G/MA/367  
 
3 June 2019  
(19-3800) Page: 1/17 
Committee on Market Access  Original: English  
 
MODALITIES AND OPERA TION  OF THE INTEGRATED DATABASE (IDB)  
DECISION ADOPTED ON 28 MAY 20191 
 
 
The Committee on Market Access,  
Having regard  to the Decision of the General Council dated 31 January 1995 (WT/L/47) mandating 
the Committee on Market Access to oversee the content and operation of, and access to, the 
Integrated Database (IDB);  
Considering  the role of the IDB as the official source of import and tariff statistics and its importa nce 
in ensuring transparency in the trade policy regimes of Members, as well as for the work of the WTO;  
Noting  the considerable changes in technology and the fragmentation of the rules2 governing the 
IDB; 
Seeking  to streamline and facilitate the preparati on of notifications by Members and to improve 
participation in the IDB with easy -to-process, reliable  and timely official data;  
Decides : 
1  NOTIFICATION REQUIRE MENTS  
1. Members shall notify, on an annual basis, data on:  
a) Applied MFN import tariffs at the nationa l customs tariff nomenclature (at the most detailed 
level, for example  HS codes with 8, 9, or 10 digits, as normally applied by the Member's 
customs administration);  
b) Import statistics in the same national tariff nomenclature as the corresponding MFN appli ed 
tariffs for the same year (i.e. same HS version and with the same level of disaggregation), 
including value (in USD or national currency) and volume (quantity and unit), by country of 
origin and by tariff line;  
c) Data elements required by the Transparency Mechanism for Preferential Trade 
Arrangements3, which include:  
i. Preferential applied tariffs and import statistics, for preferences by developed countries 
to developing and least -developed countries in accordance with the Generalized System 
of Preferences (GSP)4, including the list of countries or separate customs territories on 
which they apply.  
                                                
1 The Decision was adopted with an understanding reached on a number of issues, as reflected in the 
Chair's statement. See minutes of the meeting of the Committee on Market Access of 28 May 2019 (G/MA/M/70).  
2 The Decision of  General Council of  18 July 1997 (WT /L/225)  and the Decision s of the Committee on 
Market Access of  13 July 2009 (G/MA/238)  and 13 July 2009 (G/MA/239) . 
3 See WT/L/806, Section D, paragraphs 15 -17, and Annex 1.  
4 Paragraph 2(a) of the Enabling Clause.  G/MA/367  
 
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ii. Preferential applied tariffs and import statistics, in case of preferential treatment 
accorded by any Member to products of least -developed countries,  including the list of 
countries or separate customs territories on which they apply . 
iii. Preferential applied tariffs and import statistics, in case of non-reciprocal preferential 
arrangements  authorised under the WTO Agreement, including the list of countrie s or 
separate customs territories on which they apply . 
d) The relevant reference information (see Annex 1 for details) . 
2. In addition, Members are encouraged to submit comprehensive applied tariff and import 
information, to the extent possible and particularly when the information is already publicly 
available in a national website, by notifying the following information:  
a) Applied non -MFN tariffs, including:  
i. Preferential tariffs applied in the context of regional trade agreements ( for example  free 
trade agreements or customs unions), including arrangements under Article XXIV of the 
GATT 1994 and Paragraph 2(c) of the Decision on "Different ial and More Favourable 
Treatment Reciprocity and Fuller participation of Developing countries" (Enabling 
Clause)5. The submission should include list of countries or separate customs territories 
covered by each of these agreements; and  
ii. Other applied non -MFN tariffs, for example  tariffs applied on imports originating in 
non-WTO Members, if applicable, including the list of countries or separate customs 
territories on which they apply .  
b) Preferential import statistics under regional trade agreements ( for exam ple free trade 
agreements or customs unions), including arrangements under Article XXIV of the 
GATT  1994 and Paragraph 2(c) of the Enabling Clause. They should include the value (in 
USD or national currency) and volume (i.e. quantity and unit), disaggregat ed by country of 
origin, by tariff line, and by the duty regime under which each product was imported. The 
statistics should distinguish at the tariff line level, and for each of the beneficiary partners, 
the imports entered under MFN conditions from the i mports entered under preferential 
conditions . 
c) Ad valorem equivalents (AVEs) of non -ad valorem (NAV) duties , as calculated by the 
Member . 
d) Applied internal taxes and other duties and charges (ODCs), when available at the tariff line 
level.  
e) Imports or propor tion of imports (value and volume) under tariff rate quotas (TRQs)  for each 
identified tariff line associated with the relevant TRQ, in particular in case the in -quota and 
out-of-quota imports are recorded under the same tariff line code.  In case the data  
corresponds to a bound TRQ, the TRQ identification (TQ ID) as contained in the CTS.  
3. Nothing in this Decision shall be interpreted as modifying the notification requirements of the 
Transparency Mechanism for Regional Trade Agreements6 and the Transparency Mechanism for 
Preferential Trade Arrangements7. 
                                                
