RESTRICTED  
  
G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
6 March 2023 
(23-1544) Page: 1/23 
Committee on Trade Facilitation  Original: English  
 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE FACILITATION  
30 JUNE 2022  
CHAIRPERSON: H.E. MR . ADAMU MOHAMMED ABDULHAMID (NIGERIA)  
Contents  
 
1   MATTERS RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE 
TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT (TFA)  ................................ ................................ ........  2 
1.1   Notifications from Members  ................................ ................................ ..........................  2 
A. Notifications under Article 16 of the Trade Facilitation Agreement  ................................ ..... 2 
B. Notifications under Article 17 of the Trade Facilitation Agreement  ................................ ..... 4 
C. Notifications u nder Article 1:4, 10:4:3, 10:6:2 et 12:2:2 of the Trade Facilitation  
Agreement  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  6 
D. Notifications under Article 22 of the TFA  ................................ ................................ ........  7 
1.2   Status of Ratification and Notification Process  ................................ ................................ . 8 
1.3   Status of Definitive Date Implementation (G/TFA/2, para. 9.3(vi))  ................................ ...11 
2   EXPERIENCE SHARING/THEMATIC DISCUSSIONS  ................................ .....................  12 
3   FOLLOW -UP ON THE SECRETARIAT STUDY "EASING TRADE  BOTTLENECKS IN 
LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES" – REQUEST FROM BOTSWANA  .......................  12 
4   GOOD PRACTICES AND BUILDING BLOCKS OF SUCCESSFUL N TFCS (G/TFA/2, 
PARA  9.3(V))  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  15 
5   REGULARIZED AGENDA TOPICS FOR THE DEDICATED SESSION ON ASSISTANCE  
AND CAPACITY BUILDING, WITHI N THE PARAMETERS OF ARTICLE 21.4 (G/TFA/2, 
PARA  9.2(III)) – DRAFT FOR AGREEMENT BY THE COMMITTEE (G/W/78/REV.1)  .........  15 
6   FIVE -YEAR TFA ANNIVERSARY EVENT – REPORT BY THE CHAIRPERSON  ..................  16 
7   THE TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT FACILITY – ITEMS RELATED TO THE 
FRAMEWORK (G/TFA/3)  ................................ ................................ ................................  20 
8   RECENT AND UPCOMING ACTIVITIES  ................................ ................................ ........  23 
9   OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 23 
 
  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 2 - 
 
  1  MATTERS RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE TRADE 
FACILITATION AGREEMENT (TFA)  
1.1.  The Chair welcomed delegations and recalled that the agenda for the meeting had been 
circulated in documents WTO/AIR/TFA/22/Rev.1 and WTO/AIR/TFA/22/Rev.1/Add.1.  
1.2.  As this was his first time chairing the meeting, the Chair appreciated the  Membership for the 
confidenc e in his selection . He would continue to solicit support from Members to  achieve the desired 
objectives in th e Trade Facilitation Committee ( CTF, the Committee) . 
1.3.  The Committee agreed  to continue the practice of holding Item 2 of the agenda "Experience 
sharing/thematic discussions" in informal mode, to allow for frank and interactive exchanges. The 
Committee also agreed  that observers to the meeting could remain throughout the informal session.  
1.4.  The Chair added two items to the agenda under "Other Business":  (1) the date of the remaining 
Committee meetings in 2022; and (2) the invitation to the Annex D partners and the Global Alliance 
for Trade Facilitation to the next Committee meeting.  
1.5.  The agenda was adopted  with the proposed changes.  
1.1  Notifications from Members  
1.6.  The Chair  drew the Committee's attention to the first group of notifications, n amely those under 
Article 16 of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA, the Agreement ). Since the last meeting of the 
Committee, notifications on definitive dates of implementation had been recently received from 
Central  African Republic  and Mauritania. The y would  be taken up at the next meeting of the 
Committee.  
A. Notifications under Article 16 of the Trade Facilitation Agreement  
1.7.  Three  notifications have been circulated under this article.  
1.8.  The first notification was from Mali , circulated  in document G/TFA/N/MLI/1/Add.3. Mali notifie d 
the definitive implementation dates for its category C commitments.  
1.9.  The delegate of the United States  indicated the following:  
1.10.   Before I begin,  I would like to congratulate you , Ambassador,  on your appointmen t as Chair 
of the CTF. We thank Mali for its notification of Category C definitive implementation dates and 
communication regarding technical assistance requirements.  
1.11.   We encourage a reach -out to donors that are active on the ground and  would be open to 
engage in a dialogue on Mali's technical assistance and implementation needs for the remaining 
Articles (1.3, 5.3, 7.2, 7.9, 10.5) as appropriate.  
1.12.   The delegate of Japan  indicated the following:  
1.13.   First of all, let me express our congratulations for your taking  the chairmanship of this 
committee. Japan welcomes Mali's timely notification on definitive date for implementation of 
Category C provisions. Japan would like to make use of this opportunity to remind Members that 
22 August  this year is the day by which L DC Members are required to notify their definitive dates 
for implementation of Category C  provisions . Japan expects all remaining notifications be done in a 
timely manner.  
1.14.   The delegate of the European Union  indicated the following:  
1.15.   Let me first congratul ate you , Ambassador,  on behalf of the EU on your appointment. We 
welcome Mali's notification of its situation regarding assistance provided and gaps that remain, in 
particular regarding three category C commitments.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 3 - 
 
  1.16.   The second notification was from Tonga in document G/TFA/N/TON/4. Tonga notifie d 
information on arrangements and progress made in the provision of technical assistance and capacity 
building support for its category C designations.  
1.17.   The delegate of the United States  indicated the following:  
1.18.   We thank Tonga for its notification on arrangements and progress in the provision of technical 
assistance.  
1.19.   We encourage a reach -out to donors that are active in Tonga and would be open to engage 
in a dialogue on the country's  technical assistance and implementation needs for the remaining 
Articles (2.1; 5.3; 10.2.) as appropriate.  
1.20.   The delegate of Australia  indicated the following:  
1.21.   Australia would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Chair and we look forward 
to workin g with you in taking forward the progress of this Committee . Australia would like to 
commend Tonga on its notification and also express our appreciation of being able to support Tonga 
in conjunction with New Zealand and UNCTAD through the PACER Plus Region al Trade Agreement 
transitional arrangements . The arrangements have funded the  PACER Plus Implementation Unit 
which is based in Apia, Samoa and the work programme which includes the Pacific trade portals, 
transparency and ASYCUDA World as well  as aid for trade assistance , and also core funding to the 
Oceania Customs Organization. We wish Tonga all the best  with its future implementation.  
1.22.   The delegate of the European Union  indicated the following:  
1.23.   The EU appreciates Tonga's reporting on assistance  received and on the gaps in assistance 
needs, mainly for testing procedures.  
1.24.   The third notification taken up was from Djibouti in document G/TFA/N/DJI/1/Add.2. Djibouti 
request ed an extension to the deadl ine of 22 August 2022 for the notification of the definitive 
implementation dates for their category C provisions.  
1.25.   The delegate of Djibouti  indicated the following:  
1.26.   May I first congratulate you Chairman on your appointment. Djibouti extends a welcome to 
you and wishes you the best of success.  
1.27.   On 17 June 2022 , Djibouti communicated to the CTF a request for an extension to the 
notification date for the implementation of category C provisions in line with Article  16.3 of the TFA. 
Djibouti is suffering setba cks in notifying the dates given the domestic difficulties that it faces as 
well as the lack of institutional and organi zational capacities.  
1.28.   The extra time is needed for the implementation for not just category C provisions  but also 
category B. Therefore, Djibouti is requesting that the TFA Committee consider an extension of the 
deadline for notifications under category B and C to 31 December 2 023. Djibouti hopes that it's 
request will be accepted under the flexibilities provided for in Section 2 of the Agreement. We stand 
ready to implement these measures in line with our institutional capacity and appropriate timeline.  
1.29.   Furthermore, we request  technical assistance for countries such as mine that are facing these 
difficulties,  and this is why Djibouti is for the first time applying to the TFA Facility ( TFAF) and its 
mechanism for technical support so as to conduct a needs assessment as well as u nderstand the 
time that will be needed to fully comply with the Agreement. We count on the understanding and 
the cooperation of the CTF to respond favourably to this request.  
1.30.   In closing Mr Chairman, I wish to extend our thanks to the WTO CTF Secretariat  team. T heir 
effort is really a great help to support us and to make progress.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 4 - 
 
