RESTRICTED  
  
G/LIC/M/54  
 
20 June 2022 
(22-4746) Page: 1/20 
Committee on Import Licensing   
 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 8 APRIL  2022 
CHAIRPERSON: MR HSIN-LUNG HUNG  (CHINESE TAIPEI)  
The Committee on Import Licensing held its fifty -fifth meeting on 8  April 2022 under the  
chairpersonship of M r Hsin-Lung Hung  (Chinese Taipei ). The agenda proposed for the meeting was 
circulated in document  WTO/AIR/LIC/ 14/Rev.1.  
 
1   MEMBERS' COMPLIANCE WITH NOTIFICATION OBLIGATIONS: DEVELOPMENTS 
SINCE THE LAST MEETING  ................................ ................................ ..............................  2 
2   WRITTEN QUESTIONS AND REPLIES FROM MEMBERS ON SPECIFIC TRADE 
CONCERNS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  2 
2.1   Document  G/LIC/Q/IDN/46  ................................ ................................ ..........................  2 
2.2   Document  G/LIC/Q/PAN/1  ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
2.3   Document  G/LIC/Q/PHL/7  ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
2.4   Document  G/LIC/Q/EGY/8  ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
3   NOTIFICATIONS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  3 
3.1   Notifi cations under Article  1.4(a), Article  5.1-5.4 and Article  8.2(b) of the Agreement  .........  3 
3.2   Notifications under Article  7.3 of the A greement  ................................ .............................  7 
4   ANGOLA: IMPORT LICENSING REQUIREMENTS – STATEMENT BY THE EUROPEAN 
UNION  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  8 
5   CHINA: CHANGES TO IMPORT LICENSING FOR CERTAIN RECOVERABLE 
MATERIALS  – STATEMENT BY THE UNITED STATES  ................................ .........................  9 
6   EGYPT: IMPORT LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL AND 
PROCESSED PRODUCTS – STATEMENT BY THE EUROPEAN UNION  ................................  10 
7   INDIA: IMPORTATION OF PNEUMATIC TYRES – STATEMENTS BY THE 
EUROPEAN  UNION, INDONESIA AND THAILAND  ................................ ...........................  11 
8   INDONESIA: IMPORT RESTRICTION: COMPULSORY REGISTRATION BY  
IMPORTERS OF STEEL PRODUCTS – STATEMENT BY JAPAN  ................................ ..........  12 
9   INDIA: QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN PULSES – STATEMENT BY 
CANADA  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  13 
10   INDONESIA: IMPORT LICENSING REGIME FOR CERTAIN TEXTILE PRODUCTS – 
STATEMENTS BY THE EUROPEAN UNION AND JAPAN  ................................ ....................  14 
11   INDONESIA: IMPORT RESTRICTION ON AIR CONDITIONERS – STATEMENTS BY  
THE EUROPEAN UNION AND JAPAN  ................................ ................................ ..............  15 
12   THAILAND: IMPORTATION OF FEED WHEAT – STATEMENT BY THE EUROPEAN 
UNION  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  15 
13   IMPROVING TRANSPARENCY IN NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES OF THE  
AGREEMENT – REPORT BY THE CHAIRPERSON  ................................ ..............................  16 G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  14   CALL TO UPDATE THE CONTACT LIST OF DELEGATIONS ON THE WEBSITE – 
G/LIC/INF/4  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  19 
15   DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING  ................................ ................................ .................  19 
16   ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON  ................................ ................................ ...........  20 
 
The Chairperson  proposed  the adoption of  the agenda for this meeting , contained in 
document  WTO/AIR/LIC/14/Rev.1.  No items were raised under Other Business.  
The agenda was adopted . 
1  MEMBERS' COMPLIANCE WITH NOTIFICATION OBLIGATIONS: DEVELOPMENTS SINCE 
THE LA ST MEETING  
1.1.  The Chairperson  stated that he had been informed by the Secretariat that, to date, a total of 
71 notifications had been received under various provisions of the Import Licensing Agreement since 
the Committee's previous meeting, 69 of which had b een listed in the Airgram for consideration at 
that day's meeting. Two additional  N/3 notifications from Honduras  and Panama had been received 
by the Secretariat  after the Airgram had closed and  before the meeting .1 These notifications  would 
be reviewed at the Committee's next meeting.  
1.2.  In particular, the Chairperson  noted that 42 N/2 notifications under Articles  1.4(a), 8.2(b) and 
5.1-5.4 had been submitted  since the Committee 's previous  meeting.  All these N/2  notifications had 
been submitted using the revised notification form contained in document  G/LIC/28 to notify new 
import licensing regulations or changes thereof. In addition, 29 N/3 notifications containing replies 
to the annual questionnaire had been  submitted under Article  7.3 o f the Agreement since the 
Committee 's previous  meeting. The Chairperson  thank ed all those Members that had provided 
notifications for their efforts and dedication.  
1.3.  The Chairperson  recall ed that submitting replies to the annual questionnaire before 
30 Septe mber each year was an annual obligation for all Members. He also remind ed delegations 
that Members ha d to notify their import licensing regulations and changes to those regulations within 
60 days of their publication. As of that day's meeting , ten Members had submitted their replies to 
the questionnaire for 2022, only 39 for 2021, 33 for 2020, and 44 for 2019. He further noted that 
22 Members had never  submitted any reply to the questionnaire  and that 13 Members had never  
submitted any notification under the Import Licensing  Agreement since joining the WTO. 
He encourage d those  Members to notify and to contact the Secretariat for technical assistance.  
1.4.  The Chairperson noted that Members in the Committee and the Secretariat ha d undertaken 
and were going  to undertake several initiatives to improve the record of notification compliance. 
In 2022, the Secretariat would hold  an Import Licensing and Notifications Workshop. To benefit from 
a larger representation from all WTO Members , the activity would  take place in virtual format and in 
the three WTO  official languages. Specific dates for the workshop would  be communicated in due 
course. The purpose of the workshop will be  to enhance participants' understanding of import 
licensing pr ocedures and notifications and to train government officials  in fulfilling the different types 
of notification requirements under the Agreement.  
1.5.  The Chairperson stated that , while the Secretariat was always available to engage in this type 
of activity , he was also  seeking guidance from Members in the Committee on how to ensure that 
they all fully live d up to their notification obligations under the Agreement.  
1.6.  The Committee took note . 
2  WRITTEN QUESTIONS AND REPLIES FROM MEMBERS ON SPECIFIC TRADE CONCERNS  
2.1  Docu ment  G/LIC/Q/ID N/46  
2.1.  The representative of the United States  said that her delegation had underst ood that Indonesia 
had issued Presidential Regulation No.  32/2022 on Commodity Balance, signed by President Widodo 
 
1 Documents  G/LIC/N/3/HND/13  and G/LIC/N/3/ PAN/13. G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  on 21  February  2022, and that this policy had already been implemented on 1  January  2022 for 
certain commodities.  Her delegation wished to know when Indonesia intend ed to notify this 
regulation to re levant bodies of the WTO  and strongly encourage d Indonesia to notify its draft 
regulations prior to their implementation to allow Members an opportunity to comment  on them . 
2.2.  The representative of Indonesia  said that his delegation stood ready to address Mem bers' 
concerns following its statement at the  October  2021 meeting . Regarding  the Commodity Balance, 
he said that his government was coordinating among several government agencies to determine 
whether  it was relevant to notify such a regulation to the Committee. He noted that the Commodity 
Balance aim ed at facilitat ing a better business environment  and creating certainty in doing business 
and the free flow of goods. The Commodity Balance was a policy evaluation tool used by the 
government for transparen cy purposes and based on accurate data that would be implemented by 
relevant ministerial institutions . As such , it did not represent an additional burden in the Indonesian 
import regime.  From the perspective of government policy, the Commodity Balance would provide 
complete, detailed, transparent , and accurate data for the relevant Ministries and for businesses, 
would aim to support transparency and certainty in doing business, and would includ e forecasting 
for business development.  
2.2  Document  G/LIC/Q/ PAN/1  
2.3.  The representative of the United States  drew Members' attention to the written questions by 
the United States to Panama contained in document  G/LIC/Q/PAN/1. She said that the United States 
was concerned by the actions of the Government of Panama that  limited volumes of imported onions  
and which appear ed to be a type of quantitative restriction with a local purchase requirement.  She 
stated that her delegation would have appreciate d substantive responses from Panama and look ed 
forward to engaging on thi s issue.  
2.4.  The representative of Panama  thank ed the United States for its questions. She said that her 
delegation would be holding consultations with capital  on this matter and that they would  provide  
responses to the Committee in due course.  