5 Decision of 28 November 1979, GATT docu ment L/4903.   Paragraph 2(c) provides that: "Regional or 
global arrangements entered into amongst [developing country Members] for the mutual reduction or elimination 
of tariffs and, in accordance with criteria or conditions which may be prescribed by the CONTRACTING PARTIES, 
for the mutual reduction or elimination of non -tariff measures, on products imported from one another".  
6 Decision of the General Council of 14 December 2006 (WT/L/671).  
7 Decision of the General Council of 14 December 2010 (WT/L/806) . G/MA/367  
 
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  2  NOTIFICATION DEADLIN ES 
4. Members  shall notify no later than8: 
a. 30 March, MFN and other applied tariffs of the current year, and  
b. 31 October , the import statistics of the previous calendar year.  
5. With a view to lessening the reporting burden, Members will endeavour to include the additional  
tariff and import  data required by the Transparency Mechanism for Preferential Trade 
Arrangements as part of their IDB notifications  as: a single submission  on tariffs and a single 
submission on import statistics .9 
3  PROCEDURE FOR THE SU BMISSION OF NOTIFICA TIONS  
Format  
6. Members shall submit their data in spreadsheet ( for example  MS Excel  or CSV), database format 
(for example  MS Access  or SQL) or other formats which are ready to be imported into 
spreadsheet or database format . Members shall avoid word -processing ( for example  MS Word) , 
files from which data cannot be easily converted in tabular format ( for example  PDF, XPS, etc.) , 
or image files  (for example .png, .jpeg, etc.) . In case a Member is required by its national 
legislation to submit its data in PDF format, it will also submit it in a spreadsheet, database or 
other  format  referred to above . Members may submit their reference information  in any 
format.10 
Methods for the transmission of Data  
7. Members may submit their notifications through any of the following methods:  
a) IDB File Exchange Facility ( https://idbfileexchange.wto.org ), which is the pr eferred method 
in case of large files11; or 
b) Email to the contact point in the Secretariat ( idb@wto.org ). 
8. To the extent it is technically viable, and with a view to automatically submitting the information, 
Members may volu ntarily enter into an agreement with the Secretariat for the automatic 
electronic transmission of data at regular intervals or similar methods. These agreements will 
be set on a case -by-case basis and include the terms and conditions in which the data will  be 
obtained from the Member, including the manner in which the Member shall be informed of the 
data transmission and how the data is included in the IDB. Members may request, at any point 
in time, that these data be modified or removed from the IDB.  
9. The S ecretariat is authorized to work with other international organizations  to develop standards 
and systems to facilitate the automatic transmission of data.  
10. The submission of data to the IDB shall be without prejudice to the rights and obligations of 
Members under the WTO Agreement.  
                                                
8 These deadlines apply to Members which base their tariffs on a calendar year. For other Members, the 
deadlines could be adjusted to take into account the dates when the national tariff comes into force.  
9 Paragraph 3 of the PTA Decision (WT/L/806) "The required notification of a PTA shall take place as early 
as possible; it will occur when practicable before the application of preferential treatment by the notifying Member 
and, at the latest, three months after the PTA is in force". Paragraph 15 provides  further that "[c]hanges affecting 
the implementation of a PTA during a calendar year shall be notified on an annual basis, no later than 30 June 
of the next immediate calendar year."  Paragraph 16 adds that "The notifying Member shall notify data on impor ts 
from each of the beneficiary partners on an annual basis …  no later than 31  October for data of the previous 
year."  
10 Annex es 1 and  2 contain  examples of formats that can be used by Members to submit the IDB 
notifications , including the reference information . 
11 A password system is maintained by the Secretariat (idb @wto.org).  G/MA/367  
 
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Modifications  
11. Members have the right to transmit, at any time, modifications to their IDB notifications.  
Technical Assistance  
12. The Secretariat shall, upo n request, provide technical assistance in relation to the submission of 
the data required for the IDB.  Members may contact the Secretariat through the following  
e-mail address: idb@wto.org . 
4  DATA -PROCESSING BY THE SECRE TARIAT  
13. The Secretariat will standardize the data submissions by Members. An explanation of the current 
process is described in Annex 3.  
5  DATA  DISSEMINATION   
14. The dissemination of the information contained in the IDB and Consolidated Tariff Schedules 
(CTS) Da tabases shall be done in accordance with Annex 4.  
15. With a view to continuously improving the functionality of the WTO data dissemination and online 
tools, the Secretariat will periodically consult with Members to identify their needs and to identify 
areas f or improvement.  
6  NATIONAL SOURCES  OF IMPORT AND TARIF F STATISTICS  
16. The Secretariat will maintain a list of official national websites, for example  by customs 
authorities, ministries of international trade (or related) or national statistical offices, in whi ch 
tariff or import data are publicly available.  Members may inform the Secretariat at any time of 
any reliable websites  that could be used to access this information . 
7  NOTIFICATION REMINDERS  
17. The Secretariat will regularly inform the Committee on Market Acc ess on the status of the IDB 
notifications. The yearly statistics on data sources for tariffs and imports will also be provided, 
including the sources of the data.  
18. In case of incomplete or pending notification obligations, the Secretariat will send an ema il12 to 
the relevant Member with the applicable comprehensive reminder(s) per year.  
19. In order to avoid duplication or outdated reminders, and in light of its special nature, the IDB 
notification reminders  will not be included in the Central Registry of Noti fications (CRN).  
8  FRAMEWORK TO OVERCOME  SIGNIFICANT GAPS IN  INFORMATION  
20. In case there are significant data gaps for a Member, in terms of the data required in  
Paragraph  1, the Secretariat may complete the missing data through the following procedure:  
a) The Secretariat will send a reminder to the Member explaining the extent of the data gaps 
and requesting the Member to notify the data or to provide the appropriate data source(s).  
b) If no response is received within thirty days following the reminder, the S ecretariat will 
endeavour to identify the appropriate source(s). Any guidance received from the Member 
shall be taken into account by the Secretariat.  
c) Once an appropriate source(s) is identified, the Secretariat will collect the data and inform 
the Member by e-mail. The communication will include  the data in its original form and the 
                                                