  1.31.   The delegate of Japan  indicated the following:  
1.32.   Thank you Djibouti for your explanation. Japan thanks Djibouti for its timely notification to 
extend the implementation date of category C provisions. Japan encourages all developing and LDC 
Member s which consider themselves to be experiencing difficulty t o follow Djibouti and to notify in 
a timely manner. Thank you.  
1.33.   The delegate of Nepal  indicated the following:  
1.34.   The LDC Group congratulates you Chair for this new assignment and welcomes you to this 
Committee. The LDC group wishes you a successful tenure. Y ou can count on LDCs ' support while 
exercising  your responsibilities as Chair of the Committee.  
1.35.   The LDC group thanks Mali, Tonga , and Djibouti for their notification. Regarding the 
notification from Djibouti, the LDC Group supports the request made for the extension of the deadline 
and requests all Members to consider the request positively.  
1.36.   The delegate of the United States  indica ted the following:  
1.37.   We thank Djibouti for its request for additional time to submit definitive implementation dates 
for category C measures and support the extension, noting the timeliness of the request ahead of 
the August 2022 deadline. We also note Djib outi requested additional time to submit category B 
definitive dates, which were due 21 February 2021 , and we urge Djibouti to submit as soon as 
possible.  
1.38.   Additionally, we thank the LDC Member s who already submitted their category C definitive 
dates ahead of the August 2022 deadline. We call on the remaining 24 LDC Member s to submit their 
definitive implementation dates as soon as possible to preserve access to the TFA flexibilities 
including additional time and technical assistance. It is imperati ve Member s self-identify when they 
will fully implement the TFA. Failing to meet the notification commitments means all provisions 
identified as category B or C shift to immediate implementation. We encourage ASEAN, Bangladesh, 
Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Central Afric an Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Lao PDR, 
Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, 
Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda to reach out to the Secretariat for assistance in 
submitting th e notification.  
1.39.   The delegate of the European Union  indicated the following:  
1.40.   The EU is concerned with Djibouti's situation where assistance needs have not yet been 
notified to the WTO. This has triggered a request for an extension of the deadline to notify category  C 
commitments until December 2023. We appreciate the update by Djibouti on their problems and on 
the steps  they have taken to be able to notify us on their commitments within the new deadline.  
1.41.   In addition, the EU notes that the transparenc y notification regarding Article 10.6.2 is still 
missing.  
1.42.   The Committee agreed  to the request made by Djibouti.  
1.43.   The Committee  took note of the notifications and the statements made.   
B. Notifications under Article 17 of the Trade Facilitation Agreement  
1.44.   The Chair  drew the Committee's attention to notifications under Article 17 of the TFA  which 
cover  the Early Warning Mechanism and the extension of implementation dates for provisions in 
categories B and C.  
1.45.   The first notification was from Ghana and was circulated in document G/TFA/N/GHA/1/Add.2. 
Ghana notifie d extensions to the definitive dates for im plementation of a number of provisions.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 5 - 
 
  1.46.   The delegate of the United States  indicated the following:  
1.47.   We thank Ghana for its notification. The United States supports Ghana's  extension request , 
noting their timely notification to delay implementation of Artic les on enhanced controls; test 
procedures; risk management; publication of average release times; expedited shipments; 
perishable goods; and formalities.  
1.48.   The delegate of the European Union  indicated the following:  
1.49.   The EU takes note of Ghana's request for an extension for the implementation of several 
provisions in compliance with the provisions of the Agreement.  
1.50.   The delegate of Japan  indicated the following:  
1.51.   Japan thanks Ghana's for its timely notification of extending the definitive date.  
1.52.   The second notification was from Viet Nam and had been  circulated in document 
G/TFA/N/VNM/1/Add.1. Viet Nam notifie d shifting categories and accelerated implementation of a 
number of provisions.  
1.53.   The delegate of the United States  indicated the following:  
1.54.   We thank Viet Nam for its notification of implementing Articles 3; 7.1; 7.3; 7.9; 10.8; 10.9; 
11; and 12. We congratulate Viet  Nam on their efforts to fully implement  TFA provisions ahead of 
their initially notified deadline.   
1.55.   The delegate of Japan  indicated the following:  
1.56.   Japan welcomes Viet Nam's effort s to implement the provisions designated  in category C 
before the notified definitive date and notification to shift provisions from category C to category B . 
This contributes to improving transparency. It is therefore encouraged that Members follow 
Viet Nam's  notification.  
1.57.   The delegate of the European Union  indicated the following:  
1.58.   The EU would like to congratulate Viet Nam on the early implementation of several provisions, 
well before the time notified and for switching several provisions from category C to B, which showed 
Viet Nam's dedication to implementing the Agreement.  
1.59.   The delegate of the United Kingdom  indicated the following:  
1.60.   On behalf of the UK, I would like to take  this opportunity to offer our warmest congratulations 
on your appointment. The UK would like to thank Viet Nam for notifying the Committee of changes 
to their definitive dates and categorization of obligations.  
1.61.   We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Viet Nam in achieving early 
implementation of 10 TFA provisions and moving four TFA provisions from category C to category  B. 
This is a commendable achievement especially given the challenges Members h ave faced over the 
past few years in responding to the global pandemic. We encourage any experience sharing items 
from Viet Nam that would provide Members who are still implementing some or all of those 
provisions , the highlights and the best practice insi ghts or examples of overcoming  common 
challenges to this implementation.  
1.62.   The delegate of Australia  indicated the following:  
1.63.   Australia would like to join colleagues in thanking Viet Nam for its Article 17 notification and 
also to express credit for Viet N am's efforts in bringing forward relevant definitive implementation 
dates.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 6 - 
 
  1.64.   The delegate of Viet Nam  indicated the following:  
1.65.   First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your  new position and hope you will have 
success. Viet Nam would like to update  the figures with the  notification on category shifting and new 
definitive implementation dates. The current rate of implementation is more than 80% compared 
with the earlier rate of  41.2%. Four articles are being shifted from C to B. In addition, we have 
articles  with anticipated implementation dates in 2022 , instead of 2024 and 2023 .  
1.66.   With this update d implementation plan, Viet Nam is expected to deliver 94.5% of TFA 
implementation by 31 December 2023 and 100% of implementation by 31 December 2024. I woul d 
like to thank all of the development sponsors , including  USAID for their TFA implementation support 
to Viet Nam. Thank you for that.  
1.67.   The Committee took note  of the notification s and the statements made.  
C. Notifications under Article 1:4, 10:4:3, 10:6:2 e t 12:2:2 of the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement  
1.68.   The Chair drew the Committee's attention to transparency notifications under Articles 1:4, 
10:4:3, 10:6:2 and 12:2:2 of the TFA. They have the objective of providing transparency, either in 
a broader context – providing information on publication sources – or provi ding information on the 
specific items, such as a single window operation, the use of customs brokers, and customs 
cooperation.  A notification from  Cuba had been recently submitted and would be taken up at the 
next Committee meeting .  
1.69.   The first notificatio n was from Egypt and had been  circulated in document 
G/TFA/N/EGY/2/Rev.1.  
1.70.   The delegate of the United States  indicated the following:  
1.71.   We thank Egypt for the updated notification on use of customs brokers .  
1.72.   The next notification was from Kenya and had been  circulated in document 
G/TFA/N/KEN/3/Rev.1.   
1.73.   The delegate of the United States  indicated the following:  
1.74.   We thank  Kenya for providing an updated enquiry point contact information which will be 
helpful for traders.  
1.75.   The third and final transparency notificati on was from India and had been  circulated in 
document G/TFA/N/IND/2/Add.1.  
1.76.   The delegate of India indicated the following:  
1.77.   First of all , I would like to welcome your appointment to the chairmanship of this Committee 
on behalf of my delegation. We look forw ard to working closely with you. I would also like to place 
on record our appreciation for the work done by Mr. Christopher O'Toole the outgoing Chair of this 
Committee.  
1.78.   India submitted this notification in March updating the contact information of the enquiry 
points referred to in Article 3.1 of the Agreement.  
1.79.   The delegate of the United States  indicated the following:  
1.80.   We thank India for providing an updated enquiry point contact information which is critical for 
all traders.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 7 - 
 
