WT/TPR/433  
 
6 May 2019 
(19-3086) Page: 1/2 
Trade Policy Review Body    
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIRPERSON  
OF THE TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY  
CANADA  
Arrangements for Review Meeting  
1.  In pursuance of Article IV, paragraph 4 and Annex 3 of the WTO Agreement, a meeting of the 
Trade Policy Review Body is scheduled for 12 and 14 June 2019 to conduct the eleventh  review of 
the trade policies and practices of Canada  (WTO/AIR/TPR/8 6). 
2.  This com munication sets out arrangements concerning the review meeting. In this connection, 
attention is also drawn to the procedures for the conduct of reviews contained in the rules of 
procedure of the Trade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/6/Rev.4).  
3.  Members' attentio n is drawn to the use of the "alternative" time -frame by Canada  for 
submission of written questions and responses (see below).  
1  QUESTIONS IN WRITING  IN ADVANCE OF THE M EETING AND MAIN POIN TS 
4.  Members wishing to submit written questions to the Member under r eview should do so at least 
five weeks before the review meeting, to allow replies to be submitted one  week prior to the first 
session of the meeting. For the forthcoming review, such questions should therefore be with the 
Trade Policies Review Division of  the Secretariat ( tprd@wto.org ) by 5.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 
8 May 2019 , at the latest.  Delegations are encouraged to use the TPR Q&A online system 
(https://tprqa.wto.org ) to send their advance written questions using the username and 
password provided by the Secretariat. Canada has agreed to use this system to provide 
answers to the questions submitted through the system.  
5.  In accordance with the rules of procedure of the T rade Policy Review Body 
(WT/TPR/6/Rev.4,  paragraph 17), Members are reminded that they should group their written 
questions into the following three categories so as to facilitate responses: those related to the 
Secretariat report (with a reference to rele vant paragraph numbers); those concerning the 
Government report (with a reference to relevant paragraph numbers); and other questions.  
6.  The Secretariat shall identify the main points contained in the qu estions submitted at least 
five weeks before a review m eeting, post them on the Members' website one week before the 
meeting, and distribute a revised list of main points during the first session of a review when 
questions received after the five-week deadline give rise to significantly new issues. The main po ints 
may be found on the Members' website under "Forthcoming Meetings: Documents for Meetings".  
2  ANSWERS  IN WRI TING BY THE MEMBER UNDER REVIEW  
7.  Answers by the Member under review should be distributed in writing. Advance questions 
submitted by the five -week deadline before the start of the TPRB review should be answered in 
writing by the Member under review one week prior to the start of the meeting ( 5 June 2019). 
Written answers will be made available on the Members' website four working days prior to the 
meeting (6 June 2019). Questions posed subsequently should be answered, to the extent possible, WT/TPR/433  
 
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  before the start of the second session of the meeting. Questions left unanswered at the end of the 
second session should be answered in writing no later than one month after the meeting with some 
latitude in the Chair's discretion for Members reviewing a very large number of questions.  
8.  In the course of the discussions at the review meeting, the Member under review may indicate 
that it intends to provide supplementa ry information, in writing, on specific points raised. Upon 
receipt, the Secretariat will circulate a document containing this information to all Members.  
3  DISCUSSANT  
9.  In consultation with the Member under review, the Chairperson of the Trade Policy Review B ody 
may choose a discussant who, in her/his personal capacity, will introduce the discussions in the 
Body. H.E. Juan Carlos Gonzalez (Colombia ) will act as discussant for the review of  Canada . 
4  STRUCTURE OF THE MEETING  
10.  Trade policy reviews cover four broad headings:  
a. appreciation of the full range of the Member's trade policies and practices;  
b. relevant background: wider economic and developmental needs, including the 
external  environment;  
c. impact of the Member's trade policies and practices on the functioning o f the multilateral 
trading system; and  
d. general comments by way of assessment and evaluation.  
11.  Meetings take place in two sessions. The first session is devoted to the opening statements by 
the Member under review and the discussant, and remarks and questions from the floor. The 
discussion in the second session, when the Member under review will reply to questions, is based 
on main themes identified after the opening meeting by the Chairperson, the discussant and the 
Secretariat in consultation with t he Member.  
12.  As indicated in the rules of procedure of the Trade Policy Review Body 
(WT/TPR/6/Rev.4,  paragraph 21), the speakers list will follow the order in which questions are 
received by the Secretariat and, in the event of more than one batch of questio ns, the final batch 
will determine the order of speakers. Delegations not submitting written questions will continue to 
speak second, in the order in which their flags are raised. On the day before each review meeting, 
the Secretariat will post on the WTO Members' website a provisional  list of speakers for the 
first session of that meeting, for Members' advance information.  
5  DOCUMENTATION AND PRESS ARRANGEMENTS  
13.  Reports by the Member under review and the Secretariat are contained in the 
following  documents:  
WT/TPR/G/ 389 Report by Canada  
WT/TPR/S/ 389 Canada : Report by the Secretariat  
14.  The press embargo for the review of Canada  will end at 2 p.m. Geneva time on 12 June 2019. 
6  RECORD OF THE MEETING  
15.  The record of the meeting will be circulated as a draft to Members for comments on their own 
statements and placed on the WTO website.  
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