G/MA/W/144/Add.1  
 
2 August  2021 
(21-6051) Page: 1/6 
Committee on Market Access   
 
 
FEEDBACK SESSION ON THE WTO DATA DISSEMINATION AND ONLINE TOOLS  
SECOND F EEDBACK SESSION  
Summary by the Secretariat1 
Addendum  
 
 
1  BACKGROUND  
1.1.  On 16 June 2021, the Committee  on Market Access  held its second informal dedicated session 
to discuss Members' feedback on the data dissemination and  online  tools developed by the 
Secretariat pursuant to paragraph 15 of the Decision o n the Modalities and Operation of the 
Integrated Database (the IDB De cision) .2 
1.2.  The first feedback session was organized on 17  July 2019 and the Secretariat summarized the 
results of that session in document G/MA/W/144 .3 Since then, the Secretariat had implemented a 
number of improvements to existing publications and datab ases based on Members' comments and 
had developed new tools in response to their needs.  
1.3.  At th e meeting, Members had the possibility  to provide comments  and suggestions  on 
12 different tools , which were categorized in three groups: i) tariff and import data; ii) latest 
developed tools; and iii) WTO -wide projects. For each of the tool s, the Secretariat made a 
presentation and highlighted the main changes and new features that had been  implemented in 
response to Members' feedback . In providing their  comments, d elegations were invited to answer 
three questions that had been raised in the convening email  dated 4 June 2021 : 1) had the changes 
implemented by the Secretariat contributed to improve th e tool?; 2) what features/implemented 
changes did Member s consider to be the most useful?; and 3)  what other changes or new features 
should the Secretariat include in this tool?. Four Members4 took the floor to ask questions or provide 
feedback on one or more of the tools presented.  
2  SUMMARY OF TOOLS PRESENTED AND MEMBERS' FEEDBACK  
A. TARIFF AND IMPORT DATA  
2.1.  With respect to the different tools used by the WTO to collect and disseminate tariff and import 
data, at the previous feedback session in 2019, Members had provided the Secretariat with several 
useful commen ts and suggestions that ha d been taken into account in the implementation of changes 
and development of new features. The Secretariat , therefore,  provided an overview of the most 
recent changes  and informed Members of future plans  in this respect .5 
 
1 This document is without prejudice to Members' rights and obligations under the WTO Agreement.  
2 Document G/MA/367.  
3 The PowerPoint presentations of the different databases and tools that had been  made at the meeting  
in July 2019 had been circulated in documents RD/MA/52 ; RD/MA/53 ; RD/MA/54 ; and RD/MA/55 . 
4 Canada; Colombia; Cote d'Ivoire; and the European Union.  
5 The presentation by the Secretariat under the different tools relating to tariff and import data is 
contained in document RD/MA/84.  G/MA/W/144/Add.1  
 