  1.81.   The delegate of the European Union  indicated the following:  
1.82.   The EU would like to thank Egypt, Kenya and India who notified their updates of weblinks and 
information on their customs procedures and legislation .  
1.83.   The EU recalls the importance of such information, in particular on legislation applied, fees 
and charges, customs brokers, and contact points for customs cooperation.  
1.84.   We regret that there are still several Members that have committed to such notificat ions as 
category A or B with a final date for implementation that has already passed – and that have not 
yet provided the information to the WTO. The situation does not seem to have improved since our 
last meeting. Regarding Article 12.2.2, to our knowledg e, there are still 15 Members that have 
committed to providing contact points for customs cooperation as category A but  have not yet done 
so – despite the fact that more than 5 years have passed since the entry into force of the Agreement.  
1.85.   The Committee took note  of the notifications and the statements made.  
D. Notifications under Article 22 of the TFA  
1.86.   The Chair drew the Committee's attention to the notifications under Article 22 of the TFA. 
There were three separate notification obligations identified unde r Article 22 – Article 22:1, 
notifications by donor Members on their recent capacity building activities; and Articles 22:2 and 
22:3, information  on contact points.  
1.87.   The first notification was from the United States and had been  circulated in document 
G/TFA/N/USA/6.  
1.88.   The delegate of the United States  indicated the following:  
1.89.   Approximately USD 70.4 million was committed and disbursed in 2020 to support U.S. 
capacity building initiatives on post -clearance audits and risk analysis; advance rulings; border 
agenc y coordination; private sector engagement; public consultations, administrative procedures; 
and trade promotion in third party beneficiary countries around the world.  
1.90.   Most recently, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), led the developmen t 
of a new Border Academy for Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. This collaborative capacity 
building effort is increasing the flow of goods and border cooperation.  
1.91.   USAID also supported an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme in Paraguay, 
buildi ng on initial work undertaken by the Organization of American States (OAS). The Paraguay 
AEO programme was recognized by the Paraguayan American Chamber  of Commerce  for its 
innovative trade facilitation work  in 2019. The programme , with the continued support of other 
donors , continues to make  strides forward, recently signing along with seven other regional customs 
administrations a regional mutual recognition agreement that should help improve trade facilitation 
in the LAC region. Paraguay also was highlighted as making excellent progress in signing other 
border agencies to their AEO programme, thus offering their private sector a more seamless 
movement of goods.  
1.92.   As Viet Nam already noted and which we appreciate , USAID contributed t o efforts to diminish 
customs wait times in Viet Nam. USAID and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) worked to 
support the General Directorate of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) with training on trade compliance, 
specialized inspections, and leadership training. With USAID support, CBP will be sending a US CBP 
Officer for a six -month detail to provide support to USAID's Trade Facilitation Project and in person 
support for the Vietnamese private sector.  
1.93.   I would like to introduce a  colleague who is attending today's  meeting, 
Ms. Emmanuela  Montenari -Stephens from Washington, Director for Trade and Development at USTR 
who will be taking a much more active role in the Committee working with TFAF as we continue 
working through the needs expressed by developing country an d LDC members  for remaining needs. 
Please feel free to reach out  to her . We will try to put a face to the name and personalize the 
engagement.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 8 - 
 
  1.94.   The next notification s were from Cuba contained in document G/TFA/N/CUB/3/Rev.1  and from 
Japan in document G/TFA/N/JPN/7.  
1.95.   The delegate of Japan  indicated the following:  
1.96.   Japan has long been implementing technical assistance for developing countries including 
LDCs, through the Customs Cooperation Fund established in the WCO multilaterally, and through 
accepting trainees and dispatching experts bilaterally.  
1.97.   Japan has continued this cooperation under the pandemic, utilizing online trainings. We 
continue to support the implementation of the TFA in developing and LDC Member s. 
1.98.   The delegate of  the European Union  indicated the following:  
1.99.   The EU would like to thank the  US and Japan for their notifications. Such information is crucial 
for the success of the implementation of category C commitments, even if it is often retroactive.  
1.100.   We also appreciate Cuba 's information regarding their contact point for aid.  
1.101.   The Committee took note  of the notifications and of the statements made.  
1.102.   The delegate of Nepal  indicated the following:  
1.103.   The LDC Group would like to share with Members that LDC Member s who are yet to notify 
the definitive dates of Category C measures are working intensively to meet the deadline. However, 
some Member s may need additional time to notify their definitive dates. This is just an indication 
that the LDC Group wishes to share  in advance wi th Member s. The LDC Group commends all donor 
Member s for their continued support extended to the LDCs in implementation and during the process 
of notification after the trade facilitation review .  
1.104.   The delegate of  the European Union  indicated the following:  
1.105.   In response to the comment from Nepal  we would highlight that the TFA  does allow Members 
to ask for an extension to notify the definitive  dates for category C commitments.  
1.2  Status of Ratification and Notification Process  
i. Update by the WTO Secretariat  
1.106.   The representative of the WTO Secretariat  presented an update since the Committee 
meeting held on 4-5 April  2022. The presentation is available at  https://tfadatabase.org/en/trade -
facilitation -committee/meeting/2022 -06-30. 
1.107.   The Chair  thanked and commended the WTO Secretariat . 
1.108.   The delegate of the United States  indicated the following:  
1.109.   I want to thank the Secretariat for its outstanding work on the presentation and the 
information you provide us which is so helpful. Efforts to provide us more useful information are 
always welcome. Thank you Chair for your outreach to  the other Members in the Committee to 
remind them of the upcoming dates . Based on the Secretariat's report, we will just reiterate again 
that there are 23 LDC notifications due in August, and Nepal's statement puts us on notice that there 
could be some LD Cs that will seeking additional time . The Agreement certainly allows for that and 
we just ask those that are going to utilize that flexibility to be mindful of the deadlines in the 
Agreement .  
1.110.   I wanted to recognize Mr. Helge Lindrup , our colleague from Norway, who  is here today. 
Helge has been involved since the TFA negotiations were undertaken over a decade ago and has 
helped us since then and worked on the negotiations of the Trade Facilitation Agreement. Because 
he cared and was a very  knowledgeable and helpful Norwegian  Customs expert , he shared that G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 9 - 
 
  expertise during the negotiation s. It is an agreement that we are all proud of and is validated by the 
companies and traders . The Agreement speaks to the issues that they face on the groun d and that 
is a testament  to the work and dedication of the capital -based officials that participated in the TFA 
negotiations. Helge was a big part of that, so on his retirement and journey into the next stage that 
leaves work behind we  wish you fair wind,  my friend and best wishes in your retirement.  
1.111.   The delegate of the European Union  indicated the following:  
1.112.   I cannot help but echo the previous statement,  particularly , thanking  Helge for his 
commitment and being here basically from the start of the negotia tions and continuing to dedicate 
his time  to the TFA . I think he deserves a good rest but at the same time hope that he continue s 
working on Customs on the margins. Besides that , I would also like to join in what the Chair and the 
US have said in thanking the Secretariat. They made a comprehensive and very useful report on the 
situation. These updates are always interesting and useful as well. I also think that on our side the 
update to the presentation including references to donor  Member s and development partners could 
in our view b e useful so having that information would definitively be interesting.  
1.113.   The delegate of Norway  indicated the following:  
1.114.   Thank you so much for these kind words. It has been a very big pleasure to work here . It is 
true that it has been a lot of work but I think that the Agreement works very well and especially on 
the transparency issues . The country profiles are very useful too and updates o f the links are very 
important so also a big thanks to the Secretariat  and congratulations also to the new Chair .  
1.115.   The delegate of Angola  indicated the following:  
1.116.   My delegation congratulates the Secretariat for the excellent update on the current status 
of implementation of the TFA.  
1.117.   The delegate of Nigeria  indicated the fol lowing:  
1.118.   Nigeria also wishes to thank the Secretariat for their excellent presentation on the status of 
the implementation of the TFA. This Agreement is one that benefits the private sector , and we  should 
all work towards ensuring the effective implementati on of th e Agreement. I also want to join 
colleague s from the U S and the EU in thanking the colleague from Norway for his excellent work, for 
his service and wish him well as he move s on in his future endeavours. Thank you for what you have 
done for this Committee and for the TFA.  
1.119.   The delegate of Nepal  indicated the following:  
1.120.   The LDC Group commends the Secretariat for its comprehensive report. That is very helpful 
for all Members and the LDC Group also wishes to bid farewell to the Norwegian colleague and thank 
him for his contribution and wish him all the best .  
1.121.   The Chair  joined previous interventions to recogni ze the good work of Mr. Lindrup  and wish ed 
him well on his retirement.  He also reminded delegations of the importance of the 22 August deadline 
for notification of the definitive dates for implementation of their category C provisions. He urged 
any Member that require d assistance with the notification process to reach out to the Secretariat. 
The Secretar iat, together with the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility ( TFAF, the Facility ), had met 
with 9 LDCs in response to requests for assistance. They remain ed available for any other Member 
that would also like some assistance.  
1.122.   The Committee took note  of the information and the statements made.  
ii. Updates by Members on Overdue Section I and Section II notifications (G/TFA/2, 
para. 9.3( ii)) 
1.123.   The Chair recalled that according to the update provided by the Secretariat, there were 
91 overdue transparency notifications under Section I and 25 overdue notifications under Section  II. G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 10 - 
 