2.3  Document  G/LIC/Q/ PHL/7  
2.5.  The representative of the United States  drew Members ' attention to the written questions by 
the United States to the Philippines contained in document  G/LIC/Q/PHL/7.  She said that her 
delegation had received responses to its questions the pre vious evening, and that they would  be 
reviewing those responses and would  revert with any further questions to the Philippines.  
2.6.  The representative of the Philippines  said that her delegation had taken note of th e new 
questions from the United States, as ci rculated in document  G/LIC/Q/PHL/7. Her capital was 
studying these additional questions and would provide  its replies in due course.  As reference d by 
the representative of  the United States, she inform ed the Committee that the Philippines had, on 
the previ ous day, provided their written replies to the United States ' questions contained in 
document  G/LIC/Q/PHL/6 , in addition to their preliminary responses provided in 
document  G/LIC/Q/PHL/5 , dated 13 July 2021.  
2.4  Document  G/LIC/Q/ EGY/8  
2.7.  The representative of the European Union  said that her delegation would  raise questions 
regarding Egypt 's import licensing requirements  under agenda item  6. 
2.8.  The Committee took note  of the questions and replies and of the statements made.  
3  NOTIFICATIONS  
3.1  Notifi cations under Article  1.4(a), Article  5.1-5.4 and Article  8.2(b) of the Agreement  
3.1.  The Chairperson  informed Members that 42  N/2 notifications, submitted by ten  Members, had 
been listed for the Committee's consideration at that meeting. The absence of N/1  notifications could  
be explained by the fact that Members that were introducing new licensing procedure s or modifying 
existing procedures were doing so, overwhelmingly , using the revised 2019  notification template G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  contained in document  G/LIC/28 , and were thus fulfilling their notification requirements under 
Article  1.4(a), Article  8.2(b) , and Article  5.1-5.4 with one  notification form, namely the N/2  form.  
He noted that Members had notified new regimes and had continued to make great efforts to provide 
missing information on existing regimes using the notification form contained in document  G/LIC/28. 
He thank ed all those Members that had made efforts to improve the transparency of t heir respective 
import licensing regimes.  Due to the large number of notifications on the agenda, and with a view 
to making the review process more efficient, he said that he would not read out the document 
symbol of each notification one by one . Instead, he proposed that the Committee review the 
notifications  in groups , following a sequence by notifying Member. He noted that this approach d id 
not prevent any Member from raising questions regarding any particular notification under review.  
3.2.  The following  notifications under Article  5.1-5.4, Article  1.4(a), and Article  8.2(b) of the 
Agreement were reviewed by the Committee:  Argentina  (G/LIC/N/2/ARG/28/ Add.11 and 
G/LIC/N/2/ARG/28/ Add.12); European Union  (G/LIC/N/2/EU/15  - G/LIC/N/2/EU/18; 
G/LIC/N/2 /EU/13/ Corr.1; G/LIC/N/2/EU/14/ Corr.1; G/LIC/N/2/EU/15/ Corr.1; 
G/LIC/N/2/EU/16/ Corr.1); Hong Kong, China  (G/LIC/N/2/HKG/18; G/LIC/N/2/HKG/18/ Corr.1; 
G/LIC/N/2/HKG/19); India (G/LIC/N/2/IND/18 -G/LIC/N/2/IND/20); Republic of Korea  
(G/LIC/N/2/KOR/4 2 - G/LIC/N /2/KOR/48; G/LIC/N/2/KOR/42/ Corr.1; G/LIC/N/2/KOR/46/ Add.1); 
Myanmar (G/LIC/N/2/MMR/4 ; G/LIC/N/2/MMR/5 ; G/LIC/N/2/MMR/6) ; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  
(G/LIC/N/2/SAU/3) ; Seychelles (G/LIC/N/2/SYC/2  and G/LIC/N/2/SYC/3) ; Ukraine 
(G/LIC/N/2/UKR/14  - G/LIC/N/2/UKR/ 21); and United Kingdom  (G/LIC/N/2/GBR/13 ; 
G/LIC/N/2/GBR/13/ Corr.1; G/LIC/N/2/GBR/14 ). 
3.3.  The representative of Colombia  thanked Argentina for its notifications and said that her 
delegation wanted to comment on them.  
3.4.  As in previous meetings, she  drew attention to the fact that there were constant changes in 
the procedures, scope of application , as well as delays in the processing of import licences, despite 
compliance with all the requirements and documentation required by the Argentinian authori ties. 
In particular, her delegation asked Argentina to indicate what changes had been introduced by 
notifications  G/LIC/N/2/ARG/28/ Add.11 and G/LIC/N/2/ARG/28/ Add.12 with regard to products 
covered by non -automatic licences. Her delegation wished  to know i n detail which tariff subheadings 
and which specific products were covered,  and which no longer require d licences, as compared to 
the previous regime , in order to be certain about the scope of application. Her delegation also  wished  
to know if Argentina  planned to introduce new modifications, so that business es in Colombia could  
prepare in advance for any new requirements.  
3.5.  She added that her delegation wished  to highlight  the fact that some licences that previously 
took no more than 72  hours to be approved currently could take several weeks, without any 
indication of the reasons for the delays or any request for further information to complete the 
procedure. Given that the notifications indicate d that the purpose of the licences was administrativ e 
and, in particular , to obtain statistical information, there was no explanation as to why the issuance 
of licences was taking several weeks. She invited the Argentin ian authorities to contact her 
colleagues in capital should they require  additional detai ls that could facilitate these processes. 
Finally, she said that her delegation appreciate d the willingness of the Argentin ian authorities to 
address the ir doubts and concerns in bilateral dialogues, both in Buenos Aires and in Geneva.  
3.6.  The representative o f the United States  thank ed Argentina for continuing to notify the ongoing 
changes to its import licensing regime  and said that this demonstrate d the value of transparency 
through the Committee, including consistent notifications . However, like Colombia , her delegation 
would have appreciated more expedient notification of expected changes coming forward, if there 
were any. She said that her delegation still ha d concerns about the import licensing regime of 
Argentina, and its poten tial to burden trade. The United States also hoped that Argentina would  
reconsider its use of non -automatic licences , and otherwise find ways to reduce formalities and 
facilitate trade.  
3.7.  The representative of the United Kingdom  thank ed Argentina for their a dditional notifications 
on import licen sing procedures, as well as previous written replies to follow -up questions relating to 
their import licen sing system.  He said that the United Kingdom was interested in the issues raised 
by Colombia and the United Sta tes and that UK businesses were still experiencing difficulties in 
getting goods into the Argentinian market. The issues relate d particularly to the processing times 
for import licences , the increasing use of non -automatic licences, and complex approval pr ocesses G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  and requirements in Argentina.  His delegation wished to ask whether Argentina would  be looking to 
reduce the number of products subject to non -automatic licences . Moreover, his delegation was  
concerned with the timings for approval of import licenc es as they impact ed business predictability 
and obligations to consumers on the market.  
3.8.  The representative of Argentina  thank ed the delegation s of Colombia , the United States,  and 
the United Kingdom for their comments and their interest in the importing system of Argentina and 
said that their concerns would  be transmitted  to capital for analysis.  She asked the delegations of 
the United States and the United Kingdom if they could submit their question s in writing to  facilitate 
the transmission to capital.  She also thank ed Colombia for its comments and for stressing the 
importance of dialogue on a bilateral level . Her delegation was  also willing to continue conversations 
with the three  delegations that had made statements and to undertake further bilateral contact s if 
necessary.  
3.9.  The representative of India said that  India ha d made three  import licensing -related 
notifications through documents  G/LIC/N/ 2/IND/18, G/LIC/N/2/IND/ 19, and G/LIC/N/2/IND/ 20, 
demonstrating transparency and establishing a predictable operating environment for their trading 
partners. He noted that free import s of tur/pigeon peas (ITC-HS 0713 6060 ) and urad 
(ITC-HS 0713 3110) had been extended up to 31  March  2023 through India's  Directorate General 
of Foreign Trade Notification No. 63/2015 -2020.  
