WORLD TRADE WT/L/189
18October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4373)
ZIMBABWE -PARAGRAPH 4OFARTICLE IOFGATT 1994
Decision of14October 19961
Taking noteoftherequest2fromtheGovernment oftheRepublic ofZimbabwe forarenewal
ofthewaiver fromitsobligations under paragraph 4ofArticle IoftheGeneral Agreement onTariffs
andTrade (hereinafter referred toas"GATT") 1994, withrespect todates applicable toMembers for
purposes ofparagraph 4andAnnex GtoGATT 1994, which waiver wasoriginally granted bythe
CONTRACTING PARTIES toGATT 1947(hereinafter referred toastheCONTRACTING PARTIES)
on19November 19603;
Considering thatthefootnote toAnnex 1A,Section onGATT 1994, subparagraph 1(b)(iii)
oftheAgreement Establishing theWorld Trade Organization (hereinafter referred toas"theWTO
Agreement") requires theMinisterial Conference toestablish atitsfirstsession arevised listofwaivers
granted under Article XXV ofGATT 1947andstillinforce onthedateofentry intoforce oftheWTO
Agreement;
Bearing inmindthatbyaDecision of31January 19954theGeneral Council established alist
ofwaivers existing attheentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, which included thewaiver granted
toSouth Africa, Malawi andZimbabwe on19November 1960;
Taking intoaccount thatparagraph 2oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations
under GATT 1994 provides thatanywaiver ineffect onthedateoftheentry intoforce ofthe
WTO Agreement shall terminate, unless extended inaccordance with theprocedures setoutin
paragraph 1oftheaforementioned understanding andthose ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
onthedateofitsexpiry ortwoyears from thedateofentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement,
whichever isearlier;
./.
1Adopted inaccordance with theDecision-Making Procedures under Articles IXandXIIoftheWTO
Agreement agreed bytheGeneral Council (WT/L/93).
2G/L/106.
3BISD 9S/46.
4WT/L/3/Corr.1.WT/L/189
Page2
Considering thatbyaDecision of3December 19555andsubsequent related actions, the
CONTRACTINGPARTIESacceptedtheincreaseinmarginsofpreferenceresultingfromtheapplication
ofthe1955 tariff ofMalawi andZimbabwe andtheir1955 Agreements withSouth Africa asnot
increasing theoverall levelofpreferences accorded bythethreecountries involved, andmade provision
that,following thecompletion oftheadjustments permitted bythe1955Decision, theCONTRACTING
PARTIES would establish newdates forthepurposes ofparagraph 4ofArticle IofGATT 1994 for
Malawi andZimbabwe, andforSouth Africa inrespect ofproducts ofMalawi andZimbabwe;
Bearing inmindthatanumber ofadjustments inmargins ofpreference havebeenmade under
the1955Decision, andthattheperiods thereunder formaking anyfurther adjustments under theterms
ofthatdecision haveexpired;
Having regard totheGuiding Principles tobefollowed inconsidering applications forwaivers
adopted on1November 1956, theUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under
GATT 1994, andparagraphs 3and4ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement;
Members,actingpursuanttotheprovisionsofparagraph3ofArticleIXoftheWTOAgreement,
Decide that
1. Subject totheterms andconditions setouthereunder, theprovisions ofparagraph 4ofArticle I
ofGATT 1994shallbemodified withrespect totheGovernment ofZimbabwe until31December 1997,
totheextent necessary topermit theGovernment ofZimbabwe tomake thefollowing changes inthe
dates applicable toitforthepurposes ofparagraph 4ofArticle IandAnnex GtoGATT 1994:
3December 1955, provided thatthetariff adjustments made byZimbabwe on8March 1957
andtariff adjustments made atanytimebyitpursuant tothedecision of3December 1955
shallbedeemed forthispurpose, tohavebeenineffect onthatdate,
provided itsatisfies theGeneral Council bymeans ofsuchconsultations asmaybeheldpursuant to
thisDecision, thattheiractions intheexercise ofthiswaiver areconsistent withtheintent ofGATT
1994.
2. TheGovernment ofZimbabwe shall, uponrequest, promptly enterintoconsultations withany
interested Member withrespect toanydifficulty ormatter thatmayariseasaresult ofthewaiver;
where aMember considers thatanybenefit accruing toitunder GATT 1994maybeorisbeing impaired
unduly asaresult ofthewaiver, suchconsultation shallexamine thepossibility ofaction forasatisfactory
resolution oftheproblem ormatter. ThisDecision doesnotaffect Members 'rights assetforth in
theUnderstanding inrespect ofWaivers ofObligations under GATT 1994.
5BISD 4S/17 .