WT/REG456/3  
 
13 December 2022  
(22-9262) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements  Original: English/Spanish  
 
 
TRADE CONTINUITY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND MEXICO, GOODS  
QUESTIONS AND REPLIES  
The following communication, dated 2 December 2022, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegations of the United Kingdom and Mexico.  
 
 This document reproduces the follow -up questions addressed to the Parties following the 
105th Session of the CRTA and the responses submitted.  
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Questions from Ecuador  
 
Customs -related procedures  
 
1.1.  Paragraph 3.62: Given that no details are provided in the paragraph, we would like 
to know whether Mexico issues advance rulings on tariff classification, customs valuation 
and origin.  
Reply from Mexico  
 
 The Trade Continuity Agreement between the United Mexican States and the United  Kingdom 
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which builds on the Economic Partnership, Political 
Coordination and Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, 
of the one part, and the United Mexican States, of the ot her part, which includes Annex III to 
Decision  No. 2/2000 of the EU -Mexico Joint Council, does not cover the issuance of advance rulings.  
 
1.2.  Paragraph 3.63: "The Special Committee shall report annually on steel products to 
the Joint Committee".  
 Were meeting s of the Special Committee held from the entry into force of the 
Agreement? Could information be provided on the functioning of this body and the 
outcomes that have been achieved to date?  
 
Joint reply from the parties  
 
 The Special Committee on Steel Produ cts has not met since the Agreement entered into force. 
Its main function is to analyse relevant matters on the steel sector, including trade in steel. Since 
the Committee has not yet met under this Agreement, no results have been achieved to date.  
 
Trade in services and investment  
 
1.3.  Paragraph 4.32: "(...) These amendments modify the Parties' commitments on trade 
in financial services (Annex 1 to Decision 2/2001) and establish a framework for the 
negotiation of mutual recognition agreements between the Parti es". 
 What is the scope and coverage of the above -mentioned framework for the 
negotiation of mutual recognition agreements?  WT/REG456/3  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Joint reply from the parties  
 
 The scope of the framework for the negotiation of mutual recognition agreements is focused 
on the pr ofessional services sector and limited to regulated professions.  
 
 Pursuant to Article 9 of Decision No. 1/2001, the Joint Council is required to "establish the 
necessary steps for the negotiation of agreements providing for the mutual recognition of 
requirements, qualifications, licenses and other regulations, for the purpose of the fulfilment, in 
whole or in part, by service suppliers of the criteria applied by each Party for the authorisation, 
licensing, operation and certification of service suppliers a nd, in particular, professional services. 
[...] Any such agreement shall be in conformity with the relevant provisions of the WTO Agreement 
and, in particular, Article VII of GATS."  
 
 On 15 January 2008, the EU -Mexico Joint Council thus issued Decision No. 1/2008 in order to 
fulfil the requirement under the above -mentioned Article 9, establishing rules providing that:  
 
a. The relevant professional bodies may provide the Joint Committee wi th recommendations 
on mutual recognition, for the purpose of the fulfilment, in whole or in part, by service 
suppliers of the criteria applied by each Party for the authorisation, licensing, operation 
and certification of service suppliers and, in particul ar, professional services;  
b. The Joint Committee may review these recommendations with a view to determining 
whether they are consistent with the Global Agreement and with Decisions adopted by the 
Joint Council itself;  
c. The parties may negotiate, through th eir competent authorities, any agreements on 
mutual recognition that are necessary to put those recommendations into practice.  
In accordance with Decision No. 1/2008, mutual recognition agreements negotiated in this way may 
cover, inter alia :  
 
a. Equivalence of qualifications, including education, experience and examinations;  
b. Equivalence of conduct and ethics standards;  
c. Professional development and continuing education to maintain equivalence;  
d. Local knowledge, covering matters such as local laws, r egulations, language, geography 
or climate;  
e. Equivalence of consumer protection requirements such as professional liability insurance; 
and  
f. Specific treatment for short -term temporary licensing.  
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