3.10.   The representative of Ukraine  said that his delegation maintained  the transparen cy of its 
measures at the WTO  and, despite all the horror of the war unleashed by the Russian Federation, it 
continue d to fulfil its notification obligations and demonstrate its commitment to the fundamental 
rules of the Organization . He thanked  the Secretariat for including Ukraine's notifi cations , provided 
under the relevant Articles of the WTO  Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures,  on the meeting's 
agenda. He also drew the attention of Members , for the sake of transparency,  to Ukraine's  
notification in document  G/MA/QR/N/UKR/5/Add.2 , dated 25 March  2022. He said that , due to 
Russia's military invasion of Ukraine,  the Government of Ukraine had been  forced to introduce 
non-automatic licensing for the exportation of certain agricultural products , which  was a forced step 
that was necessary to ensure the national food security of Ukraine in these hard and terrifying times 
for the Ukrainian people.  Russia's  ongoing military attacks on Ukrainian territory had already resulted 
in immense loss of human life, including the lives of children, enormo us destruction of Ukraine's 
infrastructure and economy, and a large -scale humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the region.  
Nevertheless, d espite all the horror that has been  happening in Ukraine,  business still had the 
possibility to work properly. The Government of Ukraine had ensure d that import licences  could be 
obtained through electronic means , and that government officials were doing everything possible 
under  the present conditions to ensure  that businesses could continue to operate uninterrupted.  
3.11.   He explained that  Russia's war was having a profound and growing impact upon trade in 
commodities around the world. Many Members  were already facing problems with 
supplying/importing grain, fertilizers , and metals, of  which Ukraine ha d been a major exporter.  
In this regard, the impact of Russia's actions was significantly affect ing supply chains  and 
transportation of exported goods from Ukraine. Ukrainian export infrastructure and factories  were 
also being destroyed by Russian missiles from land and air. Indeed, n early 30% of Ukraine's 
economy had already come to a halt. Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea and in 
the Sea of Azov had also disrupt ed Ukraine's export s. As a result, commo dity export s from Ukraine 
had been partially suspended. And if  the war continue d, Ukraine would  not be able to supply the 
world with 6  million ton nes of wheat and 15  million ton nes of corn left over from the previous  
harvest , and nor would it be able to fu lly sow and harvest in the current  year. Therefore, as  long as 
Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine continue d, its consequences would  continue , and persist , not only 
for Ukraine,  but also for  the whole world.  
3.12.   He remarked that t he Russian war against Ukraine was a threat to global food security  and 
that t he world was on the brink of a large-scale humanitarian crisis , as mentioned by the heads of 
numerous international organizations and agencies. Immediately stopping the war would  protect the 
world from hunger and famine , would allow Ukrainian farmers and entrepreneurs to re -engage and 
deliver food to those in need , and would allow the Ukrainian supply chain of goods through Ukrainian 
seaports  to begin again . He concluded by saying  that his delegation was  extremely grateful for the 
comprehensive and unanimous support by WTO  Members that stood  along side Ukraine in countering 
the Russian military invasion. Such invaluable contribution s would help to prevent  a "Bucha 
Massacre" taking place across the whole Ukrainian territory.  G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  3.13.   The representative of the United Kingdom  expresse d his delegation's  concern for Russia's war 
in Ukraine and support for the efforts of its international partners. He stated that Russia's assault 
on Ukraine was an unprovoked, premeditated attack against a sovereign democratic state. 
This increase d Ukraine's inability to trade internationally, including by the utilization of 
non-automatic licensing, which ha d a profound impact on tr ade around the world. The effects of the 
war also had a major impact on the global food supply chain, pushing parts of the world to the brink 
of a humanitarian food crisis.  The United Kingdom  and its international partners stood  united in 
condemning the Ru ssian government's reprehensible actions, which were an egregious violation of 
international law and the United Nations Charter. As a Permanent Member of the United Nations  
Security Council, Russia ha d a particular responsibility to uphold international pe ace and security. 
Instead, it was violating the borders of another country and its actions were causing widespread 
suffering. He concluded by saying that Russia must urgently de -escalate and withdraw its troops ; 
Russia  must also be held accountable for its  actions and stop undermining democracy, global 
stability, and international law.  
3.14.   The representative of the United States  reiterate d her delegation's  strong support for Ukraine 
during this unimaginably difficult time . The US also support ed and affiliate d with statements by 
Ukraine and the United Kingdom,  and others , calling upon Russia immediately to desist from its use 
of force against Ukraine and refrain from any further unlawful threat or  use of force against any 
EU member State. 
3.15.   The representative of Canada  said that her delegation joined others in strongly condemning 
Russia's unjustifiable and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.  The attacks were causing widespread 
humanitarian consequences a nd resulting in the senseless deaths of innocent people. She said that 
the international community had to be  seized  of this issue , which was not just an attack on Ukraine, 
but an attack on international law, including the UN  Charter, as well as democracy, freedom , and 
human rights.  
3.16.   The representative of the European Union  said that her delegation also  associate d with the 
statements delivered by previous speakers . She recalled that , at the informal General Council that 
had taken place the previous  week, the European Union  had already condemned in the strongest 
possible terms Russia' s aggression against Ukraine. The EU had also circulated a Joint Statement 
explaining the trade measures that the European Union  and other partners were adopting against 
Russia. Th e purpose of these measures was  to restore peace and security as soon as possible, in full 
respect of Ukraine' s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Following the horrific images in the wake 
of Russia' s withdrawal from the North of Ukraine at the end of last week, the European Union  
intend ed to take further measures to help Ukraine and sanction Russia.  
3.17.   She said that t hese actions had come as a response to Russia's act of aggression against 
Ukraine. She added that Russia's war of choice against Ukraine  could not be ignored, and that Russia 
bore full responsibility for that act and its consequences  and b ecause of Russia's invasion of Ukr aine, 
trade in goods in and from Ukraine had been  strongly disrupted. The European Union was  greatly 
concerned about the trade impact of the illegal, unprovoked, and unjustifiable aggression against  
Ukraine from the Russian Federation, in particular as concerned  the supply of a number of 
commodities, notably agricultural products and fertilizers. The food security situation was already 
dramatic for those directly involved in Ukraine. However, the  impact of the Russian aggression was 
also likely to spill ove r and seriously challenge food availability  globally , in particular  in some net 
food-importing Members . Finally, she remarked that the European Union  strongly reject ed Russia's 
attempts to blame international sanctions for the looming global food security crisis that was directly 
caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine and its people. The EU sanctions did not target the 
agricultural sector of the Russian  Federation. The EU  sanctions were targeting Russia's  ability to 
finance its aggression against Ukr aine and its people.  She concluded by saying that the European 
Union  and its member States stood  in full solidarity with Ukraine and its people.  
3.18.   The representative of Japan  said that his delegation condemned Russia' s aggression against 
Ukraine in the strongest terms, as it clearly infringe d upon Ukraine' s sovereignty and territorial 
integrity, constitute d a serious violation of international law prohibiting the use of force , and was a 
grave breach of the United Nations Charter. Japan also strongly urge d Russia to cease the attack 
and withdraw its forces back to Russian territory immediately. This was the only way to stop the 
supply chain disturbances , including disturbances to the food supply chain,  which  had already begun 
adversely affecting many count ries. Japan stood  in solidarity with Ukraine and its people, together 
with the international community.  G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  3.19.   The representative of the Russian Federation  said that d iscussions about  facilitati ng the 
situation  in Ukraine, including the humanitarian situation , belonged in the UN  Security Council and 
other relevant UN  Bodies, where  unfortunately Russia's arguments had fallen  on the deaf ears of 
those  countries that were taking the floor on this issue at the WTO.  He added that c onsideration of 
matters of global or regional security concerns , as well as  UN Charter enforcement or compliance , 
did not fall under the mandate of the Import Licensing Committee  and went far beyond the agenda 
of that day's  meeting.  He called on the Chairperson  to moderate the discussion accordingly,  including  
by not permitting interventions from delegations that ignored  this basic consideration. He also  called 
upon delegations to refrain from interventions outside the scope of the terms of reference of the 
Committee and that day's  meeting agenda.  
3.20.   The representative of  the Republic of Korea  thank ed Ukraine for its statement and for its 
commitment to transparency and the rules-based global trade order, despite the current 
circumstances. He also echo ed previous speakers regarding the situation in Ukraine. The Korean 
government strongly condemn ed Russia's invasion of Ukraine as being a violation of the principles 
of the UN  Charter . He emphasized that Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity , and political 
independence must be respected.  His delegation share d the deep concerns of the international 
community over the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.  
3.21.   The representative of Chines e Taipei  joined previous speakers in raising his delegation's  
serious concerns about the war, which ha d led to a large number of civilians, including children , 
losing their lives. He stated that t his was absolutely unacceptable from any perspective , a clea r 
violation of human rights , and an obvious breach of the rules -based international order . His 
delegation condemn ed the military attack and call ed for the unjustified attacks to stop immediately . 