  1.124.   The delegate of the United States  indicated the following:  
1.125.   Transparency is c ritical to all traders for understanding what customs formalities are required 
and providing certainty at the border.  
1.126.   Thirty -four Members self -identified a definitive implementation deadline prior to this meeting 
for one of the TFA transparency provisions  yet have not submitted the necessary notification to the 
WTO Secretariat. Each of these Members identified one or more of TFA Articles 1.4, 10.4.3, 10.6.2, 
and 12.2 as Category A or Category B.  
1.127.   Definitive date deadlines  are binding, and the United States  urges the following Members to 
submit the required information as soon as possible to fulfill these TFA commitments: Armenia, 
Article 1.4 due 13.12.2020; Bolivia, Article 1.4, 10. 6.2, 12.2, due 22.02.2017; Brunei Darussalam, 
Article 1.4, 10.4.3, 10.6.2, 12.2, due 22.02.2017; Cabo Verde, Article 10.6.2, due 01.01.2022; 
Cameroon, Article 10.6.2, due 22.02.2017, Article 12.2 due 3 1.03.2022; Congo, Article 10.6.2 due 
22.02.2017; Cuba, Article 1.4, 12.2 d ue 22.02.2022, Article 10.6.2 due 22.02.2017; Fiji, Article 1.4 
due 30.06.2017, Article 10.6.2 and 12.2 due 21.12.2018; Ghana, Article 10.4.2, 10.6.2 due 
22.07.2021; Grenada, Article 10.6.2 due 22.02.2017; Jamaica, Article 1.4 due 3 1.03.2020, 
Article  10.6.2 due 22.02.2017; Jordan, Article 1.4, 10.6.2, 12.2 due 22.02.2017; Kuwait, Article  1.4, 
10.6.2 due 22.022.2017; Nigeria, Article 1.4 due 22.02.2022, Article 10.6.2 due 22.12.2020; 
Papua  New Guinea, Article 1.4 due 31.12.2020, Article 10.6.2 due 22.02.2017; Qatar, Article 1.4, 
10.4.3, 10.6.2, 12.2 due 22.02.2017; Seychelles, Article 1.4 due 0 1.10.2019, Article 10.6.2., 12.2 
due 22.02.2017; South Africa, Article 1.4, 10.6.2, 12.2 due 22.02.2017; Tunisia, Article 1.4 and 
12.2 due 22.02.2017; United Arab Emirates, Article 1.4, 10.6.2, 12.2 due 22.02.2017, Article 10.4.3 
due 31.12.2021; Vanuatu, Article 10.6.2, 12.2 due 22.02.2017; Zimbabwe, Article 1.4 due 
31.12.2020, Article 10.6.2 and 12.2 due 22.02.2017; Afghanistan, Artic le 1.4 due 31.12.2021, 
Article 10.6.2 due 22.02.2018; Angola, Article 1.4 due 30.06.2021; Benin, Article 1.4 due 
30.06.2020, Article 10.4.3 due 31.12.2020, Article 10.6.2 and 12.2 due 22.02.2018; Burkina Faso, 
Article 10.6.2 due 22.02.2018; Burundi, Articl e 1.4, 10.6.2 and 12.2 due 22.02.2018; Central African 
Republic, Article 10.4.3 due 22.02.2018; Chad, Article 1.4, 10.6.2 and 12.2 due 22.02.2018; 
Djibouti, Article 10.6.2. due 22.02.2018; Mozambique, Article 10.6.2 and 12.2 due 22.02.2018; 
Sierra Leone, A rticle 10.6.2 due 31.12.2020; Solomon Islands, Article 1.4 and 10.6.2 due 
22.02.2018; and Uganda, Article 1.4 and 10.6.2 due 22.02.2018.  
1.128.   The Chair  reminded Members that Cuba ha d recently  submitted a notification and  it was in 
the process of circulation , as it had been called by the United States as one of the outstanding 
notifications.  
1.129.   The delegate of Angola  indicated the following:  
1.130.   Angola will be requesting an extension for its category B  provision , Article 1.1.  
1.131.   The delegate of Japan  indicated the following:  
1.132.   Thank you very much to the Secretariat for informative and very useful presentation .  
1.133.   Notifications are the fundamental element for proper functioning of the WTO as well as the 
basic obligation for all the Members. In addition, for deve loping and LDC Member s, they are 
prerequisite to legitimately enjoy ing the flexibilities provided for in the TFA.  
1.134.   Japan, therefore, invites all Member s to make notification s in a timely manner, and considers 
that it may be helpful for Member s which are exp eriencing difficulty which prevent s them from timely 
notifications  to share their difficulties with the Committee . 
1.135.   The delegate of  the European Union  indicated the following:  
1.136.   We fully support the statements that have been made  and we would like to note again that 
there are flexibilities in the Agreement for the Members having difficulties to notify their final dates. 
Those flexibilities should be used , and Members should explai n their difficulties. We very much 
support the statement made by Japan in this regard and also by the United States regarding all the 
due notifications which sometimes date back to 2018 and 2017 on transparency measures. We would G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 11 - 
 
  also very much appreciate hearing the views of the Members that have implementation 
commitments  due by June as indicated in document G/TFA/ INF/1/Rev.1 . We think it is very 
important to track Members ' committed  deadlines , and we would very much welcome feedback from 
the Members conc erned.  
1.137.   The Committee took note  of the information and the statements made.  
1.3  Status of Definitive Date Implementation ( G/TFA/2, para. 9.3(vi)) 
i. Review of the effectiveness of G/TFA/INF/1/ Rev.1 
1.138.   The Chair recalled that G/TFA/INF/1 and its subsequent revisions had been  created as a 
reminder document and was meant to be a useful tool to help Members keep track of their 
implementation dates coming up over the next two years.  
1.139.   As a result of the TFA Review, the Committee had decided to review the effectiveness of 
G/TFA/INF/1  and, "as appropriate, improve the list and the methods for circulating it by reflecting 
feedback from Members in order to promote better self -management by Members of their own 
implementation status and allow ad equate monitoring by the Committee".  
1.140.   The delegate of Japan  indicated the following:  
1.141.   Japan considers it important not only that developing and LDC Members grasp the status 
how they have implemented the TFA but also that the TF Committee is able to follow th e situation 
how Members have implemented it. In this regard, the definitive date list prepared by the Secretariat 
is a helpful reminder for Members.  
1.142.   It is expected that Members found on the list implement the TFA by the date they themselves 
notified, with close communication with their capitals. It is also reminded that notification of 
extending the date for implementation needs to be done in accordance with Article 17 of the TFA.  
1.143.   The Committee took note of the statement made.  
ii. Voluntary update by Members of the status of definitive date implementation 
(G/TFA/2, para . 9.2(vi) ) 
1.144.   The delegate of  the Philippines  indicated the following:  
1.145.   Congratulations Chair on your appointment . We look forward to working with the TF 
Committee under your leadership.  
1.146.   Following the implementation timeframe of our remaining category C commitment , the 
Philippines is pleased to notify the Committee that we have now established a functioning national 
single window in accordance with our definitive implementation date of 30 June 2022 and in 
fulfilment of our obligations under Article 10.4 of the TFA.  
1.147.   The delegate of  Thailand  indicated the following:  
1.148.   I would like to congratulate you on your appointment . We would like to update the status of 
our implementation under category B. We are pleased to share that since 27 March 2021, Thailand 
has completed the regulation process and fully implemented three provisions , Article 11.1, 11.8 and 
11.9 regarding  freedom of transit , and the completion date falls within the indicated definitive date 
on 22  February 2022 . Therefore, we completed our process ahead of the deadline. Lastly, Thailand 
would like to share that we remain committed to implement the rest of the Category B within t he 
definitive date which is due in 2024.  
1.149.   The delegate  of the European  Union  indicated the following:  
1.150.   We would like to congratulate the Members who have reported their implementation 
experience . This is extremely useful for everybody,  and we thank them.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 12 - 
 
  1.151.   The delegate of  the United States  indicated the following:  
1.152.   I want to join the EU and congratulate  the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam for sharing 
your experience and for your robust implementation , including ahead of their deadline for Thailand 
and the P hilippines.   
1.153.   The Committee took note  of the statements made.  
1.154.   That concluded  agenda item 1. 
2  EXPERIENCE SHARING/THEMATIC DISCUSSIONS  
2.1.  Members addressed the following issues:  
a. China's Experience in Improving Trade Facilitation Through "Smart Customs, Smart 
Borders, and Smart Connectivity  - China 
b. Implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement and Further Steps on Introduction of 
Electronic Document Processing in Foreign Trade - The Kyrgyz Republic  
c. Status of the Implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement – Angola  
2.2.  That concluded  agenda item 2.  
3  FOLLOW -UP ON THE SECRETARIAT STUDY "EASING TRADE BOTTLENECKS IN 
LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES" – REQUEST FROM BOTSWANA  
3.1.  The Chair  recalled that Botswana , as Coordinator of the Landlocked Developing Countries  
(LLDCs) , in a communication dated 15 June , had request ed to conduct  a follow -up to the Secretariat 
study "Easing Trade Bottlenecks in Landlocked Developing Countries".   
3.2.  The delegate of  Botswana , on behalf of the Landlocked Developing Countries , indicated  the 
following:  
3.3.  The LLDCs group wishes to congratulate you , Chair,  on your appointment and pledges full 
support throughout your tenure.  
3.4.  The 32 LLDCs' share of merchandise exports has continued to be around 1%. Due to the high 
trade costs and distance to global markets LLDCs are relatively not competitive in attracting foreign 
direct investment which is fundamental to economic and export diversification. This situation results 
in narrow production and export bases, leading to limited economic growth and persistent poverty 
in the LLDCs.   
3.5.  The COVID -19-related restrictive measures to cross -border and transit freight transportation 
along with additional inspections has further exposed the transit constraints of LLDCs. This caused 
supply chains disruptions and worsened LLDC's trade costs and timely delivery of essential goods 
and services.  
3.6.  Addressing transit and the associated high trade costs faced by LLDCs is therefore important 
and the role of the WTO is critical in this process. MC12 underscored "the relevance and critical role 
of international trade and the WTO in global economic recovery, growth, prosperity, alleviation of 
poverty, welfare of all people, sustainable development…." It is important that LLDCs are not left 
behind and are able to harness trade to achieve sustainabl e COVID -19 recovery.  
3.7.  LLDCs welcome the historic decision by the 12th Ministerial Conference instructing the TF 
Committee "to hold a Dedicated Session on transit issues annually until the next review of the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement is completed". This d ecision follows the same one by this Committee as part 
of its review of the TFA. One session was held in Spring this year and we look forward to our 
continued engagement in the remaining three session. It is the LLDCs' expectation that these 
sessions will identify strategies to achieve efficient transit.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 13 - 
 