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  - Status of implementation of the IDB decision: comprehensive report on 
accomplishments since the adoption of the Decision in 2019  
2.2.  The Secretariat informed Members about the status of implementation of the various provisions 
in the IDB Decision. This update comp lemented regular reports that had been made by the 
Secretariat at each meeting of the Committee. With respect to notification requirements, the 
Secretariat reported that n otification s of applied non -MFN tariffs , which under the IDB Decision was 
voluntary6, had increased  in 2021, with 37 out of 56 notifications ( 66%) includ ing non-MFN tariff 
regimes  as of April 2021 . Since the new  IDB Decision was adopted in 2019, Members had been 
reminded of their outstanding IDB notifications in a s eparate "call to notify " ahead of the deadline 
for either tariffs or imports , which had resulted in a much higher number of notifications compared 
to previous years for both tariffs and imports . Another new feature was that regular u pdates on the  
status of notifications was made  available in the IDB page of the WTO website .7 Regarding the 
procedures to submit IDB data, the Secretariat reported that Members continued to prefer to 
transmit data by portable media (USB/CD) or as email at tachment s (83% of submissions) ; however, 
more Members had started to use  the File Exchange Facility  (10.3% of submissions) . In order to 
facilitate verification  of IDB data  by officials  in capital, p rovisional data processed by the Secretariat 
had been made available to Members  through a link  in the email  which  showed  the data in  MS Excel 
format. Finally, pursuant to paragraph 16 of the IDB Decision, the Secretariat had prepared a  list of 
Members' official websites with tariff and import data which were publicly available.  This list was 
regularly updated and reviewed by the Committee at i ts formal meetings.8 
- IDB Automatic Data Transmission: Secretariat's partnership with UNCTAD for 
Members using ASY CUDA world  
2.3.  Regarding the automatic transmission of data pursuant to paragraph 8 of the IDB Decision, the 
Secretariat informed the Committee that it had been contacted by a number of Members interested 
in understand ing how the system  would work. The first a greement had been concluded with Canada 
for which automatic transmission of tariff data to the IDB was already operational. The Secretariat 
had also prepared and circulated  a technical background note and  templates for concluding voluntary 
agreements9, which had been presented at the informal meeting of the Committee on 26 May 2021 . 
More specifically , the Secretariat informed the Committee that  countries using ASYCUDA  would also 
have the possibility  to automatically transmit data under the IDB Decision  through a module that 
was being developed . ASYCUDA was an integrated customs management system for international 
trade and transport operations that has been  developed and maintained by UNCTAD  and is used by 
more than 90 countries . 
- Changes to the World Tariff Profiles  
2.4.  With respect to the World Tariff Profiles10, the Secretariat highlighted  the main changes and 
new features that had been introduced  since this publication  was last presented  to the Commi ttee 
in 2019 . The World Tariff Profiles was a joint publication  of the WTO, the International Trade Center 
(ITC) and UNCTAD, which provide d comprehensive summary information on the tariff and non -tariff 
measures adopted by over 170 countries and customs te rritories . At the 2019 feedback session, 
delegations shared their positive experience with the World Tariff Profiles, which was said to be a 
quick and reliable source of information, in particular for briefing senior officials. The Secretariat 
informed the Committee that the most recent addition to the content of the World Tariff Profiles 
were the so -called "Summary Tables" containing import and export profiles. As an illustration the 
import profiles  included  quick summaries or c ompilations of the trade -weighted average and MFN 
applied tariffs and it was possible to see whether a Member differentiated tariffs based on a specific 
sector. On the export profiles, one of the most important indicators was the  "diversification index ", 
which showed how many different products, based on the HS code, a countr y's exports were 
classified . 
 
6 Paragraph 2.  
7 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tariffs_e/idb_e.htm . 
8 Document G/MA/IDB/W/13 and i ts revisions.  
9 Documents JOB/MA/149; RD/MA/81; and RD/MA/82.  
10 WTO | Economic research and analysis gateway - World Tariff Profiles . G/MA/W/144/Add.1  
 