3.22.   The representative of Georgia  joined previous speakers in ex tending his delegation's  full 
solidarity to Ukraine and its people. Georgia strongly condemn ed Russia's unprovoked , unjustified , 
and premeditated military aggression against Ukraine. Russia's attacks on civilian infrastructure , 
including kindergartens, schools , and hospitals , represent ed an assault and a blatant violation of key 
principles of the UN  Charter  and the  Helsinki Final Act. His delegation called upon the Russian 
Federation immediately and without any preconditions to cease its military aggression against 
Ukraine and withdraw its military forces from the territory of a sovereign and democratic state.  In 
concluding, he reiterated his delegation's  unwavering support for the independen ce, sovereignty , 
and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.  
3.23.   The representative of  the Republic of Moldova  thank ed Ukraine for its statement and its 
notification, despite these difficult times. She said that Moldova stood  in solidarity with the people 
of Ukraine and join ed the voices of others in condemning, in the strongest terms, the Russian war 
against Ukraine.  Her delegation strongly believe d that the WTO should not stand aside and that  this 
war could not  be taken as business as usual in the WTO. Her delegation stood  for international law 
and the principles on which this Organization was founded , and in support of Ukraine's sovereignty 
and its  territorial integrity.  Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine was causing 
great  suffering and tragic loss of life on a daily basis. All Members were affected by this war and 
economies were also being jeopardi zed by it. Her delegation  called upon Russia immediately to stop 
its military aggression and withdraw its forces from Ukraine's territory.  She concluded by saying that 
Moldova would  continue to provide all necessary support to the Ukrainian people escaping from the 
war. 
3.24.   The Committee  took note  of the notifications and statements made.  
3.2  Notifications under Article  7.3 of the Agreement  
3.25.   The Chairperson  noted that  27 notifications had been listed for the Committee's consideration. 
While most  of the notifications had been notified for 202 1, there were also notifications for  2020 and 
2022. Two additional  N/3 notifications from Honduras and Panama had been submitted after the 
Airgram had been issued and would be reviewed at the Committee's subsequent meeting.2 
3.26.   The following notifications und er Article  7.3 were reviewed by the Committee:  Albania 
(G/LIC/N/3/ALB/11); Cambodia (G/LIC/N/3/KHM/4); Chile (G/LIC/N/3/CHL/9); Colombia 
 
2 Documents  G/LIC/N/3/HND/13  and G/LIC/N/3/ PAN/13. G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  (G/LIC/N/3/COL/15); Costa Rica (G/LIC/N/3/CRI/18); Cuba (G/LIC/N/3/CUB/11); Georgia 
(G/LIC/N/3/GEO/9); Hong Kong, China  (G/LIC/N/3/HKG/25); India (G/LIC/N/3/IND/21); Indonesia 
(G/LIC/N/3/IDN/13); Japan (G/LIC/N/3/JPN/20); Kazakhstan (G/LIC/N/3/KAZ/6); Republic of Korea 
(G/LIC/N/3/KOR/14); Mauritius (G/LIC/N/3/MUS/11); Montenegro (G/LIC/N/3/MNE/5); 
New Zealand (G/LIC/N/3/NZ L/8); Nicaragua (G/LIC/N/3/NIC/11, G/LIC/N/3/NIC/12 and 
G/LIC/N/3/NIC/13) ; Philippines (G/LIC/N/3/PHL/14/R ev.1); Russian Federation 
(G/LIC/N/3/RUS/6); Seychelles (G/LIC/N/3/SYC/4); Singapore (G/LIC/N/3/SGP/17); 
Switzerland  (G/LIC/N/3/CHE/17); United Arab E mirates (G/LIC/N/3/ARE/2); United Kingdom 
(G/LIC/N/3/GBR/1); and Uruguay (G/LIC/N/3/URY/15).  
3.27.   The Committee took note  of the notifications.  
4  ANGOLA : IMPORT LICENSING REQUIREMENTS – STATEMENT BY THE EUROPEAN UNION  
4.1.  The representative of the European Union  stated that her delegation maintained its  deep 
concern s over Angola's Presidential Decree No. 23/19 aiming to protect domestic industries in a 
manner incompatible with WTO  rules. The EU remind ed Angola that these concerns had already been 
raised in previous WTO  meetings since 2019, notably during the Council for Trade in Goods, the 
Committee on Market Access, the Committee on Agriculture , and, in October  2021, at the Import 
Licensing Committee itself. To date , Angola had not provide d any substantive reply or explanations 
as to how it intend ed to bring this Decree into the remit of WTO  legality. Irrespective of its illegality 
with WTO  rules, the EU reiterate d the need for Angola to provide the clearest possible picture of its 
process regarding this Decree, including  any changes it wishe d to introduce , and in which sectors . 
Therefore, her delegation once again strongly  urged Angola to review its relevant measures in order 
to ensure their compliance with WTO  rules.  Specifically con cerning the remit  of the Committee  on 
Import Licensing , she noted that the Decree did not provide any information on how the restrictions 
had been  implemented. Notably , it was unclear if licences  were to be used to manage the restrictions. 
Therefore, the EU request ed Angola to clarify this question . At the same time, the EU remind ed 
Angola of its obligation under the Import Licensing Agreement to notify the measure s should licences  
be involved in the i mplementation of the Presidential Decree  in question . She concluded by saying 
that, depending on Angola' s engagement on this issue, the EU would decide on which approach to 
take to ensure an adequate protection of its trade interests.  
4.2.  The representative of  the United States  indicated  that her delegation continue d to have 
significant concerns about  Presidential Decree No.  23/19, issued in January  2019. The US had been 
pleased to hear the Angolan delegate's statement at the 21  October  2021 Committee on Import 
Licensing , indicating that Angola would  continue to work with the competent authorities to address 
the various trade issues raised by Members. Her delegation was wondering whether Angola had  an 
update on that review to harmonize  the Decree with WTO  rules. The United States underst ood that 
Angola was a developing country with a reliance on imports and was looking to promote domestic 
production and diversify its economy. However, reducing obstacles to international trade, promoting 
stability, and ensur ing competition were all objectives that promote d economic development, and 
the US requested clarity on how Decree No.  23/19 could be reconcile d with those objectives. She 
added that , although at the Committee 's previous meeting,  in October  2021, Angola ha d stated that 
no product was prohibited from being import ed at that time, the US remain ed concerned that the 
Decree, as written, could  limit trade in the future, especially  through potential temporary 
quantitative restrictions. The US also wondered whether  there  was an update on the analysis of the 
Angolan internal capacity to replace the imports in question , as envisaged in Angola's statement at 
the Committee 's previous meeting . 
4.3.  The representative of Angola  thank ed the European Union and the United States for the ir 
questions  and reaffirmed the statements that his delegation had made at previous meetings of this 
and other committees . He added that his delegation was of the view that the information that was 
received by trading  partners did not demonstrate the reality of the current process of imports to 
Angola, which had open and speedy procedures for the issuance of import and export licences  on 
the basis of Decree No. 126/20.  He note d that Angola was mainly an importer of products  and that 
it had been working to gradually change that situation by increasing its national production.  
4.4.  The Committee took note  of the statements made.  G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  5  CHINA : CHANGES TO IMPORT LICENSING FOR CERTAIN RECOVERABLE MATERIALS – 
STATEMENT BY THE UNITED STATES  
5.1.  The representative of the United States  indicated that her delegation had raised concerns at 
several previous meetings of the Committee about the changes to import licensing surrounding 
China' s impleme ntation of its import ban on solid waste, including recyclable and scrap materials. 
The US had requested China to notify any changes to its import licensing regime to the Committee.  
She noted that , unfortunately , China ha d yet to provide any information ab out its current licensing 
procedures for recycled raw materials or other imports, or updates on any planned changes that 
would have been sufficient to alleviate their concerns.  She reiterated her delegation 's concerns that 
certain scrap materials, such as bundled recycled newspaper, had been banned, whereas other more 
processed scrap materials, such as pulped paper and "smelter ready " metals, were allowed. She 
requested China to explain the scientific basis it used to determine which categories of scrap 
materials were acceptable and which were not. 
5.2.  She added that the United States continue d to seek more information regarding this policy, as 
China ha d yet to meaningfully respond to any of their questions. Specifically,  she asked : 
- If China could confirm that a November  2020 notice jointly issued by the Ministry of Ecology 
and Environment, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform 
Commission, and Chinese Customs, in effect as of 1 January  2021, state d that China no longer 
accept ed any applications for import licences  of certain recoverable materials ; 
- if China could explain why these import licensing requirements had not been notified to the 
Committee, and state when the requirements, and other relevant changes , would be notified  
to the Committee ; 
- if China could confirm that it would  issue written regulation s for importation, including what 
was "contaminated " or "clean", and what materials were allowed for importation ; 
- if China would be notifying to the WTO its require ments for import, including relevant 
contamination requirements and standards, which it ha d implemented for the importation of 
recycled raw materials ; 
- if China could explain how these policies were consistent with China' s pro-circular economy 
narrative, given that China appear ed to include recyclable materials within the scope of "solid 
waste "; and, lastly  
- if China could also explain why it ban ned/restrict ed imported recoverable materials, but did 
not restrict domestically sourced recoverable  materials . 