  3.8.  We are committed to working with you in finding tangible solutions and we count on your 
support. We also hope that through follow up actions  to these sessions we would be able to achieve 
higher implementat ion rate of the TFA by both LLDCs and transit countries that can result in a 
meaningful decrease in trade costs face d by LLDCs . 
3.9.  The WTO Secretariat undertook a study on "Easing Trade Bottlenecks in Landlocked Developing 
Countries" in 2021. This report iden tified some of the areas and issues where targeted steps need 
to be taken to ease trade bottlenecks – not only by the LLDCs themselves but also transit countries 
and organizations involved. The report confirms that LLDCs face very high trade costs which ar e on 
average almost double the average trade costs faced by coastal countries.  
3.10.   The study highlights that the development of transit corridors has produced tangible results 
in reducing delays and reducing trade costs. It also emphasizes the need to enhance  implementation 
of the TFA including digitalization by LLDCs and their transit neighbours. It further recommends that 
the development of transit corridors should be encouraged.   
3.11.   The Vienna Programme of Action for LLDCs which aims to address the special ne eds and 
challenges faced by the LLDCs stresses the importance of reducing travel time along corridors; 
reducing the time spent at land borders; highlight s the importance of implementing the TFA and 
other legal instruments and conventions aimed at facilitat ing transit transport and trade; and the 
development and maintenance of transit transport infrastructure, including corridors, in both LLDCs 
and transit countries.  
3.12.   LLDCs attach great importance to addressing transit challenges given the dire impact of 
inefficient transit systems on trade and overall development. There are corridors that have been 
identified as being successful in facilitating trade and transit and these can provide a great resource 
for LLDCs and transit countries to learn from.  
3.13.   In this reg ard, we would like that the Committee request the Secretariat to undertake this 
research, partnering with relevant organizations as required, to conduct a follow -up study on trade 
corridors operating between LLDCs and transit countries. The study should ma p corridors in all 
regions with LLDCs with a view to identify the key corridors that serve the LLDCs and analy ze the 
extent to which the TFA provisions have been implemented on existing corridors and the extent to 
which they have enhanced trade facilitatio n for the LLDCs.  
3.14.   The idea is to identify ways to strengthen corridor performance in enhancing trade facilitation 
and address delays and high trade costs faced by LLDCs. This would be important in promoting 
sharing of experiences and lessons learnt across c orridors on successful measures of advancing 
implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement to reduce trade costs. We request that the 
Secretariat report the progress to the Trade Facilitation Committee at its Dedicated Session on 
Transit in spring of 2023.  
3.15.   The LLDCs bank on your usual support as they continue to make efforts to implement the 
TFA. By supporting these initiatives, we will indeed be keeping with the principles of the WTO , 
including open trade, predictability , and transparency.   
3.16.   The dele gate of Mongolia  indicated the following:  
3.17.   Let me congratulate you on your appointment , Chair,  and assure you of my delegation's full 
support.  
3.18.   My delegation wishes to thank the delegation of Botswana for bringing up this agenda item 
and aligns itself with the statement delivered by the distinguished colleague of Botswana. Indeed,  
this Committee had a very important first dedicated session on transi t issues of landlocked countries 
this March  and conducting a follow -up study on trade corridors operating  between LLDCs and transit 
countries definitely would be a next meaningful step towards the acceleration of full implementation 
of the TFA by LLDCs, wh ich stands at 55% compared to 75% of global implementation commitments 
as of today. So Mongolia would like to request the Committee to support this initiative.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 14 - 
 
  3.19.   The delegate of Tajikistan  indicated the following:  
3.20.   At the outset, I would like to congratulat e you Mr. Chair for your appointment as Chair of this 
Committee and wish you every success for the year ahead.  
3.21.   We thank Botswana for bringing this topic to the attention of the Committee and associates 
ourselves with the statement delivered by Botswana on behalf of the LLDCs. Tajikistan belongs to 
the group of countries that are considered landlocked and a small economy. Tajikistan being a 
landlocked country itself is surrounded by landlocked countries and has one of the longest distances  
to the sea among t he LLDCs.  
3.22.   Tajikistan's landlocked status and remoteness from international maritime routes means that 
enterprises incur additional costs as they have to use the transport facilities of neighbouring 
countries to participate in international trade. This mak es the situation of Tajikistan enterprises even 
more challenging. We commend all LLDCs in general and Mongolia in particular as former coordinator 
of the LLDCs for the paragraph in the outcome document and welcome the decision by the MC12 
instructing  the CTF to hold a dedicated session on transit issues annually until the next Review of 
the TFA.  
3.23.   Tajikistan thanks the Secretariat for undertaking the study on easing trade bottlenecks in 
landlocked developing countries in 2021. As mentioned by the colleague f rom Botswana,  this study 
identified some areas that require further actions for easing  trade bottlenecks and acknowledge very 
high costs faced  by LLDCs. In this regard , we support the idea of identifying ways to strengthen 
corridor performance in enhancing trade facilitation and address delays and high trade costs faced 
by LLDCs , and encourage the WTO in partnership with relevant organizations to carry out a follow -up 
study on trade corridors operating between LLDCs and transit countries.  
3.24.   I would like to take this opportunity to thank all donor countries and international 
organizations for their continued support and technical assistance provided to Tajikistan and 
encoura ge them to continue their financial assistance to LLDCs,  including Tajikistan,  to fully 
implement the TFA, particularly category C provisions which require technical and financial 
assistance.  
3.25.   The delegate of Nepal  indicated the following:  
3.26.   My delegation e xtends sincere appreciation to the delegation of Botswana for bringing this 
agenda item to th e meeting. Nepal associates with the statement made by Botswana on behalf of 
the LLDC group. My delegation supports the concerns and the questions raised  by Botswa na. Nepal 
urges all Members to consider this request positively.  
3.27.   The delegate of  the United States  requested further clarification regarding the request, and 
whether it was a request for another report.   
3.28.   The delegate of Botswana  indicated the following:  
3.29.   The request is that we would like this Committee to request the Secretariat to undertake 
research  partnering with relevant organizations as requested to conduct a follow -up study on trade 
corridors operating between LLDCs and transit countries. This follows the study conducted  last year.  
3.30.   The delegate of  the United States  indicated the following:  
3.31.   We definitely are supportive of the need to understand and help landlocked countries. The 
additional challenges and costs of being landlocked and transiting through  multiple countries in order 
to access the sea is undeniable and we are supportive of the dedic ated transit session. I'm a little 
confused about the additional report to follow  up a report from last year that was already 132 pages. 
I'm very supportive of doing something, maybe if I understood more clearly about how this report 
would differ to  the re port from last year and what it would bring to the table, we could move forward. 
It just seems to me following up a year later on a report with another report may not be the most 
efficient use of time and resources. I just want to understand what we are tr ying to drill down to 
that would really help this discussion and help with implementation. If it is a report that's fine , but 
there is nothing you said today that makes me think that a report is the right way to go, versus G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 15 - 
 