12 In case an official e -mail address  is not available, the reminders will be sent by fax.  G/MA/367  
 
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  data source(s) (agency name and contact person, or website address, date of receipt or 
download).  
d) The data and the data sources identified by the Secretariat, are subject to ap proval by the 
Member concerned, which will have a period of thirty  days13 from the communication in 
paragraph c) to raise any objection.  
e) If no objection is raised, the Secretariat will include the data in the IDB  noting its source and 
that the information was obtained by the Secretariat. The file will be disseminated with a 
"provisional" status. The provisional files are deemed approved pursuant to the 
Dissemination Policy (Annex  4). 
f) Members have the right to obje ct at any time to any data included through this procedure 
which they consider does not accurately reflect their situation, as well as to withdraw, revise 
or replace any data already incorporated into the IDB.  
21. In applying this procedure, the Secretariat wi ll endeavour to identify reliable sources of official 
information for the collection of the outstanding data, including:  
a) Direct contact with the appropriate national agency or ministry;  
b) Data available in the public domain through national governmental webs ites, including those 
mentioned in paragraph 1 6 above;  
c) Data available in relevant regional inter -governmental agencies or regional integration 
agreements' secretariats;  
d) Data obtained by other international organisations, such as the ITC, UNCTAD and the 
UN Statistical Division ( UN Comtrade database); and  
e) Data published in other online statistics websites which collect data from approved national 
agencies.  
9  RECOMPOSITION OF SIN GLE YEAR TARIFF DATA  
22. In case a Member has notified imports without the corresponding  tariffs, the Secretariat will 
endeavour to find a solution with the Member concerned, which may include an estimation or 
re-composition of the missing tariff information based on notified tariffs for adjacent years (see 
Annex  5). In these cases, the Secre tariat will include the data in the IDB  noting that the 
information was recomposed by the Secretariat  and that is without prejudice to the rights and 
obligations of Members under the WTO Agreement . 
10  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  FOR THE PREPARATION  OF NOTIFICATIONS  
23. The Secretariat shall, upon request, provide technical assistance to Members for the preparation 
of IDB notifications , including the verification of provisional files . 
24. With a view to continuously facilitating the use of the IDB and the preparation of notif ications, 
the Secretariat will periodically consult with Members to identify their needs and organize 
trainings which may include:  
a) Periodical trainings to Geneva -based delegates on the use of the different WTO on -line tools;  
b) Specialized regional workshops in those regions with the highest number of data gaps; and  
c) Specific requests by Members.  
                                                
13 Members may request additional time to the Secretariat within this period.  
 G/MA/367  
 
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25. The Secretariat will regularly explore new technologies to facilitate the preparation of 
notifications and reduce the burden for Members.      
11  FINAL PROVISIONS  
26. This Decision and its annexes replace the Decisions of the Committee on Market Access of 
13 July 2009 (G/MA/238) and 13 July 2009 (G/MA/239).  
 
 
  G/MA/367  
 
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  ANNEX 1   
CHECKLIST OF DATA ELEMENTS AND RE FERENCE  INFORMATION  TO BE SUPPLIED BY M EMBERS  
The following checklist is intended to provide guidance to Members when preparing their notifications 
under the IDB Decision for (1) tariffs and (2) import statistics.  
 
1  TARIFFS  
1.1  Required data elements  (Paragraph 1 of the IDB Decision)  
• Tariff line code (HS)  
• Suffix  
• Product  description in any of the three official languages (English, French or Spanish)  
• Duty:  
o MFN applied tariffs  
▪ Ad valorem  duty rate  
▪ Specific, mixed or compound duty (text)  
▪ Notes  
▪ In-quota and out -of-quota indicator (the default is out -quota, unless explicitly 
specified)  
o In case of non -reciprocal preferential tariffs ( for example  GSP tariffs)  under the 
Transparency Mechanism for Preferential Trade Arrangements:  
▪ Ad valorem  duty rate  
▪ Specific, mixed or compound duty (text)  
▪ Notes  
▪ In-quota and out -of-quota indicator (the default is out -quota, unless explicitly 
specified)  
▪ Partner(s)  
 
1.2  Other possible data elements (encouraged in Paragraph 2  of the IDB Decision ) 
• Preferential tariffs in regional trade agreements  
o Ad valorem  duty rate  
o Specific, mixed or compound duty (text)  
o Notes  
o Partner(s)  
• Tariffs for non -WTO Members, if applicable  
o Ad valorem  duty rate  
o Specific, mixed or compound duty (text)  
o Notes  
o Partner(s)  
• Ad valorem equivalents (AVEs) of non -ad valorem (NAV) duties  
 
