RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/PTA/M/12  
 
21 July 2023  
(23-5010) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Twelfth Dedicated Session on Preferential Trade 
Arrangements    
 
  
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 11 JULY 2023  
Chairman: H.E. Dr. José R. Sánchez -Fung (Dominican Republic)  
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
B. NOTIFICATIONS RECEIVED  ................................ ................................ .....................  1 
(I) Notifications of changes to existing preferential trade arrangements  ................................  1 
(a) Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by Japan (WT/COMTD/N/2/Add.19) .........  1 
C.  STATUS OF THE WORK OF THE DEDICATED SESSION  ................................ ..............  2 
(I) Status of the preparation of factual presentations – Report by the Chairman 
(WT/COMTD/PTA/W/10)  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 2 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 2 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The draft agenda as contained in Airgram WTO/AIR/COMTD/ PTA/11/Rev.1 of  30 June 2023 
was adopted . 
B. NOTIFICATIONS RECEIVED  
(I) Notifications of changes to existing preferential trade arrangements  
(a) Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by Japan 
(WT/COMTD/N/2/Add.19)  
2. The Chairman  said that the notification by Japan  concerning its Generalized System of 
Preferences ( GSP) scheme was contained in document WT/COMTD/N/2/Add.19 . 
 
3.  The representative of Japan  delivered the following statement:  
 
4. The purpose of this notification is to remove a region from the list of beneficiary members 
who no longer meet the con ditions for beneficiaries and have graduated from the list.  
Japan  continue s to be constructively involved in discussions on assistance for the economic 
development of developing countries and least developed countries ( LDCs). 
 
5. The representative of the United States  delivered the following statement : 
6. The United States would like to thank Japan  for this notification and for the transparency of 
the exercise.  
7. The Committee took note  of the notification by Japan,  and of the interventions.  WT/COMTD/PTA/M/12  
 
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  C.  STATUS OF THE WORK OF THE DEDICATED SESSION  
(I) Status of the preparation of factual presentations – Report by the Chair man 
(WT/COMTD/PTA/W/ 10)  
8. The Chairman said that  his report on the status of the preparation of factual presentations of 
preferential trade arrangements ( PTAs) was contained in document WT/COMTD/PTA/W/ 10. While 
progress was being made on some factual presentations, there remain ed a number of PTAs that ha d 
been notified since the establishment of the Transparency Mechanism for PTAs, for which the 
Secretariat ha d still not received the full set of data or information required for the preparation of the 
factual presentations.  He urged the notifying Members concerned to provide all the required data and 
information as soon as possible. He added that he would also try  to reach out informally to these 
Members before the next meeting, to explore whether the submission of the necessary data and 
information could be expedited.  
 
9. The representative of the United States  delivered the following statement:  
 
10. We echo your words. We thank you for your remarks and your commitment  to this important  
transparency  exercise . We would like to encourage  all Members who have not yet notified their PTAs 
to do so as soon as possible . We also encourage  notifying Members, and those who have not yet 
done so, to provide the Secretariat with the required data and information as soon as possible.  
 
11. The representative of the United Kingdom  delivered the following statement:  
 
12. Thank you for your report . The United Kingdom takes its notification obligations seriously and 
submitted a timely Integrated Database notification in March 202 2. Unfortunately, there were factual 
errors in this notification , which needed to be corrected . This in  turn affected  the acc uracy of the 
Secretariat's factual report on the United Kingdom's GSP, which now needs to be reviewed. I would 
also like to clarify that this notification relates to the previous preferen ces scheme . 
The United  Kingdom's  new Developing Countries Trading Sch eme (DCTS) came into force on  
19 June 2023 and replaced the United Kingdom's GSP. Allow me to say a few words about the DCTS. 
The United Kingdom will submit a notification shortly, which  will include link s to the amended trade 
preferences legislation .1 The scheme represents a mark ed improvement in rules of origin for LDCs, 
which are now simpler and more generous. We have significantly simplified product -specific rules. 
Under the new scheme, LDCs will be able to cumulate with 95 countries. We have also a mended our 
legislation to allow countries t hat sign a free trade agreement  (FTA) with the United Kingdom to 
remain in regional cumulation group s. The DCTS removes tariff s on over 150 additional products of 
strategic interest to developing countries as well as simplif ying the tariff schedule by getting rid of 
nuisance  tariffs and some seasonal tariffs. The  scheme also grants access to enhanced preferences 
based purely on economic vulnerabilit y for low -income and lower middle -income  countries , allowing 
eight countries including Nigeria, Algeria and Tajikistan to move directly to more generous tariff 
rates. For these countries , over 3 ,000 additional products w ill now be tariff -free. The United Kingdom 
has published detailed guid ance on th e scheme . The detailed guid ance include s six guides on 
different elements of the scheme and an interactive tool  which  provide s tariff information and a 
look-up tool for product -specific rules.2 
 
13. The Committee took note  of the Chair man's report, and of the interventions . 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  
14. No matter was raised under "Other Business".  
15. The meeting was adjourned . 
__________  
 
1 The delegation of the United Kingdom provided the following links for inclusion in the minutes of th is 
meeting : 1) The Trade Preference Scheme (Developing Countries Trading Scheme) Regulations 
2023:  http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2023/561 ; and 2)  The Customs (Origin of Chargeable Goods: 
Developing Countries Trading Scheme) Regulations 2023: 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/557/made . 
2 The delegation of the United Kingdom provided the following link for inclusion in the minutes of this 
meeting: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/trading -with-developing -nations .