  inviting traders and logistics pr oviders that operate in landlocked countries to come and share their 
experiences . That may unlock this a little bit more. Happy to talk more with the landlocked countries 
and the proponents of this request as to the best way forward.  
3.32.   The delegate of  the European Union  indicated the following:  
3.33.   The EU appreciates the agenda item and we appreciated hearing the LLDCs perspective. We 
agree that accelerating TF implementation is even more important for the landlocked  countries . 
However, we do agree with the US question on the efficiency of preparing a follow -up report to our 
already existing report.  
3.34.   The Chair  encouraged Botswana to discuss with the United States and revert to the Committee 
later during the meeting.  
3.35.   At a later stage in the meeting and following  consultations, the delegate of Botswana  indicated 
the following:  
3.36.   We met with the United States and we had a discussion to iron out on the issues that were 
not clear. The main issue is that our request reflects that the WTO Secretariat will work with other 
relevant institutions on the proposed study. We have now  agreed that we need to reflect on our 
submission , we need to revise it to indicate or highlight  that LLDCs wil l be part of the process. This 
report will be Member -driven , meaning that LLDCs will be in the process of the whole exercise. And 
with that said , we will revise the text that we had initially submitted to indicate that.  
3.37.   The Committee took note  of the info rmation and the statements made.  
3.38.   That concluded  agenda item 3.  
4  GOOD PRACTICES AND BUILDING BLOCKS OF SUCCESSFUL NTFCS (G/TFA/2, 
PARA  9.3(V))  
4.1.  The Chair recalled that the drafting of a document containing good practices and building blocks 
of successful National Trade Facilitation Committees ( NTFCs ) was another decision arising from the 
TFA Review (G/TFA/2, para 9.3(v) ).  
4.2.  The delegate of  the United States  indicated the following:  
4.3.  We are working on a draft Committee Decision document in Capital and hope to be able to 
deliver an updated document  before the Fall.  
4.4.  The delegate of the European Union  indicated th at the EU very much support ed this initiative.  
4.5.  The Committee took note  of the information and the statement made.  
4.6.  That concluded  agenda item 4. 
5  REGULARI ZED AGENDA TOPICS FOR THE DEDICATED SESSION ON ASSISTANCE AND 
CAPACITY BUILDING, WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF ARTICLE 21.4 (G/TFA/2,  
PARA  9.2(III)) – DRAFT FOR AGREEMENT BY THE COMMI TTEE (G/W/78/REV.1)  
5.1.  The Chair recalled that u nder the Review of the TFA, the Committee had decided that the 
Secretariat would  lead a process with Members to agree on regulari zed agenda topics for the 
dedicated session on assistance and capacity building, within the parameters of Article 21.4  of the 
TFA. Reference to this decision is contained in  document  G/TFA/2, para 9.2 sub -paragraph (iii) . 
5.2.  An informal first draft of a potent ial regulari zed agenda had been  informally circulated on 
23 March. Following discussions at the Committee meeting of 4 and 5 April , a draft regularized 
agenda was circulated in document G/TFA/W/78 dated 25 May, and a revised draft of a regularized 
agenda w as circulated in document G/TFA/W/78/Rev.1 dated 21 June.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 16 - 
 
  5.3.  The delegate of  the United Kingdom  indicated the following:  
5.4.  The UK would like to thank the Secretariat for circulating the latest draft of the dedicated 
session agenda, which incorporated the feedb ack the UK presented at the last Committee. We 
welcome any thoughts from Members on our suggested changes which include not limiting item 1 
of the agenda to the top five category C commitments only , as well as linking the synergies  item 
under item 4 with t he ongoing existing section under item 2. We welcome any thoughts on those 
changes ahead of the structured dedicated session in October.  
5.5.  The de legate of the  United States  indicated the following:  
5.6.  We thank the Chair and the Secretariat for leading the Member -driven process to determine 
agenda topics for the dedicated session on assistance and capacity building. We are supportive of 
the revised document.  
5.7.  The delegate of the European Union  indicated the following:  
5.8.  We thank the United Kingdom for the prop osal which is very productive and constructive. We 
hope that the next dedicated session can be as fruitful and very concrete on the problems faced by 
the Members having notified category C commitments and the UK proposal is a good avenue to that.  
5.9.  The Comm ittee agreed  to adopt the regularized agenda topics for the dedicated session on 
assistance and capacity building, within the parameters of Article 21.4 as contained in 
G/TFA/W/78/Rev.1.  
6  FIVE -YEAR TFA ANNIVERSARY EVENT  – REPORT BY THE CHAIRPERSON  
6.1.  The Chair indicated the following:  
6.2.  I think all those of you who participated can agree that we had a very full day with many 
examples of impactful implementation of TFA provisions and th eir advancement of trade facilitation 
reform.  
6.3.  The event underlined that while the TFA is making a difference, of course there are also some 
challenges to be overcome.  
6.4.  I would like to highlight a number of the major points in particular that came through t he 
discussions yesterday: Digitalization, Resilience, Inclusiveness, and Coordination .  
6.5.  First, digitalization. There seemed to be a broad recognition that the TFA can accelerate – and 
yet heavily relies on – the sorts of automated processes that make customs procedures both more 
efficient and more effective. For instance, various commentators noted how the success of certain 
technological innovations can be borne out of the introduction of single window systems – electronic 
documentation, data analytic s, the use of blockchain , and artificial intelligence, to name a few. At 
the same time, there continue to be challenges in the implementation of single window, particularly 
as it relates to developing better quality data and finding solutions to maximize d ata interoperability.   
6.6.  Second, trade facilitation also strengthens resilience. The experience with recent health and 
geopolitical shocks has confirmed the proof of concept of the Trade Facilitation Agreement. Several 
commentators noted, for instance, that countries who had implemented TF reforms were better able 
to adapt to changes in trade volumes and regulatory controls during the pandemic. The TFA helps 
Member s build resilience, and thus efforts to improve TF compliance not only yield the immediate 
benef its of reduced trading times and costs, but also strengthen Members' ability to respond to the 
next crisis.  
6.7.  Third, trade facilitation promotes inclusiveness. There was a spirited discussion about the 
extent to which benefits extend to all traders, and more  work remains to be done to identify the 
areas of maximum benefit for the world's smallest traders – the micro, small and medium -sized 
enterprises, and in many cases the women who run them. Several countries identified their efforts 
to facilitate trade for  small businesses and noted how efforts to streamline customs processes and G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 17 - 
 
  formalities can only accrue to the benefits of these entities by clarifying the rules and lowering the 
barriers to participate in global markets.  
6.8.  Finally, trade facilitation relies  on sound coordination within and between countries. We heard 
common themes from participants about the importance of improving coordination and ownership 
by various national agencies responsible for border matters, having a sound legal mandate to ensure 
a strong foundation for that dialogue, and to the critical importance that the private sector plays in 
informing NTFCs about what is truly happening at the border while also serving as a critical partner 
in designing and implementing trade facilitation refo rms. Yet a host of challenges remain – technical, 
human, and budgetary – and further cooperation both nationally and internationally is critical to long 
term NTFC sustainability.  
6.9.  We also heard the warning from developing and LDC Members and from some inter national 
organizations about the gaps in meeting technical assistance and capacity building needs.  
6.10.   Overall, it has been very encouraging to hear and see how Members are committed to the 
implementation of the Agreement and how they are committed to trade fa cilitation reform. I am 
pleased that Members have had the opportunity to continue the conversation in sharing experiences 
and exchanging best practices.  
6.11.   All presentations from the event are available on the event website and will be uploaded to 
the TFA da tabase website.  
6.12.   I would like to conclude my report by thanking all those who contributed to the event.   
6.13.   Firstly, I would like to express my warm appreciation to all speakers, panellists  for sharing 
their experience and insights with us. I would also like  to thank the moderators for their great job 
in ensuring the sessions ran smoothly and efficiently,  
6.14.   Of course, I would like to thank everyone who intervened and those who joined us in the 
room and virtually.  
6.15.   And I would like to finish by thanking the WTO t eam, across several divisions, who worked 
hard to provide a very worthy celebration of the first 5 years of the TFA.  
6.16.   The delegate of the United Kingdom  indicated the following:  
6.17.   The United Kingdom would like to take this opportunity to thank the Chair and the Secretariat 
for coordinating and facilitating such an interesting event yesterday celebrating the fifth anniversary 
of the TFA. It was a great day, in which Members and Annex D organizations alike provided a wealth 
of knowledge and experience to highli ght the challenges and benefits of the TFA. As we look forward 
to the next five years of implementation , we will undoubtably use these topics and themes raised 
over the course of the event in this Committee going forward. We would encourage the continued 
practice of experience sharing in the Committee and look forward to future dialogues with Members 
on topics such as implementing a single trade window. Finally , it would be remiss  of us not to note 
the significant contribution of the previous Chair , Mr. Christopher  O'Toole , in driving the event 
forward  and the United Kingdom would like to extend its thanks to him for his input into the success 
of the event.  
6.18.   The delegate of the United States  indicated the following:  
6.19.   I just want to express my appreciation to  yourself and to the Secretariat for all work that they 
put in, and Mr . Christopher O'Toole for his work in helping set up the event. My appreciation to the 
speakers and all those who took time to put together presentations and share their knowledge. I 
want to give a particular shout out to Ecuador and Cambodia. I thought their conversations , and 
India's also , on the NTFCs  really  very interesting, a wealth of information about the functioning of 
NTFCs . A lot of work for us to do moving forward to harness  those experiences as we think about 
what the best practices in NTFCs are  and share that experience.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 18 - 
 