  G/MA/367  
 
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1.3  Reference  information  
• Year of the tariffs  
• Harmonized System version  (HS 2012, HS 2017, etc.)  
• National partner country codes and quantity codes for imports data, if applicable  
• List of beneficiary partners for each non -MFN duty regime  
• If AVEs are submitted, the calculation method ( for example  based on imports from the 
World, WTO Members, etc.), if used  
• In case non -ad valorem duties are notified:  
o Duty currency unit (for specific, mixed, and compound duties)  
o Duty assessment ( for example  net weight, gross weight, etc.)  
 
2  IMPORT  STATISTICS  
2.1  Required data elements  (Paragraph 1 of the IDB Decision)  
• Tariff line code  
• Partner  
• Value  
• Primary Quantity – Primary Unit  
• Secondary Quantity – Secondary Unit  
• If applicable  under the Transparency Mechanism for Preferential Trade Arrangements , duty 
regime for each traded tariff l ine by partner.  
 
2.2  Reference  information  
• Year of imports, including whether it is a calendar or fiscal year  
• Harmonized System version  (HS 2012, HS 2017, etc . which should be consistent with the 
version used for the corresponding tariffs of the same year)  
• System of trade (general or special1) 
• Imports currency unit (USD or national currency)  
• Imports valuation basis (c.i.f., f.o.b., f.a.s.) as applicable  
• Exchange rate to the USD, including where applicable, the spread over the year (if reported 
in national curre ncy) 
• List of national partner country codes  
• List of national quantity codes  
                                                
1 The g eneral trade system is used when the statistical territory of a country coincides with its economic 
territory. Thus, under the general trade system, the statistical territory comprises all imports, including those 
from customs warehouses, all types of free  zones, free circulation area and premises for inward processing.   
The special trade system is used when the Member records imports for a statistical territory that comprises 
only a part of the economic territory. For example, when a Member only records imports for domestic 
consumption.  G/MA/367  
 
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  ANNEX 2  
EXAMPLES OF FORMATS AND REFERENCE INFORM ATION OF IDB NOTIFIC ATIONS  
1  EXAMPLE 1  
Case 1 :  Member A notifies its MFN tariffs for the year 2018 and imports for the year 2017.  This 
Member does not provide non -reciprocal preferences, is not a party to any regional trade agreement, 
and does not apply a different duty for non -WTO Members.  
 
1.1  Tariff d ata File (Example 1)  
Tariff line 
Code Suffix  Product description  MFN applied  In-quota 
indicator  
….     
0210.11.39   Dried or smoked shoulders and cuts 
thereof  119 $/100  KG  
…     
0301.91.00  ex1 Live trout  35%  
0301.91.00  ex2 Live trout  0% Y 
….     
2905.45.00   Glycerol  0.005$/KG   
….     
8470.50.00   Cash registers  0%  
….     
Reference information for the tariff file:  
Year of tariffs:  Applied tariffs as of 29 March 2018  
HS version ( for example HS2012, HS2017, etc.):  HS2017  
List of duties provided  (for example MFN applied, GSP, preferential, etc.):  MFN applicable to all partners  
List of beneficiary partners for each non -MFN duty regime:   
Information on non -ad valorem duties:   
 - Duty currency unit:  USD 
 - Duty assessment (net or gross weight):  Based on gross weight  
Other files and contents  None 
 
1.2  Import statistics file  (Example 1)  
Tariff line 
Code Suffix  Partner  Value  Quantity 1  Quantity unit 1  Duty regime  
0210.11.39   AUS 100 200 KG  
0210.11.39   BRA 200 400 KG  
0210.11.39   CHN 300 600 KG  
0210.11.39   MLI 50 100 KG  
…       
2905.45.00   AUS 100 200 TON  
2905.45.00   BRA 200 400 TON  
2905.45.00   LKA 50 100 TON  
2905.45.00   CHN 10 20 TON  
Reference information for the import statistics:  
Year of imports:  2017  
HS version ( for example HS2012, HS2017, etc.):  HS2017  
System of trade:  General  
Currency used for the value:  USD 
Import valuation basis:  Customs value is determined on a CIF basis  
Yearly exchange rate:  For the year 2017, 32.5  Andalasian Peso  for 1 USD.  
List of duty regimes used:  MFN only  
Unit of the value data:   Thousands USD  
List of country codes:  See file countrycodes2017.xls  
List of quantity codes (if used):  n.a. 
Other files and contents:  None 
 G/MA/367  
 
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2  EXAMPLE 2  
Case  2: Member B notifies its MFN and preferential tariffs for the year 2018, as well as imports for 
the year 2017.  This Member provides non -reciprocal preferences under the GSP and has a special 
non-reciprocal preferential scheme for LDCs, both of which have to  be annually notified under the 
"Preferential Tariff Arrangement Transparency Mechanism".  The Member also decides to notify its 
preferential tariffs under two free trade agreements: FTA1 with Australia and FTA2 with Sri Lanka, 
as well as the AVE s calculat ed by the national statistics offices, and the applied  ODCs at the tariff 
line level.   The Member does not apply a different duty for non -WTO Members.  
 