5.3.  She concluded by saying that her delegation looked forward to receiving China' s responses to 
their questions , and going forward, she asked  that China adhere to its notification obligations in a 
timely manner under the Agreement on Import Licens ing Procedures with respect to any new import 
measures.  
5.4.  The representative of China  thank ed the United States for its continued interest in China's 
policy  and said that his delegation had  explained its policy many times in various WTO  bodies. 
He reiterate d that the import prohibition of solid waste taken by China was meant  to effectively 
protect people's health and the ecosystem. From 1  January  2021, China ha d banned all imports of 
solid waste according to China's law on the prevention and control of enviro nmental pollution of solid 
waste and relevant regulations. Meanwhile, China ha d published national quality standards for 
recycled materials for brass, copper, cast aluminium alloys, as well as iron and steel materials.  
WTO Members could  export these recycl ing materials to China through normal trade as long as the 
materials met China's quality standards.  He also reiterated that the relevant measures were fully in 
line with China's  economic  policy , as they not only support ed environmental protection in developing 
the economy, but also the neutralization of domestic and international recycling materials.  He noted 
that more and more developing and developed Members were putting in place  such type of 
measures . Regarding the noti fication  of the measure , he said that China's quantitative restriction 
notifications covered the import restriction aspect of the measures. The notifications in question 
contained detailed information on all China's measures, including tariff lines, their legal basis , and 
their implementation dates. He encourage d all interested Members to look at these notifications.  
5.5.  The Committee took note  of the statements made.  G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  6  EGYPT: IMPORT LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL AND 
PROCESSED PRODUCTS – STATEME NT BY THE EU ROPEAN UNION  
6.1.  The representative of the European Union  stated that her delegation remain ed concerned about 
a number of measures implemented by Egypt, namely its quantitative restrictions for imports of 
meat and poultry, as well as its import measures for seed potatoes announced in 2021 and notified 
to the SPS Committee . 
6.2.  Address ing Egypt's import restrictions on meat and poultry , mainly ducklings and canned meat , 
she said that her delegation reiterate d that Egypt's system of import permits under Prime Minister 's 
Decree No.  2080/2018 and Prime Minister 's Decision No.  222/2018 was inconsistent with Article  XI 
of the GATT ( de jure and de facto import prohibition through quantitative restriction ), as well as with 
several provisions of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures.  Furthermore, Egypt ha d still 
not notified the two  decrees to the WTO.  She argued that, a s mentioned on previous occasions, 
Egypt's system of granting import permits lack ed transparency. The procedures of the committees 
and the calendars of their meetings were not publicly shared. Rejections of import permits were 
communicated orally, without any possibility of appeal. There were no rules stipulating under which 
conditions import permits were approved under each act. In short, the  European Union  urged Egypt 
to stop applying quantitative restrictions on imports of meat and poultry originating in the European 
Union , in compliance wit h WTO  law. 
6.3.  The European Union was  also deeply concerned by Egypt' s new measures on the import of 
seed potatoes, notified to the SPS Committee under notification  G/SPS/N/EGY/119 . While Egypt had 
provided replies to the EU's questions following the notificat ion, her delegation wished  to repeat the 
following points:  
- The new mechanism had been  designed in a way that, in practical terms, limit ed import 
volumes from the European Union  and had an effect comparable to a quantitative restriction. 
Moreover, the int roduction of a fee per ton ne of imported seed potatoes to finance field 
inspections was equivalent to the imposition of a customs duty ; 
- The introduction of a pre -clearance system in the form of field visits in the European Union  by 
Egyptian inspectors was very burdensome, costly, and ma de trade unviable. EU  member 
States had efficient and effective national plant protection organi zations , which could  certify 
that e xports compl ied with importing country requirements in accordance with international 
standards , notably the International Plant Protection Convention and related international 
standards ; 
- Egypt' s technical requirements were not aligned with the growing cy cle of seed potatoes in 
the European Union . Egypt demand ed that import applications be submitted between 
15 March and 15  April of each year, that is, during a period when EU potatoes had not  yet 
been planted. Most of the data required for the applications was not available at that time of 
the year , and the compliance of seed potatoes with Egyptian standards could  only be assessed 
after harvest.  
6.4.  In conclusion, the  European Union  urged Egypt to reconsider its new measures on the import 
of seed potatoes and stood  ready to engage with Egypt to discuss any concerns it may have in this 
respect.  
6.5.  The representative of the United States  noted that, a s raised during the Committee 's meeting 
of October  2021, the US share d similar concerns to those of  the European Union  regarding Egypt' s 
import licensing requirements for certain agricultural products. Her delegation  requested  Egypt to 
address these issues in a timely manner  and encourage d Egypt to notify to the Committee all 
applicable regulations and procedures, listing the products subject to import licensing, providing the 
eligibility to apply for an import licence, the administrative body for requesting an import licence, 
and describing the crit eria and documents considered when issuing an import licence. 
6.6.  The Committee took note  of the statements made.  G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  7  INDIA : IMPORT ATION  OF PNEUMATIC TYRES – STATEMENT S BY THE 
EUROPEAN  UNION, INDONESIA AND THAILAND  
7.1.  The representative of the European Union reiterate d the concerns that her delegation  had been 
raising in the Committee since 2020 regarding the licensing regime for importation of pneumatic 
tyres for motor cars, buses, lorries, motor scooters and motorcycles introduced by India under 
Notificatio n No. 12/2015 -2020 on "Amendment in Import Policy of Tyres " of 12  June 2020.  
She noted that t his ha d become a long -standing issue. It was also very worrying that , despite the 
issue being raised on multiple occasions in this and other WTO  Committees , such as the Market 
Access Committee  and the TRIMs Committee , no progress had been made towards its possible 
resolution.  
7.2.  The European Union  continue d to be concerned about the effect of this measure on the import 
of tyres, which ha d become highly restricted  since June  2020. Only a limited number of licences  had 
been granted to EU  tyres manufacturers and those  had been limited in duration, quantities , and 
types of tyres. After two  years, no  licences had yet been granted for bus and truck tyres. She stated 
that this was a blatant discrimination against  EU bus and truck tyres manufacturers.  Once more, the 
EU urged India to reconsider and eliminate any implicit or explicit quantitative or other ( for example, 
end-user principle) restrictions on the import of repla cement tyres that would be  contrary to 
WTO requirements.  To this end, her delegation invite d India to engage in a constructive dialogue 
with the EU and its member States, and also with other delegations in the Committee . She added 
that s olving such trade irritants was key to facilitating India's trade relations with the EU, especially 
in view of the potential future trade negotiations between the EU and India . 
7.3.  The representative of Indonesia  said that , technically, India's import of tyres from Indonesia n 
manufacturers ha d been hampered since early 2020. He stated that t his ha d happened because 
India ha d unilaterally stopped importing tyres from Indonesia.  In 2020, India had issued a new 
import policy in Notification No. 12/2015 -2020, dated  June 2020, regarding an amendment to its 
import policy on tyres, which changed the import criteria for tyres from free to restricted.  
The implementation of the policy ha d hampered tyre exports to India, considering that the choice of 
tyre products was highly limited, and ha d the potential to eliminate market access for imported 
tyres, considering the various types and sizes of tyre products produced by India , one of the world's 
main producers.  At the beginning of 2021, India had issued import licence s of tyre products. 
However, although there were no official provisions covering the restrictions on the import ation of 
tyres, importers were required to make separate statements via email regarding certain types and 
size ca tegories that had de fact o hampered the export of tyre s from Indonesia.  He noted that  the 
policy ha d had a huge impact and had led to several import licences being revoked. In this regard, 
his delegation sought  further explanations regarding India's import policy regulations conce rning 
pneumatic tyres, as already stated at the Committee 's previous  meeting , in October  2021. 
In particular, Indonesia requested India to elaborate in detail on its import regime for the importation 
of pneumatic tyres, including the requirement to obtain import approvals.  Indonesia felt that the 
arrangement was inconsistent with GATT  provisions on national treatment, as it was  discriminatory 
and favour ed domestic  tyre manufacturers. The policy also had a restrictive effect on imports , and 
was possibly inconsistent with Article  3.2 of the Import Licensing Agreement . Therefore, Indonesia 
request ed India to immediately review the policy to ensure that it was in  accordance with the 
principles of the Import Licensing Agreement . 
