RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/LIC/M/10
16 November 1999
(99-4926)
Committee on Import Licensing
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 21 OCTOBER 1999
Chairman: Mr. Lars Andersen (Norway)1
The Committee on Import Licensing held its tenth meeting on 21 October 1999.  The agenda
proposed for the meeting, contained in WTO/AIR/1193, was adopted as follows:
1. Notifications
(i) Notifications under Articles 1.4(a) and/or 8.2(b) (publications and/or legislation) ..............1
(ii) Notifications under Article 7.3
(replies to the Questionnaire on Im port Licensing Procedures) ............................................2
(iii) Notifications under Article 5 (new im port licensing procedures or changes)........................2
2. Draft report (1999) to the Co uncil for Trade in Goods.....................................................3
3. Other Business
(i) Brazil's import li censing procedures ......................................................................................3
(ii) Malaysia's approval permit requir ement................................................................................3
(iii) Tentative dates for meetings  of the Committee in 2000..........................................................3
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1. Notifications
(i) Notifications under Articles 1.4(a) and/or 8.2(b) (publications and/or legislation)
1.1 The Chairman said that since the last meeting, the Secretariat had received notifications under
Articles 1.4(a) and/or 8.2(b) from India, Latvia, Ma lawi and Turkey (G/LIC/N/1 /- series).  Copies of
publications and laws and regulations referred to in the notifications were available for consultation in
the Secretariat.  In addition, the Secretariat had received a notification from Guatemala, since the
airgram convening this meeting was issued.  He suggested that the Committee examine this
notification as well as the notifications from India, Latvia, Malawi and Turkey which had not yet been
circulated in the three working languages at its next meeting.
1.2 With respect to the current status of notificati ons, the Chairman stated that since the entry into
force of the WTO Agreement, the Committee had received notifications under the above two
                                                     
1 Mr. Lars Andersen, Vice-Chairman of the Committee, presided in place of the Chairperson,
Mrs. Marie Gosset (Côte d'Ivoire).G/LIC/M/10
Page 2
provisions from only 61 Members (counting the European Communities and its member States as one
Member), and requested Members that had not yet provided any information concerning their laws
and regulations and publications relevant to import licensing to submit their notifications withoutfurther delay.  Members which did not apply import licensing procedures or had no laws or
regulations relevant to the Agreement were also requ ested to notify the Committee of this fact so that
a complete picture could be obtained.
1.3 The Committee took note of the notifications and the statement made by the Chairman.  It
agreed to postpone the review of the notifications from Guatemala, India, Latvia, Malawi and Turkey
to its next meeting.
(ii) Notifications under Article 7.3 (replies to the Questionnaire on Import Licensing Procedures)
1.4 The Chairman informed the Committee that sin ce the last meeting, the following 12 Members
had submitted replies to the Questionnaire (G/L IC/N/3/- series):  Canada;  the European
Communities;  Ghana; Hong Kong, China;  Latvia;  Malawi;  Malta;  Namibia;  Peru;  Romania;
South Africa;  and Turkey.  A notification received from India prior to the last meeting was also
before the Committee for review.  In addition, the Secretariat had received two notifications, since the
airgram convening this meeting had been issued, from the Philippines and India which the Chairman
suggested be reviewed at the next meeting.  Th e notification from India (G/LIC/N/3/IND/3) contained
information on its import licensing procedures up to 1 April 1999.  He suggested that the review of
the notifications from Canada;  the European Communities;  Hong Kong, China;  India
(G/LIC/N/3/IND/3);  Latvia;  Malawi;  Namibia;  the Philippines;  Romania;  South Africa;  and
Turkey which had not yet been circulated in the three working languages be postponed to the next
meeting.
1.5 With respect to the current status of notific ations, the Chairman informed the Committee that
since the entry into force of the WTO Agreement, a total of only 59 Members had thus far submitted
notifications under this provision.  This included notifications from 11 Members in 1995, 22 in 1996,
25 in 1997, 25 in 1998, and so far from only 19 Members in 1999.  Recalling that, pursuant toArticle 7.3 of the Agreement and the procedures agreed in the Committee, all Members were required
to submit replies to the Questionnaire on an annual basis by 30 September, and noting that
notifications were overdue from many Members, he requested those Members that had not yet
complied with the requirement to submit their notifications without any further delay.  He also
recalled that even those Members which had not made any changes to their import licensingprocedures since their previous notifications, or which did not apply import licensing procedures,
were required to notify this fact to the Committee.
1.6 The Committee took note of the notifications and the statement made by the Chairman
.  It
agreed to postpone the review of the notifications from Canada;  the European Communities;
Hong Kong, China;  India (G/LIC/N/3/IND/3);  Latvia;  Malawi;  Namibia;  the Philippines;
Romania;  South Africa;  and Turkey to its next meeting.
(iii) Notifications under Article 5 (new import licensing procedures or changes)
1.7 The Committee took note of the notifications submitted (G/LIC/N/2/- series) since the last
meeting by Argentina, India, Malaysia and Romania and agreed to postpone their review to its next
meeting.G/LIC/M/10
Page 3
2. Draft report (1999) to the Council for Trade in Goods
2.1 The Chairman drew attention to the draft report of the Committee (G/LIC/W/12) covering its
activities in 1999 and said that the information contai ned in the report would be updated to reflect the
notifications received up to the present meeting as well as the discussions at this meeting.
2.2 The Committee agreed to adopt its Report to the Council for Trade in Goods with minor
changes to paragraphs 1, 3-6, 8 and 9.  The Report as updated and adopted was circulated as
document G/L/336.
3. Other Business
(i) Brazil's import licensing procedures
3.1 The representative of the European Communities recalled the discussions in the Committee at
its meeting of 29 April 1999 regarding the compatibility with the Agreement of certain modifications
introduced by Brazil in August 1998 to its non- automatic import licensing system (G/LIC/M/9,
paragraphs 2.1-2.4);  he informed the Committee that the EC had requested consultations with Brazil
under, inter alia , the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures concerning these measures
(G/LIC/D/30).
3.2 The representative of Switzerland informed the Committee that his authorities had received,
in August 1999, written replies from Brazil to the questions posed by his delegation (G/LIC/M/9,
paragraph 2.2).  His authorities were examining thes e replies and would revert to the matter in due
time.  Further, his delegation wished to participate in the consultations requested by the European
Communities on this issue.
3.3 The representative of the United States said that his delegation associated itself with the
position taken by the European Communities on this issue as well as with the questions raised by the
EC and by Switzerland.
3.4 The representative of Brazil said that he had forwarded the EC's request for consultations to
his authorities to which he hoped a reply would be received soon.  He also took note of the comments
made by the delegation of Switzerland concerning the Brazilian replies and its intention to join the
consultations.
(ii) Malaysia's approval permit requirement
3.5 The representative of Malaysia informed the Committee that replies to the questions posed by
the United States concerning Malaysia's approval permit requirement on imports of heavy machinery
and construction equipment (G/LIC/Q/MYS/1, G/LI C/M/8, paragraphs 5.1-5.2) had been received
from his authorities and that these would be forwarde d to the US delegation shortly with a copy to the
Secretariat.
(iii) Tentative dates for meetings of the Committee in 2000
3.6 The Committee agreed to the following tentative dates for the meetings of the Committee on
the understanding that additional meetings would be convened if necessary:  on 11 April and
12 October 2000.
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