WT/REG/34  
 
28 Novem ber 202 3 
(23-8042) Page: 1/4 
   
 
 
REPORT (202 3) OF THE  
COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS  
TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL  
CHAIR: AMBASSADOR H.E. MS. CLARE  KELLY (NEW ZEALAND)  
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.   The Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) pursued its activities with meetings 
held in person with a virtual add on through the Interprefy platform. At its first meeting in 
March  2023, the CRTA elected, by acclamation, Ambassador H.E. Ms Clare KEL LY (New Zealand) , as 
Chair of the CRTA.  
1.2.  During 2023, the Committee held three sessions (in March, July and November) .1 The minutes 
of those meetings  are listed in the Attachment.  
2  OBSERVER STATUS  
2.1.  No decision was taken with respect to the requests for obs erver status listed in document 
WT/REG/W/11/Add.4/Rev.2 .  
3  EARLY ANNOUNCEMENTS  
3.1.  In the period 16 October 2022 to 15 October 2023, three early announcements were received 
from Members.2 
4  NOTIFICATIONS  
4.1.  In the period 16 October 2022 to 15 October 2023, the CRTA received 15 notifications of new 
regional trade agreements (RTAs), seven on trade in goods notified under Article XXIV of GATT 1994 
and eight on trade in services notified under Article  V of GATS.3 The CRTA also received additional 
notifications concerning six RTAs that are already notified.4 
4.2.  In an effort to encourage the notification of non -notified RTAs, the Chair with the help of the 
Secretariat continued to draw up and circulate in advance of CRTA meetings a list of non -notified 
RTAs which have been verified by their parties as being in force and appeared in factual 
presentations.5 The most recent list, circulated in November 2023, contains 56 RTAs.  
 
1 The session for September was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts.  
2 EFTA States - Kosovo*(*reference to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of the United 
Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)); EFTA States - Republic of Moldova; EFTA States - Thailand.  
3 Türkiye - Faeroe Islands; ASEAN - Japan; ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) ; Colombia 
- Israel; Indonesia - Republic of Korea; Republic of Korea - Cambodia; United Kingdom - Australia; 
United  Kingdom - New Zealand; Türkiye - Montenegro; India - Austra lia. 
4 United Kingdom - Türkiye; United Kingdom - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; Comprehensive and 
Progressive Agreement for Trans -Pacific Partnership (CPTPP); United Kingdom - Norway and Iceland; El Salvador 
- Honduras - Chinese Taipei; Common Economi c Zone (CEZ) . 
5 Documents WT/REG/W /175, WT/REG/W/178 , WT/REG/W/181  and WT/REG/W/181/Rev.1 . WT/REG/34  
 
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  5  CONSIDERATION OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS  
5.1.  In the period 16 October 2022 to 15 October 2023, 17 factual presentations were distributed, 
all of which were used as the basis for consideration of RTAs in the CRTA in 2023 (see Attachment).   
5.2.  In an effort to unblock the backlog in the receipt of delayed data and comments, the Chair 
consulted with some delegations. The Chair continued to encourage parties to collectively improve 
transparency in RTAs by attending these consultations and providing the missing information as 
soon as possible. The Chair with t he help of the Secretariat drew up and circulated in advance of 
CRTA meetings a list of such RTAs.6 
5.3.  The Committee continues to experience difficulties in adhering to its work programme, due in 
particular to delays in the receipt of statistical data from p arties, data discrepancies in Members' 
submissions and delays in the receipt of comments from parties.  
6  SUBSEQUENT NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING  
6.1.  In the period 16  October 2022 to 15  October 2023, six notifications of changes were received 
and posted on the RTA Database.7 
6.2.  The Secretariat circulated a list of RTAs subject to end of implementation (EOI) reports as of 
1 March 2023 (document WT/REG/W/177 ). EOI reports were due for 194 RTAs, and the EOI for 
16 RTAs was in 2023. The EOI for 111 RTAs is from 2024 on wards, while for one RTA the EOI year 
is not available . No such report was circulated in the period 16 October 2022 to 15  October  2023.  
7  DATABASE ON RTAS AND INTERACTIVE TOOLS  
7.1.  The Secretariat continues to update the database on individual RTAs, in accordan ce with the 
requirements of the Transparency Mechanism for RTAs.  
7.2.  At the 107th Session of the Committee, the Secretariat presented two new tools to assist 
delegations in tracking progress on the preparation of factual presentations and their consideration 
by the CRTA: the RTA consideration calendar and the interactive Dashboard which were made 
available on the WTO RTA webpages.  
8  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
8.1.  At the 108th Session of the Committee, the Secretariat gave an account of the RTA -related 
technical assistanc e activities it had undertaken in 2023 and those planned for 2024.  
9  PROCEDURES TO IMPROVE AND FACILITATE THE EXAMINATION PROCESS  
9.1.  No discussion took place on this item.  
10  MC12 OUTCOME AND WTO REFORM8  
10.1.   In 2023, the Committee embarked on in -depth discussions regarding ways to improve its 
operation. Members have played an active role in these discussions, including by tabling submissions 
(United States and China)9, providing written comments to issues rai sed10 and attending informal 
meetings and consultations held by the Chair in different configurations.  
 