  6.20.   The delegate of Norway  indicated the following:  
6.21.   I want to join you and other Members to show my deep appreciation for the hard work done 
by Members, this Committee, the Secretariat,  and yourself, in getting this event running. It was 
really a good event a nd I really appreciated the last part of it where we had a really good discussion. 
Anniversaries are something that you do once a year  but think of a biannual event, where  we go a 
little bit deeper into issues that we just touched upon on the last part yes terday. That would be 
something that I would really like to take part in.  
6.22.   The Chair reflected that a celebration of the TFA every year was worth it because  trade 
facilitation was the life of each and every agreement in the WTO today.  
6.23.   The delegate of India indicated the following:  
6.24.   I wish to congratulate you, the outgoing Chair, the WTO Secretariat and all the participants 
here. The Indian delegation here is three strong  – I am accompanied by the representative who is 
based in Geneva  plus my junior colleag ue who is part of the NT FC Secretariat , and I have practice 
in implementing some of the TFA provisions and performance measurement. The composition of the 
team itself is a reflection of the fact that India places highest importance on trade facilitation and its 
implementation which is reflected both in our having fulf illed all the TFA commitments and having 
reduced the release time which is the performance indicator included in the TFA itself, Article 7.6. 
During  the interaction yesterday , we saw how many other countries have shared their gains and we 
recognize the cha llenges. India thinks that it would be an important exercise going forward to work 
in a collaborative  manner where we kind of use the experience and the best practices which have 
been obtained by some of the countries in different areas and try and impleme nt that so that the 
world is a more trade facilitative environment.  
6.25.   The delegate of Ecuador  indicated the following:  
6.26.   As this is my first time taking the floor, I would like to congratulate you for being elected 
Chair of this Committee and I would assure you of Ecuador's full support in future work. We wanted 
to also congratulate and thank you for all the work for yesterday's five-year anniversary event and 
thank the team, the Secretariat , and the work that the preceding Chair . We note it was a significant  
effort and your efforts did not go unnoticed. We would like to support what other delegations have 
said, we wish to continue reviewing different matters that were referred to yesterday. It was a very 
useful exercise, we recognized what we have achieved,  and we also recognized the gaps in terms of 
implementing the TFA. In that respect we would like to also go into more dept h and analysis.  
6.27.   The delegate of China  indicated the following:  
6.28.   China would also like to join other Members to appreciate the great eff orts of the Secretariat 
and you Chair and many other colleagues who contributed a lot to the anniversary. We really find it 
a very good opportunity for Members to share views and experience and to learn from each other 
and to sum up what we already achieve d in the past five years and what we can do in the future. 
Especially we appreciate that you give us opportunities   to introduce our 3S (Smart Customs, Smart 
Borders and Smart Connectivity) initiative. Especially, w e appreciate  the comments from the US, 
the EU, Nigeria, Kyrgyz Republic, Canada , and yourself Chair, as well as  the Director of the Market 
Access Division .  We look forward to close cooperation with all Members on this initiative because 
we already see  that the digitalization and modernization of trade is very important for our further 
implementation of the TFA.  
6.29.   The delegate of Nepal  indicated the following:  
6.30.   The LDC Group extends sincere appreciation to you Chair, to the WTO Secretariat, the 
outgoing Chair , all speakers and panelists, and participants for their valuable contribution to 
organizing and successfully concluding the event. The LDC Group found the event very useful to 
learn from each other in the process of implementing the Agreement and benefiting fr om it. The 
LDCs are fully committed to the effective implementation of the TFA and stand ready to engage with 
you and the entire membership in the process of implementation of the Agreement.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 19 - 
 
  6.31.   The delegate of Colombia  indicated the following:  
6.32.   First, we wou ld like to congratulate speakers and panelists yesterday for their wonderful 
presentations. We know how much they put into this topic and their dedication to trade facilitation , 
and we also wish to especially applaud the work of the Secretariat and the WTO  team for putting all 
their efforts into the success of this event. Many speakers referenced  the challenges of trade 
facilitation , and its implementation above and beyond the Agreement itself . In Colombia we have a 
policy  to simpl ify formalities called "Es tado Simple, Colombia Agil", which has h elped us to intervene 
in more than 4,000 formalities , making them  easier for individuals and companies , with particular 
emphasis  in the private sector . We celebrate having a broad view of a wide-ranging  problem.  This 
was Colombia's commitment to trade facilitation as a mechanism to improve the quality of life of our 
citizens.  
6.33.   The delegate  of the European Union  indicated the following:  
6.34.   I would like to join other speakers in congratulating you as the Cha ir and everyone else 
involved in the success of this anniversary event. We appreciate all the speakers' contributions as 
well as the work of the WTO Secretariat and the outgoing Chair. The input received from the various 
speakers from successes to challeng es should be kept in mind when moving forward with this 
Committee.  
6.35.   The delegate of Canada  (former Chair of the CTF) indicated the following:  
6.36.   First, thank you Chair and thanks to colleagues for the kind words. I really appreciate it. This 
was really a tea m effort amongst both myself, the new Chair , and all of the Secretariat folks. I really 
appreciate the Members that came forward and actively engaged in pulling together this agenda. It 
was indeed a lot of work,  but it was a very valuable result .  
6.37.   Speaking  on behalf of Canada , I would like to build on a couple of other comments including 
from Ecuador  and from the EU around going into more dept h on some of these things. I came away 
from the discussion yesterday with two tracks in mind . I don't know exactly what they look like at 
the moment but there is a lot of information there that is very valuable for capital -based people  who 
work on trade fac ilitation day in, day out, a lot of the NTFC  members and ourselves , figuring out a 
way to share that information, gather it together in some sort of concise report or whatever it looks 
like. Perhaps Members can work together in an informal process going fo rward in the coming months. 
There  was a lot of information that the Committee needs to consider as to how the Committee can 
help ourselves and help our capital -based colleagues support the implementation of the TFA . I am 
trying to plant a seed here that we  can gather together amongst the number of interested Members 
either on our own or under the guidance of yourself , Chair, in an informal process . I think it would 
be useful for us to have a fresh look at what was said yesterday and have a discussion or 
consideration at least of what maybe the Committee can work on in the future. It is not a 
commitment but I think it bears an extra effort on the part of the Committee members to reflect on 
what we heard yesterday and try to categorize or create some sort of r eference that we can use to 
help guide us going forward in our work.  
6.38.   The delegate of Japan  indicated the following:  
6.39.   Japan s upports the previous statements made by other Members. I would like to also 
congratulate and express our gratitude for the very suc cessful event itself and for all the people 
engaged in that event.  
6.40.   The delegate of Korea  indicated the following:  
6.41.   As it is the first time I take the floor, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as 
Chairperson of this Committee. I thank the  Secretariat, the Chairperson , and the former Chai rperson  
for arranging the event. Korea attended this event as a presenter on trade. The event gives us  a 
view into the TFA's  lateral implications , as well as its past and future.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 20 - 
 
  6.42.   The delegate of Australia  indicated the following:  
6.43.   I would like to join colleagues in congratulating the previous Chair and yourself and the 
Secretariat. One of my observations is that this year the strength of the presenters and the panelists 
is a testam ent to the importance of this Agreement, and its centrality to the work of this organization. 
I think it was a very good stock -take of challenges and opportunities and an equal measure of looking 
forward and challenges ahead. The strong message that the TF A helped Members navigate the 
pandemic was very, very central and very strong.  
6.44.   The delegate of Switzerland  indicated the following:  
6.45.   As this is the first time I take the floor, let me congratulate you on your appointment as 
Chairperson of this Committee. We are looking forward to working with you.  
6.46.   I will continue with congratulations and echo colleagues congratulating you Chair, the pr evious 
Chair , and of course also the Secretariat for the excellent event yesterday. I would also like to thank 
all Members that contributed to the event. I believe it was a good opportunity to celebrate the TFA, 
its achievements and at the same time also h ave a forward -looking  component on remaining 
challenges.  
6.47.   The delegate of Angola  indicated the following:  
6.48.   Thank you to the Secretariat for all the support and hard work that you have been doing 
during these days . I would also like to echo the support from  the delegates , first from the perspective 
of driving the Members to implement the TFA and for the partners organizations that are still 
supporting us in doing so.  
6.49.   The Chair  indicated the following:  
6.50.   Thank you very much for your wonderful comments and commendations of what transpire d 
yesterday. The lessons learned from yesterday need to be emulated  and continue to be repeated. 
The TFA has a huge contribution to help every Member to improve trade performances, in 
international trade and so many things in  life.  
6.51.   The TFA was agreed at Bali and later we saw the benefit in it . Yesterday's event was 
encouraging and  we shall look into whatever  was said and try to brainstorm and look at what would 
most benefit and enhance the achievement s of the TFA . There is a TFA component in all  the WTO 
agreements  so therefore the TFA becomes the life of the WTO agreement s.  
6.52.   This conclude d agenda item 6.   
7  THE TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT FACILITY – ITEMS RELATED TO THE 
FRAMEWORK (G/TFA/3)  
i. Annual Report (G/TFA/4)  
7.1.  The Committee took note of the Report.  
ii. Regular Update to the Trade Facilitation Committee (G/TFA/W/79)  
7.2.  The Committee took note  of the Update .  
iii. Workplan – Priorities to be Identified by the Committee  
7.3.  The Chair  recalled  that a framework for the management an d operation of the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement Facility  (TFAF, the Facility) , circulated in document G/TFA/3, had been  adopted at the 
Committee meeting of 4 and 5 April 2022. The Framework state d that "the role of the Facility is to 
support the Committee's work in relation to assisting developing Members and LDCs in implementing 
the Agreement. Guidance concerning the nature of such support will be provided by the Committee" . G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 21 - 
 
  Under  sub-heading 3 "Management and Transparency of the Framework ", the framework states 
that:  
"the Facility working jointly with a representative group composed of interested Members 
shall prepare a work plan for the upcoming calendar year.  
 
