WT/TPR/ 493 
 
7 March  2023 
(23-1406) Page: 1/2 
Trade Policy Review Body    
 
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW  MECHANISM  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY  
EL SALVADOR  
Arrangements for Review Meeting  
1. In pursuance of Article  IV, paragraph  4 and Annex  3 of the WTO  Agreement , a meeting of the 
Trade Policy Review Body is scheduled for 18 and 20 April 2023 to conduct the  fifth review of the 
trade policies and practices of El Salvador  (WTO/AIR/ TPR/141 and WTO/AIR/TPR/141/Corr.1 ). 
2. This communication sets out arrangements  concerning the review meeting.  In this connection, 
attention is also drawn to the procedures for the conduct of reviews contained in the rules of 
procedure of the Trade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/6/Rev. 4). 
3. Members' attention is drawn to the us e of the "alternative" time -frame by El Salvador  
for submission of written questions and responses . 
1  QUESTIONS IN WRITING IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING AND MAIN POINTS  
4. Members wishing to submit written questions to the Member under review should do 
so at least five weeks before the review meeting to allow replies to be submitted  one week 
prior to the  first session of the meeting.  For the forthcoming review, such questions should 
therefore be with the Trade  Policies Review Division of the Secretariat ( tprd@wto.org ) by 5.30 p.m., 
on Tues day, 14 March  2023, at the  latest.  Delegations are informed that El Salvador  has opted 
for the traditional way of handling questions and answers.  
5. In accordance  with the rules of procedure of the TPRB (WT/TPR/6/Rev.4, paragraph 17), 
Members are reminded that they should group their written questions into the following 
three  categories so as to facilitate responses: those related to the Secretariat report (with a 
reference to relevant paragraph numbers); those concerning the Government report (with a 
reference to relevant paragraph numbers); and other questions.  
6. The Secretariat shall identify the main points contained in the questions submitted at least 
five weeks before a review meeting, post them on the Members' Website one week before the 
meeting, and distribute a revised list of main points during the first session of a review when 
questions received after the five-week deadline give rise to si gnificantly new is sues. The main points 
may be found on the Members' Websi te under "Forthcoming Meetings:  Documents for Meetings".  
2  ANSWERS IN WRITING BY THE MEMBER UNDER REVIEW  
7. Answers by the Member under review should be distributed in writing. Advance questions 
submitted by the five-week deadline before the start of the TPRB review date should be 
answered in writing by the Member under review one week prior to the start of the 
meeting  (11 April  2023) . Written answers will be made available on the Members' website 
four working days prior to the meeting ( 12 April  2023). Questions posed subsequently should 
be answered, to the extent possible, before the start of the second session of the meeting. Questions 
left unanswered at the end of the second session should be answered in writing no later than WT/TPR/4 93 
 
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  one month after the meeting with some latitude in the Chair's discretion for Members reviewing a 
very large number of questions.  
8. In the c ourse of the discussions at the review meeting, the Member under review may indicate 
that it intends to provide supplementary information, in writi ng, on specific points raised. Upon 
receipt, the Secretariat will circulate a document containing this inform ation to all Members.  
3  DISCUSSANT  
9. In consultation with the Member under review, the Chairperson of the Trade Policy Review Body 
may choose a discussant who, in his personal capacity, will introduc e the discussions in the Body. 
Ambassador  H.E. M r José Valencia  (Ecuador ) will act as  discussant  for the review of El Salvador . 
4  STRUCTURE OF THE MEETING  
10. Trade policy reviews cover four broad headings:  
a. appreciation of the full range of the Member's trade policies and practices;  
b. relevant background: wider economic and developmental needs, including the external 
environment;  
c. impact of the Member's trade policies and practices on the functioning of the multilateral 
trading syst em; and 
d. general comments by way of assessment and evaluation.  
11. Meetings take place i n two  sessions. The first session is devoted to the opening statements by 
the Member under review and the discussant, and remarks and questions from the floor. 
The discussion in the second session, when the Member under review will reply to questions, is  
based on main themes identified after the opening meeting by the Chairperson, the discussant and 
the Secretariat in consultation with the Member.  
12. As indicated in the rules of procedure for TPRB meetings (WT/TPR/6/Rev.4, paragraph 21), t he 
speakers ' list wil l follow the order in which questions are rec eived by the Secretariat and in the event 
of more than one batch, the final batch will determine the order of speakers.  Delegations not 
submitting written questions will continue to speak second, in the order in  which their flags are 
raised.  On the day before each review meeting, the Secretariat will post on the WTO Members' 
website a provisional list of speakers for the first session of that meeting, for Members' advance 
information . 
5  DOCUMENTATION AND PRESS ARRANGEMENTS  
13. Reports by the Member under review and the Secretariat are contained in the following 
documents:  
WT/TPR/G/ 440  Report by El Salvador  
 
WT/TPR/S/ 440  El Salvador : Report by the Secretariat  
14. The press embargo for the review of  El Salvador  will end at 2.00  p.m. Geneva time 
on 18 April 2023. 
6  RECORD OF THE MEETING  
15. The record of the meeting will be circulated as a draft to Members for comments on their own 
statements and placed on the WTO website.  
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