RESTRICTED  
  
G/C/M/133/Add.1  
 
30 July 2019  
(19-4991) Page: 1/2 
Council for Trade in Goods    
 
 
MINUTES OF THE MEETI NG OF THE COUNCIL FO R TRADE IN GOODS  
12 AND 13  NOVEMBER  2018 
CHAIRPERSON: HE MR S TEPHEN CORNELIUS DE BOER (CANADA)  
Addendum  
8  TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – REQUEST FOR AUTHORIT Y TO ENTER INTO NEGO TIATIONS 
UNDER ARTICLE  XXVII I:4 OF THE GATT  1994 (G/SECRET/43)  
8.1.  The Chair person  recall ed to the attention of delegations that , at the 12  November  2018 
meeting of the Council  for Trade in Goods , when considering agenda item  8 on the request submitted 
by Trinidad and Tobago for authority to en ter into negotiations under GATT  Article  XXVIII:4 
(document  G/SECRET/43), the delegations of the Dominican Republic and Turkey had indicated that 
they required further time to consider Trinidad and Tobago's request.  Therefore, this agenda item 
was suspende d; however,  considering that the Ad Note to GATT  Article  XXVIII:4 mandate d that the 
Goods Council should make a determination on the request of authorization to enter into negotiations 
under GATT  Article  XXVIII :4 within 30  days of the submission of the mat ter to Members, which in 
this case meant not later than 12 December  2018, th e Council had also agreed that, unless Members 
had contacted him in writing, via the Secretariat, with a copy to Trinidad and Tobago, by cob on 
30 November  2018, to object to this request, it would be considered that Trinidad and Tobago was 
authorized to enter into such  negotiation.  
8.2.  He also informed the Council that , in a communication dated 30  November  2018, the 
delegation of Turkey had indicated that it objected  to Trinidad and Tobago's request for such 
authorization ; nevertheless, it was ready to enter into bilateral consultations with Trinidad and 
Tobago on this issue.  In light of the above , in a communication dated 30  November  2018 he had 
reconven ed this meeti ng to resume discussion of this one outstanding agenda item only.  
8.3.  The delegate of Turkey  thanked the Chair for reconvening this meeting to discuss Trinidad and 
Tobago's  request to modify its bound tariff commitments on import s of "Other Hydraulic cement  
products"  under the tariff heading HS  2523.90  of Trinidad and Tobago's Schedule of Concessions . 
As he had indicated at the 12  November meeting,  Turkey was Trinidad and Tobago's main trading 
partner to be affected by the proposed change ; thus, Turkey h ad a substantial trade interest in this 
issue.  He also indicated that the relevant Turkish authorities ha d evaluated the matter in detail and, 
as a result, Turkey had submitted, in due time, its written objection to Trinidad and Tobago's request.  
8.4.  This issue had also been the subject of bilateral consultations between Turkey and  the 
delegation of Trinidad and Tobago.  In this context, his delegation had indicated to Trinidad and 
Tobago that the bilateral trade between Turkey and Trinidad and Tobago was based on  a limited 
number of products, and that the product in question was exported by T urkey in significant 
commercial quantities to Trinidad and Tobago.  Turkey consider ed that a modification of the bound 
tariffs on imports of this product m ight result in an inc rease in tariff levels that would detract from 
the current stability of Trinidad and Tobago's market access commitments. Therefore, as prescribed 
by the Ad  Note to GATT  Article  XXVIII:4, this m ight lead to undue disturbance of the bilateral trade 
between t he two  countries.  Consequently, Turkey's position remain ed unchanged in that it continued 
to object to Trinidad and Tobago's request for authorization to enter into negotiations on modifying 
its bound tariffs on the import of the product in question.  G/C/M/133/Add.1  
 
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  8.5.  He al so noted that Trinidad and Tobago still held the  right to modify such tariff line through 
GATT  Article s XXVIII:1 and XXVIII:5, within the time -frames  set out therein . Turkey stood ready to 
continue to engage in bilateral discussions  with Trinidad and Tobago on potential ways to further 
develop the ir bilateral trade in a balanced manner.  
8.6.  The delegate of Trinidad and Tobago  noted the objection made by Turkey to her delegation's 
request and said that Trinidad and Tobago would continue b ilateral discussions with Turkey aimed 
at a positive resolution  of this issue . She also indicated that i nformal bilateral discussions ha d 
revealed that the objection w ould not be withdrawn at this meeting , and that the Turkish authorities 
were of the view that the product was of significant commercial importance for Turkey.  Trinidad and 
Tobago reserve d its right to revisit this matter at the CTG's next meeting.  
8.7.  The Chair person  thanked the two  delegations for their interventions, from which he had 
understood  that, at the current stage, there was no consensus to authorize Trinidad and Tobago to 
enter into negotiations under GATT  Article  XXVIII:4 of the tariff line HS  sub-heading  2523.90.  He 
encourage d Turkey and Trinidad and Tobago to continue discuss ing this issue bilaterally  and 
proposed that the Council take note of the statements made and of the fact that Trinidad and Tobago 
had not been authorized to enter into negotiations under GATT  Article  XXVIII:4.  In closing , he 
indicated that t he Secretariat w ould update the Annual Report of the Goods Council to the General 
Council to reflect t his discussion.  
8.8.  The Council so agreed . 
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