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  - Data.wto.org: new features and future plans  
2.5.  The WTO Data portal11 was an online system with time  series of general statistical indicators 
related to WTO i ssues, including bound and MFN applied tariffs. When this tool was presented at the  
feedback session in 2019, several delegations had noted that it was relatively new so they were still 
exploring its functionalities and learning how to use it . The Secretar iat recalled Members that WTO 
Data was developed in response to the fragmentat ion of applications on tariffs, merchandise and 
services trade, and non -tariff measures. It was meant to be a one -stop shop for time series on trade 
related data. It included summary information on tariffs sourced  from the IDB and CTS , statistics 
coming from the World Tariff Profiles, as well as bilateral import statistics by product group and 
preferential tariffs. This public  website was meant to facilitate navigat ion and searc h, as users were 
able to personalize the output table s as needed, and  data was available for download  in MS Excel. 
The Secretariat highlighted that i t was possible to add n ew indicators and to integrate statistics from  
other WTO databases in this portal . 
- Tariff Analysis Online (TAO): improvements to the current version  
2.6.  Turning to the Tariff Analysis Online (TAO)12, the Secretariat recalled that, at the last feedback 
session  in 2019 , Members had the opportunity to provide feedback during the meeting, as well as 
through an online survey which was open to capital -based officials and other users .13 TAO ha d been 
recognized by Members as being the most powerful and comprehensive WTO tool for searching and 
analysing tariff and import data, and it was widely used by a large number of users. However, 
Members ha d also recognized that certain improvements were necessary. More specifically, Members 
complained  that TAO had an outdated interface, that  it was difficult to extract data and generate 
reports  and that the format used to exporting data was difficult to operate. In response to Members' 
feedback,  and in the implementation of  the new IDB Decision,  a number of changes and 
improvements had been introduced to  TAO, which include d: i) shortening of "provisional " data period  
from 60 to 30 days ; ii) de -restriction of tariff line imports data , unless otherwise indicated by the 
Member ; iii) p ublication of other taxes and  duties and charges related to impor ts, whenever they 
were included in the notification ; iv) d ownload of CTS files in MS Excel (see paragraph 2.11 ); 
v) possibility to check "provisional"  IDB data in MS Excel directly through  TAO; vi) download of 
reports had been made  available in  other formats, such as  text or MS Excel, but download of full 
database was still available  in MS Access format ; vii) data on preference utilization under the 
PTA-mechanism  was integrated into TAO (Tariff Line Report)  and it was possible to download this 
report in MS Excel format with preferential trade details . 
2.7.  The delegat ion of Côte d'Ivoire  thanked the Secretariat for the presentation on TAO , which was 
found to be a very useful tool , and asked the Secretariat to clarify the difference between TAO and 
the WTO Data  Portal  with respect to data and possible reports.  
2.8.  The Secretariat  (Ms. Adelina Mendoza) explained that  the underlying  tariff and import  data for 
all the systems was the same as it was sourced from the  IDB and CTS databases . Different tools 
had been developed to a llow users to query and search data in different ways.  
B. LATEST DEVELOPED TOOLS  
2.9.  Under this section, Members were given the opportunity to provide feedback on the most recent 
projects that the Secretariat ha d carried out in response to Members'  requests and needs , including 
features  that did not exist at the time of the first feedback session.  
- Consolidated Tariff Schedules  (CTS)  in Excel  
2.10.   At the feedback session of 2019,  Members  noted  that information on WTO Schedules  of 
concessions was mainly made available through files in MS Access, which was  said to be a format  
not readily available to all users. For this reason, Members  requested that th is information be made  
available through other more widely available formats, such as MS Excel.  In response to this request, 
in January 2021 , the Secretariat had started working on a project to make available the latest CTS 
file of each WTO Member in MS Excel format , in addition to the  information already available in  MS 
 
11 http://data.wto.org/ . 
12 https://tao.wto.org/ . 
13 The Secretariat's report on  the survey's results can be found in G/MA/M/71, para 5.14.  G/MA/W/144/Add.1  
 