7.4.  The representative of Thailand  restated his delegation's  concern regarding India's import 
policies on pneumatic tyres , which had considerably affected Thailand's exports of the products to 
India.  In particular , he said that India's approval process for import permit s for tyres could be slow . 
He reiterated Thailand's request for clarifications and details from India regarding its procedures and 
time-frames for the issuance of import permits for tyres.  
7.5.  The representative of Japan expresse d his delegation's  ongoing concern about the continued 
occurrence, even in 2022, of cases in which the quantity approved by India' s authority was limited 
to less than the quantity  for which  Japanese companies  had applied , without any reasons being 
provided. He asked India to p rovide detailed explanations regarding, first, its reasons for limiting 
the approved quantity , and second, its rationale and criteria for deciding if it would  grant an import 
licence or limit the approved quantity, and under the provisions of  which laws and regulations.  
7.6.  The representative of the United States  support ed the European Union and other speaker s who 
had taken the floor on this item concern ing India' s lack of notifications of its import procedures for G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  tyres. Her delegation urged India to su bmit its notifications of the procedures for Notification 
No. 12/2015 -2020, dated 12 June 2020, to meet its transparency obligations under the Agreement . 
She also request ed India to review and submit all pending applications in a timely manner.  
7.7.  The represe ntative of Chinese Taipei  shared the concern s raised by previous speakers. 
He noted that this situation ha d existed for nearly two  years, since India had announced its 
restrictive import measures on new pneumatic tyres in June  2020. His delegation had repeatedly 
raised its concerns over the issue in the Committee. And w hile it was true that , since 
December  2020, in some cases applications from Chinese Taipei 's companies  had been accepted  by 
India, the number of accepted  cases of tyre imports for the years  2020 and 2021  had declined 
sharply  compared to before the restrictive measures had been  adopted. He further noted that it 
appear ed that India was issuing import licences  only for those kinds of pneumatic tyres  that were 
not produced d omestically , and that it had set a limit on those tyres that were imported , which 
effectively constituted a ban on tyre imports . His delegation had urged India to comply with the rules 
of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures , noting, in particular, that non-automatic licensing 
procedures should be implemented in a transparent and predictable manner and should  not have 
trade -restrictive or trade -distortive effects on imports additio nal to those caused by the imposition 
of restrictions. He also noted that India' s current restrictive measure s were clearly not compatible 
with WTO  rules on quantitative restrictions . Furthermore, in accordance with Article  3.5(a) of the 
Agreement, Members  had to  provide, upon the request of any Member having an interest in the 
trade in the product concerned, all relevant information regarding the administration of the 
restrictions and the import licences granted over a recent period . Accordingly, his deleg ation had  
repeatedly requested  India,  in the Committee , to provide them with information regarding India's  
domestic practices of granting licences under the restrictive measures . However, Chinese Taipei had 
not yet received any information on this from Ind ia. Once again, Chinese Taipei urged  India to 
provide the relevant information concerning its domestic practices of granting licences . He also ask ed 
India to continually review the relevant measures and to take immediate action to ensure that its 
import licensing procedures compl ied with WTO  rules, and to administer such procedures in a timely, 
transparent, non -discriminatory , and predictable manner.  
7.8.  The representative of India thanked the delegations of the European Union , Indonesia , 
Thailand , Japan , the United States,  and Chinese Taipei  for their continued interest in this issue.  He 
recalled that the issue had also been discussed at the October  2021 meeting of the Committee o n 
Market Access and he believe d that his delegation had clarified Members' questions  on that occasion . 
He reiterate d that the non -automatic licensing requirements for tyres were administered in a manner 
which was consistent with t he rules of the WTO  Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures, including 
the time-frame  for the granting of import licences.  The licensing  procedures were being administered 
in a fair manner  as was demonstrated by the fact that a number of licences had been granted 
following  the approval by the Exim Facilitation Committee. He recalled that the import policy 
measure ha d been taken in view of quality issues for the product. For granting licences under its 
non-automatic li censing procedure, India ha d laid down specific criteria to evaluate the applications 
received. The comments of the concerned administrative ministry had been taken into account in 
these non -automatic licensing procedures. Specifically, on Indonesia's ques tions, India's  response 
at the previous Council for Trade in Goods  and Committee on Market Access meetings had clarified 
the technical details.  On behalf of his delegation , he requested  that the proponents of this agenda 
item share specific data on applica tions submitted and any other substantiating information.  His 
delegation remain ed committed to address ing these concerns bilaterally.  
7.9.  The Committee took note  of the statements made.  
8  INDONESIA: IMPORT RESTRICTION: COMPULSORY REGISTRATION BY IMPORTERS OF 
STEEL PRODUCTS – STATEMENT BY JAPAN  
8.1.  The representative of Japan  said that his delegation  remain ed concerned by Indonesia' s import 
licensing measure on steel products based on Indonesia' s Minister of Trade Order No.  20 of 2021 , 
as they continuously f ound cases where the Indonesian authorities had issued import licences  for a 
substantially smaller amount  of steel products than that applied for by importers , regardless of the 
types of licences  concerned. This appeared  to be inconsistent with Article 3.2 o f the Import Licensing 
Agreement and Article  XI:1 of the GATT  1994. He recalled that , at the Committee 's previous 
meeting, Ind onesia had explained that the objective of the measure had been  to protect consumers 
by ensuring the importation of safe products based on thorough application of technical standards. 
However, Japan could not  understand why Indonesia need ed to reduce the amounts  in the licences  G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  in order to ensure product safety. He asked  Indonesia,  on behalf of his delegation , to explain how 
technical standards could  serve as the rationale for a reduction in the amounts in import licences , 
as opposed to the elimination of harmful products. At the same time, Japan  expect ed Indonesia to 
provide details on where and how such a rationale was stipulated in the regulations. Finally, Japan 
urged Indonesia not to substantially reduce the amounts in approved import licences  compared to 
the amounts in  import licence applications. Japan also request ed that Indonesia clarify the rationale 
behind, and criteria for, reducing the import quotas.  
8.2.  The representative of the European Union  share d the concerns expressed by Japan and ask ed 
Indonesia for clarification of its underlying rationale for restricting the quantities for which licences  
were granted, as well as the criteria applied to this end.  Notably, the European Union  was concerned 
that this measure appear ed to be inconsistent with Article  XI of the GATT ( de jure and de facto  
import prohibition through quantitative restriction s), as well as Article  3 of the Agreement on Import 
Licensing Procedures ( non-automatic import licensing ). In light of these inconsistencies with 
WTO obligations, and of the restrictive impact of the measure on trade in steel products, the 
European Union  urged Indonesia to re-evaluate the measure at issue and bring it in to conformity 
with WTO  rules, namely by issuing licences  for steel products automatically, without delays, and 
without limiting the quantities applied for by importers.  
8.3.  The representative of the United Sta tes share d Japan' s concerns about Indonesia' s import 
licensing requirements for steel products, including registration and pre -shipment inspection 
requirements that had the potential to restrict trade in this important area.  She encourage d 
Indonesia , on behalf of her delegation,  to ensure that it issue d import licences  automatically, without 
delays, and without limiting the quantities applied for by importers.  
8.4.  The representative of Indonesia  thank ed the delegations of Japan , the European Un ion, and 
the United States  for their continued interest regarding its regulation  of steel import licensing.  He 
stated that the main aim of the regulation was to ensure that all imported products entering the 
Indonesian market compl ied with the standards, s pecifications , and qualifications related to the 
safety and health aspect s of the use of the steel products. Indonesia ensure d that the 
implementation of the regulations align ed with WTO  requirements on trade barriers and that the  
licensing processing was done electronically , with transparent information and clear rules. 
The import approval process took place  over a relatively short time -period and in line with the 
time-frames set out in the I mport Licensing Agreement.  He concluded by saying that his  delegation  
took note of Members ' concerns regarding the import licensing of steel products and would continue 
to engage with Members as well as several Indonesian government agencies  in this regard . 
8.5.  The Committee took note  of the statements made.  
9  INDIA: QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN PULSES – STATEMENT BY CANADA  
9.1.  The representative of Canada  said that her delegation remain ed concerned with India's 
continued use of quantitative restrictions , digressionary quota allocatio n mechanisms , and import 
licensing procedures, as applied to a variety of pulses and other import commodities. In particular, 
Canada was disappointed that India continue d to apply these measures , as well as minimum import 
prices and single port for entry r equirements , to restrict the import of dried peas.  Canada call ed for 
India to immediately and expeditiously  review its trade restrictive measures put in place on pulses 
and to implement alternative WTO-consistent policy options that promote d a predictable and 
transparent import regime for dried peas and other pulses.  
