary bodies.1 
1  REGULAR COUNCIL  WORK  
1.1.  At its meeting of 10 June 2020, the CTG considered an agenda item  that had been requested 
by Canada; Colombia; Costa Rica; Hong Kong, China; New Zealand; Norway; Singapore; 
Switzerland; and Uruguay entitled "C OVID -19: Measures Related to Trade in Goods" .2 In light of the  
high number of emergency trade -related measures that were being introduced in relation to the 
COVID -19 pandemic , these delegations were of the view that , since the CTG was the body 
responsible for overseeing these issues, it should have increased monitoring and transparency of 
such measures . They also referred to document  G/C/W/780 , where they had proposed to request 
the Secretariat to prepare a factual report that would facilitate Members' understanding of the 
measures in place, including their impact, based on the information available and without duplication 
of other work at the WTO . The co -sponsors also expected the  CTG's subsidiary bodies to work in a 
coherent manner , including by reporting on their actions on this topic in their respective reports , so 
that the CTG could then hold its own dedicated  discussions . Finally,  they proposed to include a 
dedicated item on the CTG 's agenda , affording Members a horizontal view of the discussions taking 
place, including  all of the measures that Members had taken in response to the pandemic.  
1.2.  In response, some Members considered that it was necessary to clarify the scope and impact 
of the different  aspects of the proposal, and recalled  the acute problems being faced by a number 
of Members  as a result of the pandemic , as well as their resource and capacity constraints . Other 
Members observed that the WTO Trade Monitoring Report  and the CTG's subsidiary bodies were 
already compiling this type of information , risk ing duplication and the creation of an additional 
burden for Members. Finally, some Members cautioned against the introduction of standing agenda 
items , considering that s uch items should be added using the normal procedures , as needed . 
1.3.  At its meeting of 25 November  20203, the Council continued to discuss this proposal and , upon 
the request of the item's co-sponsors, the Secretariat made a short presentation on the measure s 
implemented by Members in response to the COVID -19 pandemic. The item's co -sponsors submitted 
a revised proposal , in document  G/C/W/788 , which included a list of questions intended to focus on  
the overall picture of implementation of COVID -19-related measures and initiatives,  as well as  room 
document  RD/CTG/11 , which compiled the discussions that had taken place in the CTG's subsidiary 
bodies . These delegations  were of the view that it was time for the CTG to have a discussion on 
monitor ing the functioning of the rules -based multilate ral trading system in the context of the 
pandemic, and to encourage good practices in the CTG 's subsidiary bodies. On the form  of the 
proposal , other delegations  expressed concern over the fact that the documents had been submitted 
immediately prior to the meeting , which had not allowed sufficient time for their review;  on the 
substance,  they considered that the proposal would lead to duplication, or even an undermining of 
 
1 See document  JOB/CTG/18 . 
2 See document  G/C/M/137 , Agenda Item 5. 
3 See document   G/C/M/138 , Agenda Item 5. G/L/1464  
 
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  the work that was being undertaken by the CTG's subsidiary bodies. Other  Members reit erated the 
concerns over the proposal that had already been expressed  on previous occasions . No consensus 
was reached , and this was the last time that the issue was discussed by the Council . No action was 
subsequently taken . 
1.1  Transparency  
1.4.  Three  communications were submitted to the Council by two Members at the  beginning of the 
COVID -19 pandemic. The first communication was a joint Declaration by New Zealand and 
Singapore,  entitled "Declaration on Trade in Essential Goods for Combating the COVID -19 Pandemic" 
(G/C/W/777 ), which provided for a series of actions with respect to tariffs, export restrictions, 
non-tariff barriers, and trade facilitation , and which indicated a list of products considered to be 
essential. In addition, both New Zealand ( G/C/W/778 ) and Singapore ( G/C/W/779 ) submitted 
individual communications describing their actions and identifying the specific products that had 
been subject to facilitated import procedures. Although t hese documents were referred to at the 
Council's meeting of 10  June 2020 in the context of the proposal mentioned in Section  1, they were 
not included as separate agenda items. In addition, t he CTG did not oversee notifications in relation 
to the pandemic . 
1.2  Trade concerns  
1.5.  At its meeting of 31  March  20214, the Council considered a trade concern raised by Australia  
in relation to the European Union's decision to extend the scope and duration of its  transparency 
and authorization mechanism for exports of COVID -19 vaccines. At this meeting, 18  other 
delegations took the floor on this issue. However, this  concern has not been raised again since then, 
and n o other trade concern relating to COVID -19 meas ures was  subsequently  raised at the CTG.  
1.3  Information notes  
1.6.  The Secretariat did not produce any information note s for the CTG's consideration , but upon 
the request of the co-sponsors to the agenda item on COVID -19 measures relating to trade in goods, 
it did make a short presentation at the Council's meeting of 25 November  2020.5 
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4 See document  G/C/M/139 , Agenda Item 9. 
5 See document  G/C/M/138 , Agenda Item 5.