2.1  Tariff data file  (Example 2)  
Tariff line 
code  Suf
fix Product 
Description  MFN 
applied  
duty rate  GSP LDC FTA 
1 FTA 
2 AVE ODC In-quota 
indicator  
….           
0210.11.39   Dried or 
smoked 
shoulders and 
cuts thereof  119 $/100  
KG/net  0% 0% 0% 2% 30% 3%  
…           
0301.91.00  ex1 Live trout  35% - 0% 10% 5%  3%  
0301.91.00  ex2 Live trout  2% - 0% 0% 0%  3% Y 
….           
           
….           
2905.45.00   Glycerol  0.005$/KG  0% 0% - 0% 12% 0%  
….           
8470.50.00   Cash 
registers  0% - - - -  0%  
….           
"-" means excluded from the preferential scheme, so MFN duty applies; for LDC duties, if GSP is reported, then GSP 
duty applies.  
Reference information for the tariff file:  
Year of tariffs:  Applied tariffs as of 29 March 2018.  
HS version ( for example HS2012, HS2017, etc.):  HS2017  
List of duties provided ( for example MFN applied, 
GSP, preferential, etc.):  1) MFN applied, 2) GSP scheme, 3) Duty -free, quota -free for 
LDCs, 4) FTA  1 with Australia, 5) FTA  2 with Sri Lanka.  
List of beneficiary partners for each non -MFN 
duty regime  See file Preferentialpartners2017.xls  
Information on non -ad valorem duties:   
 - Duty currency unit:  USD 
 - Duty assessment (net or gross weight):  Based on net weight  
Other files and contents  None 
 
2.2  Import statistics file  
Tariff line 
code  Suffix  Partner 
code  Duty Regime  Value  Quantity  Quantity 
unit 
0210.11.39   AUS MFN 20 30 KG 
0210.11.39   AUS FTA1 80 170 KG 
0210.11.39   BRA MFN 200 400 KG 
0210.11.39   CHN MFN 300 600 KG 
0210.11.39   MLI LDC 50 100 KG 
…       
2905.45.00   AUS FTA1 100 200 TON 
2905.45.00   BRA MFN 200 400 TON 
2905.45.00   LKA GSP 40 90 TON 
2905.45.00   LKA FTA2 10 10 TON 
2905.45.00   CHN MFN 10 20 TON G/MA/367  
 
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  Reference  information  for import statistics:  
Year of imports:  2017  
HS version ( for example HS2012, HS2017, etc.):  HS2017  
System of trade:  General  
Currency used for the value:  USD 
Import valuation basis:  Customs value is determined on a CIF basis  
Exchange rate:  For the year 2017, 32.5  Andalasian Peso  for 1 USD.   
List of duty regimes used:  1) MFN applied, 2) GSP scheme, 3) Duty -free, quota -free for 
LDCs, 4) FTA  1 with Australia, 5) FTA  2 with Sri Lanka.  See 
file "dutyregimes2017.xls".  
Unit of the value data:   Thousands USD  
List of partner country codes:  see file countrycodes2017.xls  
List of quantity codes:  see file quantitycodes2017.xls  
Other files and contents  None 
 
2.3  Other reference  INFORMATION  for import statistics  
- List of national country codes (file countrycodes2017.xls)  
 
National Code  Partner Code  Partner  
036 AUS Australia  
076 BRA Brazil  
 ...  
  
 
- List of national quantity codes (file quantitycodes2017.xls)  
 
National Code  Quantity Code  Description  
55 KG Kilogram  
45 KG/net  Kilogram net  
06 TON Tons 
 ...  
 
- List of beneficiary partners for each non -MFN duty regime (file Preferentialpartners2017.xls)  
 
Partner Code  Duty Regime  
FTA LDC Scheme  GSP Scheme  
AUS FTA1   
BRA   GSP 
CAN    
... ... ... ... 
MLI  LDC GSP 
… ... ... ... 
LKA FTA2  GSP 
… ... ... ... 
 
2.4   Technical Information on submission files:  
Software used to prepare submission:  
(Type and version)  Microsoft Excel 2016  
Compression and decompression  software 
used:  (Type and version)  File is not compressed  
File names and contents:   
 - Tariffs  Tariffs2018Rev.1.xls  
 - Imports  Imports2017.xls  
 - Country codes  countrycodes2017.xls  
 - Quantity codes  quantitycodes2017.xls  
 - List of beneficiary partners for each non -
MFN duty regime  Preferentialpartners2017.xls  
 - Other files  Dutyregimes2017.xls (includes the duty regimes used for the 2017 
imports)  
 G/MA/367  
 
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ANNEX 3  
DATA -PROCESSING BY T HE SECRETARIAT  
The Secretariat converts the national submissions into a common format, standardizes certain data 
and checks the quality of the data submitted by Members.  The formatting and standardization are 
done using computer -assisted intervention, depending on the n ational format and on the contents of 
the submission.  Some of the steps undertaken by the Secretariat include:  
 
• Formatting of national submissions to a common database format.  This includes standardizing 
certain data ( for example  removing per cent signs from the ad valorem duty rate, deleting 
spaces or dots in the tariff line codes, etc.).  
• Conversion of national country and quantity codes and national currencies into standard 
country and quantity codes and into USD.  
• Editing and validation:  this mainly re fers to programmed validations and consists of the 
following checks:  
 
a) Tariffs  
 
N.B. The current year applied duties should be provided as soon as available in national 
capitals, even though import statistics would relate to the previous year.  
 
