WT/COMTD/RTA3/M/1  
 
30 November  2021 
(21-9015) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Fifteenth  Dedicated Session on Regional Trade  
Agreements    
 
PARTIAL SCOPE AGREEMENT BETWEEN MEXICO AND ECUADOR  (GOODS)  
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 10 NOVEMBER  2021 
Chairman: H.E. Dr Muhammad Mujtaba Piracha (Pakistan)  
1.  The 15th Dedicated Session on Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) of the Committee on Trade  and 
Development (CTD) was convened in document WTO/AIR/COMTD/RTA/ 10/Rev.1 of 
29 October  2021.  Under item  D (I) of the agenda, the Committee considered the Partial Scope 
Agreement between Mexico and Ecuador  (Goods) (WT/COMTD/RTA 3/N/1, WT/COMTD/RTA 3/1, 
WT/COMTD/RTA 3/2). The agreement was concluded in the context of the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo  
(TM80)  of the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA) . The present document contains the 
minutes relating to the conside ration of this agreement.1  
2.  The Chairman  said that t he Partial Scope Agreement between Mexico and Ecuador  was notified 
under paragraph 4(a) of the Enabling Clause  by Mexico  on 23 July 2019 in document 
WT/COMTD/RTA 3/N/1. The factual presentation on th e agreement – document WT/COMTD/RTA 3/1 
dated 14 July 2021 – had been prepared by the Secretariat on its own responsibility, and in full 
consultation with the parties. Written questions from the United States , as well as the replies from 
the parties, were circulated in document WT/COMTD/RTA 3/2. 
3.  The representative of Mexico  indicated that she would be making a statement on behalf of 
the parties. She began by express ing appreciation to the Secretariat for the preparation of the 
factual presen tation . She said that t he bilateral relationship between Ecuador and Mexico, as well as 
relations with Latin America and the Caribbean at the regional level, ha d been crucial to the 
development of these  countries' trade policy strategies. Ecuador currently rank ed 13th among trading 
partners  in the region , and Mexico was Ecuador's 6th most important trading partner.  The agreement 
between Mexico and Ecuador was signed on 30  April 1983 and entered into forc e on 1  May of the 
same year. The agreement was established  in the context of the TM80 , with the objective of 
integrating into LAIA the historical preferential tariffs of the Latin American Free Trade Association. 
The agreement provide d economic agents with  certainty and security in their commercial operations 
through its provisions relating  to trade in goods. Preferential treatment under the agreement was 
granted through margins of preference (MOPs) relative to the most-favoured -nation rates. The 
originating products being granted preferential treatment and the corresponding MOPs were 
contained in annexes I and II of the agreement. Ecuador grant ed preferences for 282 tariff lines and 
Mexico for 326 tariff lines at the eight-digit level of LAIA's 1996 Naladisa tariff nomenclature.  The 
10th additional protocol to the agreement include d additional preferences granted by Ecuador in 
respect of 21 products , which included a n MOP of 80% for specific minerals , chemicals and synthetic 
rubber ; and a n MOP of 100% for pneumatics. In turn, Mexico grant ed an MOP of 100% on seven  
tariff lines.  With regard to  rules of origin, annex III of the agreement establishe d classification criteria 
for the place of origin, as well as the procedures for making declarations  and obtaining certification 
and corresponding origin verification.  Moreover, the agreement provide d for the preservation of  tariff 
preferences and non -tariff restrictions. It also include d safeguard clauses, a section on withdrawal 
of concessi ons, differential treatment , and a section on institutional  matters such as duration , 
accession , withdrawal , evaluation , review , administration of the agreement and general provisions.  
She was also  pleased to inform the Committee  that Mexico and Ecuador were currently working on 
updating and consolidating the agreement . In particular, the parties we re working on a concrete and 
 
1 The general minutes of the CTD's 15th Dedicated Session on RTAs are contained in document 
WT/COMTD/RTA/M/1 5. WT/COMTD/RTA3/M/1  
 
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  ambitious free trade agreement with next -generation disciplines that would benefit both economies.  
The purpose of the negotiations was to increase the flows of trade in goods and services, as well as 
two-way investment, with a view to continuing to provide certainty to the economic operators 
involved in trade between the two  countries.  In closing, she indicated that she wished to reite rate 
the parties ' commitment to continue enhancing the ties of cooperation and friendship that b ound 
the two  nations, based on commonalities that went beyond trade . 
4.  The representative of Ecuador  thank ed Mexico for its intervention . She said that she wished to 
underscore the great importance her country attache d to strengthening its trade ties with Mexico . 
She also express ed her appreciation for the questions that ha d been posed , and for any other 
questio ns that delegations may have . 
5.  The representative of the European Union  thanked the parties for the notification and the 
Secretariat for the preparation of the factual presentation . 
6.  The representative of the United States  expressed appreciation to Mexico and Ecuador for the 
presentation of their agreement , and for the responses provided to her delegation 's questions . She 
also noted the value that her delegation attached to  the transparency exercise . 
7.  The Chairman  said that oral discussion of the Part ial Scope Agreement between Mexico and 
Ecuador  could be concluded in accordance with paragraph 11 of the Transparency Mechanism for 
RTAs (RTA TM). Follow -up questions by Members would need to be submitted in writing to the 
Secretariat within one week, by 17 November  2021. The parties would then be given two weeks to 
submit written replies, by no later than 1 December  2021. In accordance with paragraph 13 of the 
RTA TM, all written submissions as well as the minutes of the present meeting would be circulated  
promptly in all WTO official languages, and would be made available on the WTO website.  
8.  The Committee took note  of all interventions .  
 
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