G/C/W/812   
29 July 2022  
(22-5725) Page: 1/2 
Council for Trade in Goods  Original: Spanish  
 
  
COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS  
PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA – EXPORT RESTRICTIONS ON AGRICULTURAL  
AND HYDROBIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS1 
Communication from Peru  
The following communication, dated 25 July 2022, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of Peru.  
 
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1. Peru would like to express before WTO Members its trade concern regarding various restrictive 
measures that the Government of Bolivia has applied to Peruvian agricultural exports, which are 
restricti ng the entry into the Bolivian market of major products originating in Peru, such as potatoes 
and onions, and the exportation of whole trout.  
 
2. It should be noted that, on 9 May 2022, the General Secretariat of the Andean Community 
(SGCAN) issued Resolut ion No.  2264 on the investigation requested by Peru on Bolivia, in which it 
qualifies as restrictions of any kind the set of administrative measures applied by Bolivia, which 
consisted of temporarily ceasing to issue phytosanitary import permits, temporari ly suspending 
phytosanitary inspections at the Binational Border Service Centre (CEBAF) at Desaguadero, and 
hindering the import process for various Peruvian plant products.  
 
3. In this connection, Peru reiterates the request submitted at the previous meet ing of the 
WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, asking the delegation of Bolivia to comply 
with the provisions of the aforementioned Resolution and to inform Peru of the quarterly reports on 
the issuance of phytosanitary import permits, ph ytosanitary inspections and the import process at 
the CEBAF at Desaguadero for perishable agricultural products from the Andean Community, for a 
period of one calendar year.  
 
4. Furthermore, with respect to Peru's interest in exporting whole trout, it should be noted that, 
despite the fact that the Bolivian health authority officially communicated the approval of the 
harmonized health certificate for the exportation of fresh or chilled/whole or loose trout in 2017, to 
date it has not fulfilled the corre sponding commitments to enable the export of Peruvian trout.  
 
5. It is even more worrying that, in January 2022, the Bolivian National Agricultural Health and 
Food Safety Service (SENASAG) indicated that its current regulations allowed only for the marketi ng 
of eviscerated animals and that, therefore, other types of products could not be accepted. In other 
words, five  years after approving a health certificate for the exportation of whole trout, the 
Plurinational State of Bolivia is unjustifiably restrictin g access for this product. It should be 
mentioned that none of the standards shared by the delegation of Bolivia were notified to the 
SPS Committee.  
 
6. In addition, Peru wishes to express once again its deep concern regarding the new information 
received from Bolivia on 10 June 2022 at a meeting held between the Peruvian National Fisheries 
Health Service (SANIPES) and SENASAG, at which the Bolivian health authority communicated to 
 
1 This statement was delivered by the delegation of Peru during the Council for Trade in Goods meeting 
held on 7 –8 July 2022, under agenda item  43. See also document  G/C/W/808.  G/C/W/ 812 
 
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  Peru that a standard according to which only eviscerated animals may be mark eted entered into 
force in April 2022. This standard was not notified either, once again violating Article  7 of, and 
Annex  B to, the SPS  Agreement.  
 
7. In view of the above, and as mentioned in the SPS  Committee, Bolivia's actions would be in 
breach of the  provisions of the GATT, the SPS  Agreement and the bilateral agreements between 
both parties. Peru therefore reiterates its request to Bolivia to rescind any restrictions in place on 
Peruvian exports of perishable goods and whole trout.  
 
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