 A set of pr ogrammed validations would be undertaken which covers:  
 
Tariff line number : For HS -based submissions, the first six digits ( for 
example  010121 001) should be a valid HS code for the 
HS version in force for the reference year ( for example  
HS 2012, HS 2017, etc).  There would be no checking 
on the national part of the tariff line number ( for 
example  010121 001) which would be recorded starting 
in position  7 of the tariff line.   
 
Tariff suffix : Should be blank or alpha -numeric  
 
Product description : Product descriptions of the national customs tariff 
should be provided in any of the WTO official languages.  
When provided in a separate file, all tariff line numbers 
should have a corresponding entry in the tariffs.  If not, 
a product description with "n ot provided" in the text is 
generated.   
 
In-quota/out -of-quota  By default, the tariff duties are out -quota. In -quota 
duties should be expressly identified.  
 
Duty: At least the applied MFN duties should be provided.  
 
Partner : Would be recorded where applicable, to identify the 
partner to which the duty applies.  
 
Duty  The duty can be either ad valorem or non -AV. If the duty 
is non -AV and the ad valorem equivalent (AVE) is 
provided, the AVE should be clearly identified.  
  
 
Apart from the validation  of codes, formats, etc., the Secretariat may undertake other electronic 
validations. For example, the duty levels could be compared to those of the previous year(s).  Any 
discrepancies would be clarified by the Secretariat with the Member concerned.  G/MA/367  
 
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  b) Impor ts 
 
The Secretariat compares the total value of imports submitted with the statistics 
published by the UN ( UN Comtrade) or the IMF (IFS) or other relevant national or 
international sources ( for example  regional secretariats, the World Bank, etc.). The 
Secretariat may validate by HS chapter and by country of origin.  If unexplained 
differences account for more than 5%, the Secretariat will contact the reporting 
country would for additional information.  Once the totals are accepted, a programmed 
validation o f data elements would take place:  
 
Tariff line number : All tariff items recorded in the import statistics should 
have a corresponding entry in the tariffs.  
 
Partner : Should be a valid national partner code for the reporting 
country.  Should not represent a group of trading 
partners.  
 
In-quota/out -of-quota  A flag to identify the in -quota imports; it should match the 
in-quota indicator of the tariffs  
 
Customs value : Should not be zero or negative.  
 
Quantity 1 :   Should be a positive number  
 
Quantity unit  1: Should be a quantity description or a valid national 
quantity code.  
 
Quantity 2 : If provided, should be a positive number  
 
Quantity unit 2 : If provided, should be a quantity description or a valid 
national quantity code and should not be equal to quantity 
unit 1.  
 
 
  G/MA/367  
 
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ANNEX  4 
DISSEMINATION POLICY  OF THE INTEGRATED D ATABASE (IDB) AND  
THE CONSOLIDATED TAR IFF SCHEDULES (CTS) DAT ABASE  
This document sets out the dissemination policy for the Integrated Database (IDB) and the 
Consolidated Tariff Schedule s (CTS) database. It is based on the premise that providing broader 
access to the information in the IDB and the CTS database would improve transparency, increase 
public awareness and contribute to the effective delivery of technical assistance to developi ng and 
least-developed countr y Members . It also recognizes that the IDB and the CTS databases are 
practical working tools and that there are no implications as to the legal status of the information 
contained therein. This dissemination policy builds on an d replaces the dissemination policy adopted 
by the Committee on Market Access on 13 July 2009 (G/MA/238).  
 
1  COVERAGE  
1. This policy regulates the access to, and dissemination of, the data contained in the IDB and 
CTS Databases.  The dissemination policy distinguishes between "provisional" and "approved" data, 
as well as between "restricted" and "unrestricted" data as follows:  
a) Data files are considered to be "provisional" when they have undergone processing into 
standard format or have been substantially r evised by the Secretariat;   
b) Data files are considered to be "approved" after a period of 30 days from their circulation as 
a provisional file if no objection has been raised by the Member concerned;1  
c) "Restricted" data includes by default all provisional data and approved data designated as 
restricted by a Member; and  
d) "Unrestricted" data includes by default all approved data which is not restricted.  
2. Members retain the right to designate their own data concerning ad valorem  equivalent (AVEs) 
provided by th e Member and approved import statistics at the tariff line level (i.e., more detailed 
than HS six -digit level) as restricted.  
2  AUTHORIZED USERS  
3. Authorized users of the IDB and CTS Database are defined as:  
a) All WTO Members;  
b) Countries or separate customs ter ritories in the process of acceding to the WTO that have 
provided the Secretariat with their own IDB submissions (hereafter referred to as 
"authorized Acceding countries")2; 
c) The WTO Secretariat; and  
d) The intergovernmental organizations that were authorized  by the Committee on Market 
Access under the previous dissemination policy: (i) African Union; (ii)  Agency for 
International Trade Information and Co -operation; (iii)  Caribbean Regional Negotiating 
Machinery; (iv)  Caribbean Community Secretariat; (v)  Commo nwealth Secretariat; 
(vi) Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean; (vii)  European Bank for 
Reconstruction and Development; (viii) European Free Trade Association; (ix)  Food and 
Agricultural Organization; (x) General Secretariat of the Andea n Community; 
(xi) International Coffee Organization; (xii) International Monetary Fund; (xiii)   International 
Trade Centre; (x iv) Organisation for Economic Co -operation and Development; (xv) Pacific 
                                                