6 Documents WT/REG/W/176 , WT/REG/W/ 179/Rev.1 , WT/REG/W/182  and WT/REG/W/182/Rev.1 . 
7 United Kingd om - Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway; Hong Kong, China - Chile; Türkiye - Montenegro; 
Ukraine - North Macedonia; Türkiye - Georgia . 
8 See paragr aph 3 of document WT/MIN(22)/24  - WT/L/1135 . 
9 Communications from the United States ( WT/REG/W/174 ) and from China ( WT/REG/W/180 ).  
10 Written replies to the United States' written questions were submitted by Australia; Canada; China; 
the European Union; New Zealand; Singapore; the Republic of Korea; the Separate Cus toms Territory of 
Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu; the United Kingdom and the United States. See document 
JOB/REG/6/Rev.1 . WT/REG/34  
 
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  10.2.   There was general satisfaction with the way in which the Committee had discharged its duties, 
with some delegates believing that improvements could be ma de. The overall points that have 
emerged from these consultations are: procedural and other changes that are being implemented 
by the Secretariat following Members suggestions, and a number of issues requiring further 
discussion, such as the schedule and f ormat of CRTA meetings, interaction with outside stakeholders, 
and the possibility of holding thematic sessions in the Committee, notwithstanding that nothing 
precludes delegations from sharing their experiences or organizing themselves, on a voluntary bas is, 
to discuss novel aspects of RTAs.  
10.3.   The Secretariat is implementing a number of procedural suggestions including the interactive 
tools referred to in paragraph 7.2.  above. The Secretariat also organized two information sessions 
in September on procedures for the consideration of regional trade agreements under the 
Transparency Mechanism for RTAs. The information presented is also available on the WTO RTA 
webpages.  
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 WT/REG/34  
 
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  ATTACHMENT  
MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS HELD IN 2023 
106th Session – 27 March 2023 
 
WT/REG/M/106   
WT/REG427/M/1  United Kingdom – Eastern and Southern Africa States , goods  
WT/REG441/M/1  United Kingdom - Japan , goods and services  
WT/REG447/M/1  European Union - United Kingdom , goods and services  
WT/REG467/M/1  India - Mauritius, services  
WT/REG288/M/2  Türkiye - Serbia, s ervices [ non-member]  
 
 
107th Session – 5 July 2023  
 
WT/REG/M/107   
WT/REG448/M/1  ASEAN - Hong Kong, China , goods  and services  
WT/REG462/M/1  EFTA States - Türkiye , goods  and services  
WT/REG395/M/2  Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans -Pacific 
Partnership (CPTPP) - entry into force for Peru , goods and services  
WT/REG438/M/1  United Kingdom - North Macedonia , goods and services  
WT/REG455/M/1  United Kingdom - Serbia , goods  and services [non -member]  
 
 
108th Session – 20-21 and 27  November 2023 (to be issued ) 
 
WT/REG/M/108   
WT/REG/W/183  Draft Report ( 2023) of the CRTA to the General Council  
WT/REG422/M/1  United Kingdom - Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama), goods and services  
WT/REG443/M/1  United Kingdom - Southern Afri can Customs Union (SACU) and 
Mozambique , goods  
WT/REG439/M/1  United Kingdom - Republic of Moldova , goods  and services  
WT/REG463/M/1  EFTA States  - Ecuador , goods  and services  
WT/REG464/M/1  EFTA States  - Indonesia , goods  and services  
WT/REG454/M/1  United Kingdom - Albania, goods and services  
WT/REG440/M/1  United Kingdom - Georgia, goods and services  
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