9.2.  The representative of the United States  share d Canada' s concerns regarding India' s import 
licensing requirements for select varieties of pulses  and urged India to consider less trade restrictive 
requirements and to notify future relevant measures and regulations in a timely manner.  
9.3.  The representative of the European Union  also fully support ed the intervention of Canada  and 
said that her delegation remain ed concerned with India' s import  restrictions for certain pulses . 
The European Union urged India to provide certainty and stability when it c ame to its import regime 
for pulses.  
9.4.  The representative of India thank ed the delegations of Canada , the European Union,  and the 
United States for t heir continued interest in this issue.  He stated that, a s addressed in previous G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  meetings of the Committee on Market Access  and the Council for Trade in Goods, the measures 
adopted by India were temporary and undertaken for the purpose of maintaining food a nd nutritional 
security.  He emphasized that t his was an area of great importance to India's  economy and that the 
polices on imports were regularly reviewed and updated. Notification  No. 63/2015 -2020 made by 
the Directorate General of Foreign Trade on 29 March 2022 extend ed the free import policy of urad, 
HS code 0713.31.10, and tur or pigeon peas, HS  code 0713.60.00, until 31 March  2023.  India’s 
notification  in document  G/LIC/N/3/IND/21 , made under Article  7.3 of the Import Licensing 
Agreement  and circulated on 20 January  2022, clearly set out these measures , and provided their 
background, in  full transparency.  Furthermore, India' s notifications  in 
documents  G/LIC/N/2/IND/18, G/LIC/N/2/IND/19 , and G/LIC/N/2/IND/20 , made under Article  5.1 
to 5.4  of the Import Licensing Agreement , clearly demonstrate d transparent communication on this 
issue. These notifications also show ed that the process of review of import restrictions was agile, 
dynamic , and continuous.  He concluded by stating that India continued to review the measures.  
9.5.  The Committee took note  of the statements made.  
10  INDONESIA: IMPORT LICENSING REGIME FOR CERTAIN TEXTILE PRODUCTS – 
STATEMENTS BY THE EUROPEAN UNION AND JAPAN  
10.1.   The representative of the European Union  recalled that for a long time her delegation had 
been raising concerns in this Committee and in other WTO  committees about  Indonesia' s Regulation 
No. 77/2019, which only allowed for imports of raw materials or unfinished products and materials 
for further processing and resulted in a de facto  prohibition on imports in to Indonesia of EU  finished 
textile items, notably carpets.  Her delegation understood that Regulation No. 77/2019 ha d now be en 
repealed and welcome d this news in light of its inconsistencies wi th Indonesia' s WTO  obligations , as 
the EU had highlighted in previous meetings of the Committee.  Her delegation had also underst ood 
that textile products would  now be subject to the "Commodity Balance " mechanism established 
under Government Regulation No.  5/2021 and Ministry of Trade Regulation No.  19/2021 and 
No. 20/2021, which , however , had not yet been applied to textiles. She said that h er delegation  took 
good note of the introductory statement by Indonesia regarding the Commodity Balance  mechanism 
but would have liked to better understand its application , notably for textiles.  Therefore, the EU 
requested Indonesia to clarify its current import regime for finished textiles, including carpets and 
rugs. She concluded by saying that her deleg ation would  also appreciate  further details on the 
expected timeline and arrangements for the application of the Commodity Balance system to textile 
products.  
10.2.   The representative of Japan  said that , in October  2019, Indonesia had substantially prohibited 
the importation of certain textile products for retail sales by strengthening the import registration 
and approval system provided in the Minist ry of Trade Order No.  77 of 2019. Since then, the world 's 
exportation of textile products to Indonesia had dropped sharply. Global exports to Indonesia in 
2020 had been  reduced to approximately one -tenth of what they had been  in 2019. Exports of carpet 
products classified under  HS57 had been  particularly hard  hit. While the new Mini stry of Trade Order 
No. 20 of 2021 had seemingly replaced the previous Ministerial Order, it had not alter ed the system 
in terms of substance and ha d not changed the system 's trade restrictive effects.  He further noted 
that Indonesia had implemented safeguard measures against the impo rtation of carpet products 
classified under HS57 in February  2021. In their investigation, the Indonesian authorities had 
determined the increase of imports without considering the sharp reduction in imports resulting from 
the import registration and appro val system . This determination had been possible by setting the 
period of investigation as 2017 to 2019, that is, immediately prior to the aforementioned sharp 
reduction  in imports . In addition, these safeguard measures appl ied extremely high  tariffs of ar ound 
150-200% when converted to ad valorem  duties. Therefore , Japan consider ed that these measures 
did not fulfil the requirements for safeguard measures, especially the requirement stating that 
safeguards should be applied only to the extent necessary. He concluded by saying that his 
delegation remained  serious ly concern ed by these measures , as repeatedly expressed on various 
occasions , and Japan again urge d Indonesia to  eliminate them as soon as possible.  
10.3.   The representative of Indonesia  thank ed the European Union  and Japan for their continued 
interest in Indonesia's import regime for certain textile products.  He inform ed delegations that the 
regulation from 2019 , as mentioned by the European Union  and Japan,  had been revoked and no 
longer applie d. Currently the application of import approval s was done electronically  and, if the 
documents were complete and correct, the import ed profile would  be processed in a relatively short 
time-period and in line with the time-frame s set out in  the Import Licensing Agreement.  Indonesia G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  took note in the interest of the EU and Japan in other regulations and policies regarding Indonesia's 
import licensing for textile products, including the Commodity Balance . 
10.4.   The Committee took note  of the statements made.  
11  INDONESIA: IMPORT RESTRICTION ON AIR CONDITIONERS – STATEMENTS BY THE 
EUROPEAN UNION AND JAPAN  
11.1.   The representative of the European Union  stated that her delegation had  certain ongoing 
concerns regarding Indonesia's  import restrictio ns on air conditioners and the import licen sing 
regime under Reg ulation No.  68/2020 in general.  She recalled that her delegation had already made 
interventions on this issue  and ha d questioned the compatibility of the licensing regime with the 
WTO legal fr amework.  
11.2.   The representative of Japan  said that his delegation remain ed concerned about  Indonesia' s 
import restriction on air conditioners based on the Minist ry of Trade Order No.  20 of 2021. Japan 
recognize d the continuous improvement in the level of the quantitative restriction. Nevertheless,  the 
rationale behind  and criteria for limiting the import quotas remained unclear, and Japan was  
concerned that the measure may be inconsistent with Article  3.2 of the Import Licensing Agreement, 
Article  XI:1 of the GATT, and Article  2.1 of the TRIMs. Japan expect ed that the measure would be 
applied  in a manner that did not amount to an import restriction and that was  sufficiently transparent 
with regard to the relevant criteria and procedures. He also recalled that Japan ha d raised this 
agenda item because Indonesia had expressed a preference to discuss the issue in this Committee 
rather than in the TRIMs  Committee. Japan recalled that it had submitted a written questionnaire at 
the TRIMs  Committee  meeting of  Septembe r 2021, and that Indonesia had responded at a 
subsequent  meeting that it was preparing a written answer. Therefore , Japan expect ed to receive 
Indonesia' s response s soon in order  to advance the discussions constructively.  
11.3.   The representative of Indonesia  thank ed the European Union and Japan for their continued 
interest in Indonesia's import regime.  He informed delegations that , in respect of  the import 
restriction on air conditioners , some of the regulations mentioned had been revoked and no longer 
applied. Regarding the import clarification provision, Indonesia believe d that this arrangement was 
necessary to ensure that certain incoming goods met requirements both in term of quality and 
quantity. Indonesia also took note of the other concerns held by the EU and Japan regarding its 
import licensing regime and remained available to further engage with them on these matter s. 