1 Members may request additional time to the Secretariat within this period.  
2 The Secretariat will periodically inform the Committee on Market Access on the status of the IDB 
submissions by these Acceding counties in orde r to decide whether their access to the IDB should be maintained.  G/MA/367  
 
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  Islands Forum Secretariat; (xvi)  Southern African Customs  Union; (xvii) South Centre; 
(xviii) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; (x ix) United Nations Economic 
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; (xx) United Nations Economic Commission 
for Africa; (xxi) United Nations Economic Commiss ion for Europe; (xxii) West African 
Economic and Monetary Union; (xxi ii) the World Bank; and those organizations subsequently 
granted access by the Committee on Market Access.3 
4. Additional requests by other intergovernmental organizations for access to the restricted IDB 
and the CTS data are subject to approval by the Committee on Market Access on a case by case 
basis.  
3  CONDITIONS OF USE AN D PUBLICATION  
5. Authorized users can freely use approved IDB and CTS information for internal purposes and 
in the context o f market access -related technical assistance and capacity building.4 Authorized 
intergovernmental organizations and authorized Acceding countries are required to agree to the 
conditions on the use and publication of IDB and CTS information, as set forth in  this document, 
prior to receiving access to the approved restricted data. Any breach of the conditions will result in 
the termination of their access to the restricted data.  
6. All users may publish approved IDB and CTS information, or analyses derived from these 
databases, on the condition that:  
a) WTO copyright of the original data is acknowledged and the specific data shown through 
users' own databases, online tools or publications, explicitly acknowledge the WTO as the 
source of the data;  
b) Any conclusions or  analyses based on IDB and CTS data by users are accompanied by a 
disclaimer stating that they are the responsibility of the authors and not the opinion of the 
WTO; and  
c) The publication of restricted data by authorised users is not more detailed than the 
authorized level by the relevant Member(s). The publication of restricted data is subject to 
a prior authorization from the relevant Member(s) or Acceding country(ies), through the 
WTO Secretariat.5   
7. Any user seeking to re -disseminate of IDB or CTS data to third parties for purposes beyond 
publication or analyses derived from these databases shall first obtain the approval of the WTO 
Secretariat ( idb@wto.org ) prior to such re -dissemination. In addition, the third party shall commit 
to respect the terms and conditions of this dissemination policy .   
8. Any user seeking to mass -download IDB and CTS data for their own systems, or for 
redistribution through other databases or online systems, shall obtain the approval of the WTO  
Secretariat ( idb@wto.org ) prior to the download6. In addition, the user shall commit to respect the 
terms and conditions of this dissemination policy before downloading the data.  
9. The Secretariat shall inform all users of  the new dissemination policy and annually send 
reminders to the users in Paragraphs 3(d) and 7 of the conditions of use.   
                                                
3 For a user  to be granted access to the IDB and the CTS databases, it shall commit to  grant similar access 
to their own respective tariff and trade -related databases and analytical tools to the WTO  Secretariat . 
4 "Internal purposes" is understood to mean, in the case of Members and authorized Acceding countries, 
that they are free to use and distribute their own processed files as they wish . However, the files of other 
Members or authorized Acceding countries can only be used internally by government  agencies . In the case of 
the Secretariat and other organizations, "internal purposes" is understood to mean use within the organization.  
5 The exception to this rule is in the case of WTO documen ts prepared by the Secretariat at the request 
of Members, in which case the Secretariat will inform the Committee on Market Access prior to publication.  
6 For a user  to be  authorized, it shall commit to  grant similar access to their own respective tariff a nd 
trade -related databases to the WTO  Secretariat . This provision does not apply to WTO Members.  G/MA/367  
 