This work plan shall be drawn up b ased on, inter alia, the following:  
(i) Priorities identified by the Committee as conveyed during a formal meeting held 
before mid -year, under a specific agenda item entitled "The Facility Work Plan"; 
and 
(ii) Trade facilitation needs identified in the biennial ITTC survey of Members' 
technical assistance needs as well as needs identified in Category C notifications. 
[…]  
The work plan, accompanied by a draft budget based on the activities identified, shall be 
reviewed by the Committee during its dedicated session on assistance and capacity building."  
7.4.  The representative of the TFAF indicated the following:  
7.5.  A first step in the development of the Workplan for 2023 is the identification of volunteers who 
would like  to take part in a representative group. We welcome anyone to volunteer to let us know 
as soon as possible, but ideally before 15 July. We welcome any suggestions today on what should 
be in the workplan as well as on how we should proceed. Unless we receiv e different suggestions 
based on what has worked well in the past , we will prepare a draft or outline of the workplan that 
can serve as basis of discussion in the group. The draft or outline will include the needs that the 
Chair just identified, such as th e needs identified in the biennial ITTC survey as well as any 
suggestions made by Members today and any suggestions that Members want to send us in writing. 
Again we kindly ask for these suggestions to be sent to TFAF as soon as possible, but no later than  
15 July. We will aim at having a meeting of this group soon after 15 July and we will meet with the 
group as often as necessary to make sure a workplan is ready to be circulated to Members before 
the Dedicated Session on Technical Assistance and Capacity Building  on 1 December.  
7.6.  The delegate of China  indicated the following:  
7.7.  China appreciates the contribution of the TFAF to supporting the relevant Members to 
implement the TFA. As a partner of TFAF , China donated USD 1 million to the TFAF and we will try 
to do our best to support the TFAF to launch the capacity building and tec hnical assistance 
programme. China is more than happy to take part in the representative group to draft the TFAF 
work plan of 2023.  
7.8.  The delegate of  the Kyrgyz Republic  indicated the following:  
7.9.  We really appreciate the efforts of TFAF for the support provided to the Kyrgyz Republic.  A few 
months ago, the Kyrgyz Republic completed preparation of a project proposal for financing  of a 
project from international sources through the TFAF. It concerns several important areas, including 
the development of a feasib ility study for the establishment of a national customs laboratory within 
the context of developing the capacity in the customs service and the creation of an electronic 
platform for the electronic customs declarations.  
7.10.   Preparatory work on applying for a grant from TFAF began in 2019 . However, due to the 
pandemic and the subsequent change in the work schedule to online work in the Kyrgyz Republic 
and in most countries of the world, the Project Preparation Grant  (PPG)  for drafting a Project Proposal 
was shi fted to January  2022. The PPG was successfully completed in April of this year. The TFAF 
Secretariat circulated this document to potential interested parties among the WTO Members.  
7.11.   The project proposal reflects : (1) the tasks and objectives of the Governme nt of the Kyrgyz 
Republic in the implementation of the TFA ; (2) the progress in implementing the provisions of the 
Agreement ; (3) an assessment of the level of implementation of the Articles of the Agreement ; (4) a 
description of the need for the project ; (5) the project implementation methodology ; (6) description 
of project beneficiaries ; (7) an analysis of the risks that pose potential threats to the implementation G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 22 - 
 
  of the project ; (8) and a detailed project budget, a matrix of activities, a vision of the management 
structure and the project team.  
7.12.   Special attention is paid to development programmes and the concept of improvement in the 
field of customs  regulation with a focus on the  aspect of digitalization of services that covers 
international trade in goods, strengthening the coordination of activities between various state 
bodies involved in the process of foreign trade regulation.  
7.13.   The application of digital technologies and the g radual transition from traditional paper -based  
document management to electronic systems are consistent with national programmes and concepts 
for creating a regionally  and internationally competitive economy. Therefore, the delegation of the 
Kyrgyz Republi c appeals to the WTO Secretariat, TFAF and the WTO Member States providing 
financial and technical assistance, to accept the Kyrgyz application for financing the project, which 
was submitted to TFAF.  
7.14.   Dear Mr. Chairperson, dear Members,  on behalf of the Ky rgyz delegation participating in the 
work of the  TFA Committee, let me wish you success in your work for the benefit of strengthening 
trade and economic ties of all participants in the international trading system.  
7.15.   The delegate of  the United States  indicat ed the following:  
7.16.   We would like to thank TFAF for the excellent work in preparing the Annual Report and the 
Report to the Committee. This added transparency gives Members' confidence in the TFAF and that 
we are working together to achieve our common goal of successful implementation of the TFA.  
7.17.   We appreciate the work TFAF is doing to help those LDCs who have not yet notified their 
definitive category C dates to do so by the August 22 deadline.  
7.18.   Finally, we look forward to participating in the representative  small group from the Committee 
that will begin to prepare the TFAF workplan for the 2023.  
7.19.   The delegate of  the European Union  indicated the following:  
7.20.   I too would like to thank TFAF for the update and also the Kyrgyz Republic. I would like to 
express interest  in participating in the representative small group on behalf of the EU.  
7.21.   The delegate of  Nepal  indicated the following:  
7.22.   Again, the LDC group extends it sincere appreciation to the TFAF for its update and for its 
contribution to the proces s of notification and implementation of the TFA in LDCs. The LDC group 
would also like to participate in the representative small group drafting the plan.  
7.23.   The delegate of  Canada  indicated the following:  
7.24.   Just shortly to say thanks to TFAF for the report. And yes, Canada would like to participate in 
the interested parties' group to help draft the work plan.  
7.25.   The delegate of  Botswana  indicated the following:  
7.26.   On behalf of the Botswana delegation and on behal f of LLDCs , we would like to thank the 
support of TFAF, and we volunteer to be part of the working group.  
7.27.   The Chair invite d interested delegations to provide suggestions or provide contact information 
to TFAF by 15 July  2022. Following that deadline, the Facility , working jointly with a representative 
group composed of interested Members , would  prepare the workplan , incorporat ing the outcome of 
today's discussion and any additional written input received by the 15 July deadline. In accordance 
with the framework guidelines , the workplan , accompanied by a draft budget based on the activities 
identified , will be circulated ahead o f the December d edicated session on technical assistance and 
capacity building , at which time it will be reviewed by the Committee.  G/TFA/M/ 22 
 
- 23 - 
 
  7.28.   This conclude d agenda item 7.   
8  RECENT AND UPCOMING ACTIVITIES  
8.1.  The Committee took note  of the Report  by Annex D organizations in document G/TFA/W/80 .  
8.2.  This conclude d item 8.  
9  OTHER BUSINESS  
9.1.  During the meeting, the Committee bid farewell and extended appreciation and good wishes 
to a number of delegates who were moving on from the Committee: Mr Helge Lindrup (Norway), Mr 
Eric Mr Buddhi (Nepal)  
9.2.  The Chair confirm ed that the dates for the next formal meeting in 2022 would be  4-6 October . 
The Dedicated  Session on Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Support would  take place on 
6 October . 
9.3.  The Committee agreed  to invite the Annex D organizations, as well as the Global Alliance on 
Trade Facilitation  to the next meeting.  
9.4.  The delegate of China  indicated the following:  
9.5.  Based on the discussion and communication of these two days, I would like  to share 
one observation o n the issue of quantitative evaluation of TFA implementation by Members. 
According to Article 7.6.1 of the TFA, Members are  encour aged to measure  and publish their average 
release time of goods . Article 7.6.2 also encourage s Members to share with the Committee their 
experience in measuring  average release times. Apart from the time release study , we note that 
there are also tools dev eloped by other international organizations like the OECD 's Trade Facility 
Exchange Indicators. I also heard that there are some similar tools developed by the different 
organizations . In China, an NGO name d the Beijing Record Trade Security and the Facili tation 
Research Centre provide an independent quantitative measure  of TFA implementation over the past 
few years. Based on this observation and in accordance  with the spirit of Article 7 , I think that it 
would be appropriate for us to look and exchange experience s with such tools to see how they are 
used. This  may help us to get a better understanding of the implementation of the TFA by Members.  
9.6.  This conclude d item 9. 
9.7.  The meeting was adjou rned. 
__________