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  Access .14 The Secretariat explained that t he CTS file s in MS Excel had been designed to present  the 
information following the structure of the Schedule of concession , where  each Part of the Schedule  
was presented in a separate MS Excel sheet . The CTS fi le reflected the latest information on bound 
commitments  based on the latest version of the H armonized System  nomenclature that had been 
certified  for each Member . Members had been allowed to download the draft CTS files in MS Excel 
from TAO from 26 May  2021 to 26 June 2021  so that they could comment on their files. The 
Secretariat reported that only one Member had provided comment s as of the date of the report . 
Following the period for comments, t he CTS files in MS Excel would be made available to the public 
through the different WTO systems, including TAO, the WTO webpage , and the Goods Schedules 
e-Library.  
- Goods Schedules e-Library  
2.11.   The Secretariat provided an upd ate on t he Goods Schedules e-Library15 which was an online 
platform that provide d access to Schedules of concessions and other legal instruments record ing 
tariff and other commitments made by WTO Members. Since its launch in September 2020, Members 
and other users ha d had the possibility of providing feedback including through a contact form that 
was available on the website. Based on such feedback, the Sec retariat ha d developed new tools and 
functionalities  which included: i) the addition of a direct link to download the CTS files in MS Excel 
directly from the website once this information had been derestricted; ii ) creation of a new section 
focusing on HS transpositions, which include d charts and tables showing  up-to-date information  on 
the status of HS transpositions for each Member ; iii) improvements to the search page, with the 
possibility to search by "type of procedure" and "by status of 1980 Procedure s".16 The Secretariat 
informed Members that these new tools were expected to be released by the end of June and that 
the website was also being translated in French and Spanish  in the coming months . 
- HS tracker  
2.12.   In January 2021, the Secretariat had present ed to the Committee the "beta" version of the 
HS tracker17, which is a new application developed in collaboration with the World Customs 
Organization  (WCO) . The main goal of the HS tracker was to allow users to track the changes of 
tariff headings or subhe adings across different versions of the Harmonized System. Since then, t he 
Secretariat ha d been working to finalise this application and to add some new features. More 
specifically, a direct link to the WCO Trade Tools18 had been added at the level of the HS code , 
providing  more information related to the specific subheading selected.  It was also possible to  
download the tables and chart s in MS Excel format  (CSV) with all codes, HS version s and 
descriptio ns. The Secretari at explained that the plan was to further refine the tool and add 
information , and to  formalise the  agreement with the  WCO to further strengthen the  partnership 
and collaboration between the two organizations  on this too l. 
- Database on Quantitative Restri ctions (Q R database)  
2.13.   The QR database19 provided access to information on quantitative restrictions notified by 
Members to the WTO and provide d for the possibility to search and analyse data contained in such 
notifications. Following discussions at  the Comm ittee's informal meeting in April 2021, the 
Secretariat had been  exploring ways in which information collected in the WTO Environmental 
database20 that fall within the scope of the QR Decision could be linked to the QR database. In the 
meantime, measures notified by Members under the QR Decision stemming  from their participation 
in international conventions, including  multilateral environmental agre ements, could be found on the 
QR database (Explore page /other justifications ). 
2.14.   The European Union thank ed the Secretariat for the opportunity to comment on the 
instruments that it had been developed and had been made available to Members. In the EU' s view,  
 
14 The presentation was circulated in RD/MA/85 . 
15 https://good s-schedules.wto.org/ . 
16 The pre sentation was circulated in RD/MA/86 . 
17 https://hstracker.wto.org/ . 
18 https://www.wcotradetools.org/en . 
19 https://qr.wto.org . 
20 https://edb.wto.org/ . 
 G/MA/W/144/Add.1  
 