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10. The Secretariat will inform the Committee of Market Access of the user(s) authorized under 
paragraphs 7 and 8.  It will also inform the Committee if it becomes aware of user(s) failing to abide 
by the terms and conditions of this dissemination policy.  
4  DISSEMINATION TOOLS BY THE WTO SECRETARI AT 
11. Internet access to unrestricted data is accorded freely to the public. Online tools by the 
Secretariat may include a user -defined identification and password system.  
12. Internet access to restricted data is accorded to authorized users through a user -identification 
code and password (hereafter referred to as "restricted password") maintained by the  Secretariat 
and distributed directly to the authorized users. Each authorized user has its own restricted password 
and it is possible to establish several user accounts for a given authorized user through a 
user-defined identification and password system.  The restricted passwords are changed periodically. 
It is the responsibility of authorized users to ensure that the dissemination policy outlined above is 
respected.  
13. The information is currently disseminated through:  
a) World Tariff Profiles : a tariff book jo intly published by the WTO Secretariat, the 
International Trade Centre (ITC) and UNCTAD, which provides comprehensive summary 
information on the tariffs and non -tariff measures imposed by over 170 countries and 
customs territories.  Tariff data are present ed in comparative tables and in one -page profiles 
for each economy.  https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/reser_e/tariff_profiles_e.htm  
b) The Tariff Analysis Online (TAO) : an advance d online system that allows users to extract 
detailed information for specific products, including bound and applied tariffs at the national 
tariff line level (HS -8 digits or more), as well as import data.  
It has analytical reports and allows filtering cr iteria for the analyses. All authorized users 
have access to all the approved data, but only Members and the Secretariat have access to 
the provisional data of this site. The access to the public is limited to unrestricted data.  
https://tao.wto.org/  
c) Preferential Trade Arrangements (PTA) Database :  contains reference information on 
notified PTAs, serves as document  repository, includes summary statistics of preferential 
tariffs and imports, including preference utilizati on (http://ptadb.wto.org/ ). 
d) WTO data portal (WTODATA) :  contains general statistical indicators related to WTO 
issues, including bound and  MFN applied tariffs. http://data.wto.org/  
 
e) Data  maps : a section  of the WTO webpage that allows users to visualize different data 
elements, including trade and tariff data. International Trade and Market Access Data  
14. The Secretariat will periodically consult with Members on publications and online tools  to 
disseminate I DB and CTS data , and inform the Committee on Market Access of any change. It will 
also endeavour to develop new methods to facilitate access to information, including through the 
creation  of new user-friendly formats  or tools . 
  G/MA/367  
 
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  ANNEX 5  
 
PROCEDURE FOR RECO MPOSING SINGLE YEAR MISSING TARIFF DATA  
In the IDB, tariffs are the base for integrating tariff and import data. Hence, without the tariff data, 
notified imports remain unprocessed and are not disseminated. The procedure in this Annex applies 
to cases  where:  (i) a Member has submitted the import data for a specific year, but the tariff data 
for the corresponding year  has remained outstanding after several years, (ii) tariffs  exist (notified 
and disseminated) for the adjacent years of the missing data , and (iii) t here is just a single year gap 
in notification.  For example, a Member has notified its 2001 import data, but has not notified its 
2001 tariffs; but the 2000 and 2002 tariffs are also available and have been disseminated through 
the IDB.  
In these  situations, the Secretariat will undertake the following steps to recompose or interpolate 
the tariff data for a particular year (i.e. the recomposed tariff year):  
Step 1 : The nomenclature of the tariff lines in the import data will be matched to the nome nclature 
of the tariff files for the two adjacent years.   The Secretariat will use the year with the highest 
number of identically matched tariff lines as the primary base tariff data.   For all the tariff lines with 
an identical match (i.e. all tariff line s where the nomenclature of the imports file and the primary 
base tariff data is the same), the Secretariat will use the MFN rates of duty of the primary base tariff 
data to set the rates of duty of the recomposed tariff year.   If the imports file includes  product 
descriptions, the Secretariat will endeavour to find the matching tariffs from the selected primary 
base tariff data.  
Step 2 : For all the tariff lines in the imports file without an exact match remaining from Step 1, the 
Secretariat will proceed t o match the nomenclature of the tariff lines in the imports file with the 
nomenclature of the tariff file of the remaining adjacent year (i.e. the secondary base tariff 
data).   For all the tariff lines with an identical match (i.e. all tariff lines where t he nomenclature of 
the imports file and the secondary base tariff data is the same), the Secretariat will use the MFN 
rates of duty of the secondary base tariff data to set the rates of duty of the recomposed tariff 
year.  Additional matching based on prod uct description, if available would also be done.  
Step 3 :  For all the remaining tariff lines (i.e. those where the nomenclature of the tariff lines in the 
imports file that did not match the nomenclature of the tariff lines in the primary nor the secondary 
base tariff data), the Secretariat will proceed to equally distribute the imports on the tariff lines 
within the same subheading of the primary base tariff data.   
Step 4 :  In case there are HS subheadings with no imports, the Secretariat will se t the rates of duty 
for these tariff lines based on the primary base tariff data, i.e. by including the national tariff line 
breakdowns.   In case there are HS subheading where some of the national breakouts do not have 
imports, the Secretariat will recompo se the rates of duty of the tariff lines without imports based on 
the primary or secondary base tariff data, as applicable.  
Step 5 :  The Secretariat will assess the file with the recomposed tariff year with a view to verifying 
its consistency, ensuring  that the estimates of the overall average , as well as the HS 6 -digit 
averages, are comparable to the corresponding statistics of the two adjacent years.  
Step 6 : The dataset with the recomposed tariff year will be sent to the concerned Member for its 
review a nd approval but would not be given a provisional status yet. If no comment is received from 
the concerned Member after thirty days, the data will be given a provisional status and it will be 
subject to the IDB Dissemination Policy.    
__________