RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/PTA/M/4  
 
11 December  2020 
(20-8951) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Fourth Dedicated Session on Preferential Trade 
Arrangements    
 
  
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 20 NOVEMBER  2020 
Chairman: H.E. Mr Mohammad Qurban Haqjo (Afghanistan)  
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
B. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE TRANSPARENCY MECHANISM FOR PREFERENTIAL 
TRADE ARRANGEMENTS (PTA TM)  ................................ ................................ ...................  2 
(I) Notifications received pursuant to paragraph 1(a) of the PTA TM  ................................ ...... 2 
(a) Duty-Free Quota -Free scheme for least developed countries – Notification by Montenegro 
(WT/COMTD/PTA2/N/1)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 2 
(b) Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by Kazakhstan (WT/COMTD/PTA3/N/1)  .... 2 
C. STATUS OF THE WORK OF THE DEDICATED SESSION  ................................ ..............  3 
(I) Status of the preparation of factual presentations – Report by the Chairman 
(WT/COMTD/PTA/W/2)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  3 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 3 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The Chairman  welcomed delegations to the 4th Dedicated Session on Preferential Trade 
Arrangements (PTAs) of the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD).1 He said that, as he had 
done at the CTD's 12th Dedicated Session on Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) which had just been 
completed, he wished to say a few words in reference to the communication he had  sent to Members 
on 8 October 2020. In this communication , he had reminded Members of a discussion th at had taken  
place between some delegations as to whether notifications of RTAs and PTAs were more 
appropriately reflected on the agenda of the Regular Session of the CTD, or on the agendas of the 
CTD's Dedicated Sessions on RTAs and PTAs. He noted that, i n recent meetings, new notifications 
received ha d been reflected on the agenda of the Regular Session. In his communication , he had 
indicated  that, on the basis of his interactions with a number of delegations, a way forward had 
emerged on the matter. He had laid out the elements of this way forward, and had invited Members 
to share any thoughts or suggestions with him. Since no indications to the contrary were received, 
he was  pleased to confirm th is way forward, which ha d implications for how  work would be  conducted 
in the CTD's  Dedicated Session on RTAs, the CTD's Dedicated Session on PTAs, and the 
CTD's  Regular Session.  
 
2. Just as he had  explained at the CTD 's 12th Dedicated Session on  RTAs the implication s for the 
work o f the Dedicated Session on RTAs, he wished to take this opportunity to explain  the implications 
for the work of the Dedicated Session on PTAs. He would also be making similar points  at the CTD's 
113th Regular Session , which would immediately follow the present meeting.  With regard to the  
Dedicated Session on PTAs, he said that notifications to the CTD concerning PTAs would  henceforth 
be reflected on the agendas of the CTD 's Dedicated Sessions on PTAs, and not on the agenda of the 
Regular Session. In addi tion, the CTD  Chair person's  reports on the status of preparation of factual 
 
1 Due to the restrictive measures for meetings in place in Geneva in the context of COVID -19, all 
delegations were invited to follow the meeting remotely . The Chairman, who was also participating remotely, 
indicated that he had  requested the Secretariat to stand in as required if any difficulties were encountered with 
his connection.  WT/COMTD/PTA/M/4  
 
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  presentations on PTAs w ould henceforth be reflected on the agendas of the CTD 's Dedicated Sessions 
on PTAs, and not on the agenda of the Regular Session. A meeting of the Dedicated  Session on PTAs 
would be held back -to-back with each meeting of the Regular Session. Even if there were no 
notifications of PTAs on the agenda, a Dedicated Session w ould be convened to read the CTD 
Chair person's  report on the status of preparation of fact ual presentations on PTAs.  These points 
clarified the draft agenda for the present  meeting.  
 