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  the development of new instruments such as the E -Library or the HS tracker constitute d very 
concrete assistance provided to Members. The EU  encourage d the Secretariat to continue its efforts 
in particular to facilitate access to non -confidential informati on and data. The EU  made regular use 
of most of these tools and ha d noticed that improvements ha d been made , which ha d proven to be 
useful. For example, the EU  encourage d efforts aimed at better accessibility of data, particularly in 
MS Excel format. The EU would  continue to share its experiences and any suggestions with the 
Secretariat as they used  these tools and databases.  
C. WTO -WIDE PROJECTS  
2.15.   The last part of the feedback session was d edicated to WTO -wide projects so that Members 
could be informed of new initiatives undertaken  by the Secretariat on a larger scale. These initiatives 
were linked to the areas of work covered by the Committee on Market Access but encompass ed 
other areas of the WTO as well.  
- New TAO: future plans  
2.16.   In additio n to improving the current version of TAO  following the feedback received from 
Members in 2019, the Secretariat reported21 that it had started working on a  project to develop a 
newly redesigned  platform that w ould integrate in one place all information and  data on tariffs and 
trade using the most recent technologies. The first phase of this project was to l everage technology 
to improve TAO with a view  to deliver ing a better user experience. In particular, the Secretariat had 
been working on e xploring new co ntents  and d evelop ing new reports and analyses based on 
comments  received from Members at the 2019 feedback session, as well as by participants  in various 
technical assistance activities and suggestions in the  IDB mailbox . In the next phase , the Secretariat 
planned to  engage professiona ls with  wireframe expertise for the conceptualization of the user 
interface  and to work on defining the calculation of statistical indicators . 
- Open Trade Data Initiative (OTDI) and WTO API Portal  
2.17.   Lastly, the  Secretariat presented the  WTO Open Trade Data Initiative (OTDI) and the WTO 
API Portal .22 The Open Trade Data Initiative (OTDI) had been  launched by the WTO in 2018 following 
discussions between the Secretariat and delegates. The main goal of the OTDI was to create a 
framework that would address the fragmentation and inconsistencies in the tools that had been 
designed by  the WTO to receive or compile data concerning notifications and the systems used to 
disseminate the information. As part of this project,  the Secretariat ha d also developed a WTO API 
Portal23 which aim ed at improving the ways in which the WTO disseminate d its data.  Currently, the 
following data was available through the WTO’s API Portal:  i) the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
Database; ii) dat a from the WTO Data Portal; and iii) the Quantitative Restrictions Database.  
2.18.   The delegation of Colombia  thank ed the Secretariat  for presenting  the tools and projects , 
which w ere considered to be positive developments for the work of the Committee , and the WTO in 
general . These tools had greatly facilitated delegates' work in Geneva and contributed to a more 
active participation by capital -based officials. Colombia h ighlight ed the importance of integrating 
information and exploring interaction across  existing  databases, for example between the  QR 
database  and the Environmental databa se, or between the QR and the Import Licensing database s. 
Colombia  also asked  if and how, within this framework, the Secretariat could improve the information 
about notifi cations which  changed quite frequently and often  seemed to be  outdated.  
2.19.   The Secretariat  (Mr. Stanislav Velev ) replied that the Secretariat was working on a project 
with the Central Registry for Notifications (CRN) which aimed at display ing in a tabular for mat the 
most up -to-date information on notifications.  
2.20.   The delegation of Canada  expressed  appreciation  for the improvements  that had been made 
by the Secretariat and for the  new databases  that had been developed,  which  in Canada's views had  
contribute d to the ability  of delegates  to understand better information provided by WTO M ember s 
and to dig deeper in some of this information. Canada also a ppreciate d the Secretariat's initiative to 
inform Members of the latest deve lopment and to provide  opportunit ies to exchange information . 
 
21 The presentation is contained in document RD/MA/84.  
22 The two presentations were circulated in docume nts RD/MA/87 and RD/MA/88.  
23 https://apiportal.wto.org/ . G/MA/W/144/Add.1  
 
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  With respect to the WTO API portal , Canada  was interested in understanding how it worked for 
Members to receive info rmation via this system, if this was done automatically or if the Member had 
to make a request to receive such information . 
2.21.   The Secretariat  (Mr. Stanislav Velev ) explained that users had to register and receive a token 
in order to be able to submit requests for information for any of the APIs available. Users would 
need to connect o n a regular basis to check if information had changed . 
2.22.   The Chairperson  thanked the Secretariat for the presentations and Members for their 
questions and comments. He reminded the Committee  that t his was not the last opportunity to 
provide feedback  as the Secretariat stood ready to engage with Members in any format . These 
databases were living mechanisms ready to be adjusted to Members' needs and he encourage d 
Member s to make these needs know n to the Secretariat.  
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