3. The draft agenda  as contained in Airgram WTO/AIR/COMTD/PTA/3/Rev.1 of 
10 November  2020 was adopted .  
B. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE TRANSPARENCY MECHANISM FOR PREFERENTIAL 
TRADE ARRANGEMENTS  (PTA TM)  
(I) Notifications received pursuant to paragraph 1(a) of the PTA TM  
4. The Chairman  said that two notifications pursuant to paragraph 1(a) of the PTA TM were 
reflected under the present agenda item. The se notifications  were also notifications under the 
Enabling Clause. The first notification concerned Montenegro 's duty-free quota -free (DFQF)  scheme 
for least developed countries ( LDCs). The second notification concerned Kazakhs tan's Generalized 
System of Preferences (GSP) scheme . 
(a) Duty-Free Quota -Free scheme for least developed countries – Notification by 
Montenegro (WT/COMTD/PTA2/N/1)  
5. The Chairman  said that the notification by Montenegro of its DFQF scheme for LDCs was 
contained in document WT/COMTD/PT A2/N/1.  
6. The representative of the United  States  thanked Montenegro for the notification . Her 
delegation looked forward to learning more about this arrangement.  
7. The representative of  the Republic of Korea  express ed appreciation to Montenegro for the 
preferential  tariff treatment granted to LDCs. His delegation believe d that this was an important 
contribution to effort s to better integrate LDCs into the multilateral trading system  (MTS) . 
8. The representative of Cambodia  thanked those  Members that provided DFQF market access 
to LDCs . She stressed the importance of  past Ministerial Decisions in favour of LDCs , including those 
relating to DFQF  market access for LDCs. Her delegation called on  Members to advance the 
implementa tion of the Hong Kong and Bali DFQF Decision s, and to keep their markets dut y-free for 
products from LDCs, particularly in the case of those whose DFQF coverage had  not yet reached 
97%. She welcome d the progress made on this matter, and expressed her appre ciation to Members , 
including Montenegro , for the notifications submitted on the implementation of DFQF  market access 
for LDCs . Her delegation would continue to work closely with the S ecretariat and with M embers in 
order to gain maximum benefits from th ese trade preference s.  
9. The Committee took note  of the notification  by Montenegro,  and of the interventions . 
(b) Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by Kazakhstan 
(WT/COMTD/PTA3/N/1)  
10. The Chairman  said that Kazakhstan 's notification  of its GSP scheme was  contained in 
document WT/COMTD/PTA3/N/1.  
11. The representative of  the Republic of K orea express ed appreciation to Kazakhstan for the 
preferential  tariff treatment granted to LDCs. His delegation believe d that this was an important 
contribution to effort s to better integrate LDCs into the MTS. 
12. The representative of the United  States  thanked Kazakhstan for th e notification . Her 
delegation was looking forward to learning more about this arrangement.   
13. The representative of the European  Union  said that she wished to thank both Kazakhstan and 
Montenegro  for their notifications .  WT/COMTD/PTA/M/4  
 
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  14. The representative of Cambodia  thanked Kazakhstan for granting preferential treatment to 
products from LDCs under the GSP scheme. Sh e stressed the importance of GSP schemes in helping 
LDCs to increase their exports, boost economic growth and reduce poverty.  
15. The Committee took note  of the notification by Kazakhstan, and of the interventions . 
C. STATUS OF THE WORK OF THE DEDICATED SESSION  
(I) Status of the preparation of factual presentations – Report by the Chairman 
(WT/COMTD/ PTA/W/ 2) 
16. The Chairman  said that his report on the status of the preparation of factual presentations  of 
PTAs was contained in document WT/COMTD/PTA/W/2 . As indicated in the report, there were a 
number of PTAs that ha d been notified since the establishment of the PTA TM for which the 
Secreta riat ha d still not received the full set of data or information required for the preparation of 
the factual presentations. He said that he also wished to take the opportunity to note that, in addition 
to statistical data that was missing, it was his unders tanding that, for at least some of these PTAs, 
up-to-date regulations in an official WTO language ha d not been notified to the CTD . This was a 
requirement under the PTA TM . Furthermore, without these regulations, the Secretariat w ould not 
be in a position to complete the factual presentations , even if the statistical data were submitted. 
He therefore urge d the notifying Members to provide all the required data and information as soon 
as possible.  
17. The representative of the United  States  thanked the Chairman for his report, and welcomed 
his remarks  and interest in the transparency exercise. She urged all Members that had not yet 
notified their PTAs to do so promptly. She also urge d notifying Members , and those who had not yet 
done so , to provide the Secretariat with the required data and information as soon as possible.  
18. The Committee took note  of the Chairman's report , and of the interventions . 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  
19. No matter was raised under "Other Business".  
20. The meeting was adjourned . 
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