11.4.   The Committee took note  of the statements made.  
12  THAILAND: IMPORTATION OF FEED WHEAT – STATEMENT BY THE EU ROPEAN UNION  
12.1.   The representative of the European Union  reiterate d her delegation's  concern about  Thailand's  
import procedures for feed wheat, including the local corn purchase requirement, and asked Thailand 
why these import procedures had not been notified in accordance with Articles  1.4 and 5 of the 
Import Licensing Agreement.  She reminded Thailand that her de legation  had not yet received written 
replies to its questions submitted to the Committee and circulated as documents  G/LIC/Q/THA/3 
and G/LIC/Q/THA/4. She reiterated her delegation 's interest  in understanding on what basis the 
measure, announced as tempora ry, could be maintained for so long, with its last extension adopted 
in November  2021 to cover the year  2022. She added that the recent decision of Thai land's Ministry 
of Commerce , of 15  March  2022, to suspend the local purchase requirement of corn until 
31 July 2022 did not modify the EU 's concerns and requests. This was only a temporary measure 
responding to the global animal feed shortage caused by Russia' s aggression of Ukraine, whereas 
the underlying non -automatic import license requirement remain ed in place. Therefore, the EU 
maintain ed its request for this measure to be fully discontinued . The EU also repeated its request to 
receive a detailed description of Thailand's  import licens ing procedures , as well as relevant data 
about the actual situation of the corn market , in order to better understand Thailand's justification 
for the measure. Based on the information gathered  by the EU, the average domestic prices in 
Thailand had seen an increasing tre nd since the introduction of the measure in late 2016.  
12.2.   The representative of the European Union further noted that t he support programme for corn 
production and the deficiency payment schemes developed by the Government of Thailand had  not 
been notified to  the WTO. The EU thus request ed that  such notification be made in a timely manner. G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  She further stated that the  supporting measures , which encourage d the expansion of corn 
production , contradict ed the rationale of corn oversupply put forward by Thai land's  authorities to 
justify the measures on the import of corn. This rationale was even less relevant in the current 
context of shortage of feed wheat  due to the Russia n aggression o f Ukrain e. She explained that the 
EU maintain ed strong concerns about  the WTO  compatibility of Thailand's import licens ing regime 
for feed wheat and, more in general, about the apparent priority given to market considerations 
over WTO  rules as a driver for policy decisions in this area. In light of recent developments, the EU 
also consider ed that Thailand' s claim about  "ongoi ng stakeholder consultations " on a possible review 
of the measure s could not  be maintained any  longer. She concluded by saying that the EU was 
looking forward to receiving detailed written replies to its questions as soon as possible.  
12.3.   The representative of  Thailand  thank ed the European Union  for its continued interest in 
Thailand's import policies on feed wheat  and said that Thailand had taken note of the concerns raised 
by the EU, especially those raised at the most recent meeting of the Committee on Marke t Access 
on 30  March  2022, which had already been conveyed to capital for consideration.  As at previous 
meetings of the Committee on Import Licensing and the Committee on Market Access, he reiterate d, 
on behalf of his delegation , that the feed wheat  import  measures were still under thorough review , 
where consultation with all relevant stakeholders had to  be conducted considering that  the animal  
feed industry was of great  importance to Thailand's economy. The review was also considering the 
possible i mpact of the recent hike in the price of raw materials for animal feed in the global market.  
Unfortunately, new developments and challenges in the global animal feed market, coupled with the 
recent wave of the COVID -19 pandemic in Thailand (with  daily case s increas ing almost tenfold as 
compared to  the fourth  quarter of 2021 ), have caused  a delay in the review process.  Regarding the 
issue raised by the EU in respect of  Thailand's domestic support for feed corn , he noted that feed 
corn was also a crucial raw material for animal feed , which  affected many households' income , so 
that prudence had to  be exercised when implementing any policy concerning this important crop. 
As a result, Thailand need ed to gather information from the relevant authorities , which it was still in 
the process of doing,  before a notification could  be made to the WTO.  
12.4.   The Committee took note  of the statements made.  
13  IMPROVING TRANSPARENCY IN NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES OF THE AGREE MENT – 
REPORT BY THE  CHAIRPERSON  
13.1.   The Chairperson  reported on the Committee's informal meeting of 7  March  2022. He read the 
following summary of the agenda items discussed at that informal meeting:  
E-agenda  
13.2.   The Chairperson recalled that , at the 8  October  2021 meeting, Members had approved the 
establishment of an e -agenda for the Committee. The e -agenda would facilitate the work of 
delegations and of the Secretariat in building the meeting agenda , including adding items, making 
relevant documents directly ava ilable to participants in electronic form , and the sharing of 
statements via the e -agenda. He mentioned that the Secretariat import licensing team had 
completed the preparatory work for the launch of the e -agenda. Unfortunately, human resources 
changes in the IT  Division and resource constraints had not allowed the IT  Division to deliver the 
e-agenda on time for pilot testing and launch at the 8  April 2022 meeting of the Committee.  
13.3.   The Chairperson and the Secretariat's import licensing team had been in clos e contact with 
the IT  Division to monitor the situation and ensure that IT  work on the e -agenda for this Committee 
was prioritized. This would allow the testing phase to take place in the summer of 2022 and the 
launch of the e -agenda on time for the Commit tee's formal meeting in October  2022. 
The Chairperson had personally written to the Director of the IT  Division and informed him of the 
priority of fulfilling Members ' decisions in a timely manner.  
13.4.   Several delegations wondered about the rationale behind th e delay in the implementation of 
the e-agenda, considering that it was already in place for several other committees, namely SPS,  
TBT, and CMA. One delegation called for a continuation of the current process after the e -agenda 
had been implemented, to allow Members to become accustomed to the e -agenda. Delegations 
welcomed the continuing efforts to ensure the launching of the e -agenda as soon as possible.  G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  Online N/2  notifications  
13.5.   At the Committee's last formal meeting , in October  2021, M embers had agreed to proceed 
with the development of an online N/2  notification form, entirely based on the notification template 
contained in document  G/LIC/28. The next step in this project, which took place at the Committee 's 
informal meeting , was the r eview by Members of the full form and all the entries in the form one by 
one. 
13.6.   The Chairperson invited the Secretariat to introduce the online form and each entry in the 
form individually. The Secretariat explained that the idea was to convert the exact sam e form 
Members were using into an online form. Members would be able to use it on a voluntary basis. 
It would not eliminate the issuance of the N/2 and N/1  series documents, which would be produced 
and circulated as usual. Finally, the Secretariat explaine d that significant ly more work was needed 
on the IT  side to make this online tool operational. The Secretariat then introduced each individual 
entry in the form for review by Members.  
13.7.   Several delegations supported the digitalization of notifications proced ures and asked the 
Secretariat to share the presentation so that they could transmit it to their capitals. Delegations 
made the following comments and suggestions: (i)  provide for a test period and a transition period; 
(ii) allow the submission of corrigen da, revisions , and addenda via the same online procedure; 
(iii) provide for the possibility of communicating with the Secretariat and revising the submission 
before the notification is finalized; (iv)  provide for the option of saving an incomplete notifica tion on 
the system for future editing; (v)  allow various users from the same Member to access the system; 
(vi) provide training on the new system also in the form of a short video and explanatory notes.  
13.8.   After the informal meeting, the Chairperson met with IT Director Mr Fabrice Boudou  who was 
kind enough to share the difficulties that they were facing. Nonetheless, the Chairperson stressed 
the importance of the decisions made by the Committee being fulfilled in a timely manner. 
The Chairperson indicated that he would do  his best to ensure that the Committee's work was not 
hindered.  
N/3 questionnaire  
13.9.   The Chairperson recalled that at the Committee's previous informal meeting , on 
20 September  2021, some Members had expressed doubts about modifying the N/3  Questionnaire, 
noting that they did not want to lose any of the elements required by the existing questionnaire. 
Other Members noted that completing the questionnaire represented a challenge, especially for 
Members with capacity constraints, and th at the questionnaire would benefit from an updating, 
without losing any of its substantive elements. Members also noted that any change to the 
N/3 Questionnaire should be implemented on a voluntary basis.  
13.10.   At the same time, the rate of N/3  notifications rem ained relatively  low and had followed a 
declining trend over the previous  ten years. Keeping in mind all the priorities expressed by Members, 
the Chairperson indicated that  he wished to explore with the Committee possible ways forward on 
how to improve the  level of annual N/3  questionnaire  notifications , as well as  on how to  address the 
difficulties encountered by several Members in filling out the questionnaire.  
13.11.   Some Members said that they did not favour streamlining or changing the questionnaire and 
expre ssed their concerns over possible data loss. They noted that problems should be identified first 
before any clarification of the questionnaire could be considered and emphasized that Members 
should ensure that they were meeting their notification obligatio ns before thinking about changing 
the process. These Members also suggested that the problems encountered by some Members in 
completing the questionnaire should be addressed by providing technical assistance. Other Members 
expressed support for improvement s to the questionnaire, which would reduce the workload of filling 
it out. They noted that the questionnaire could be updated while still preserving the substance of 
the notification. Other delegations suggested that the Secretariat could start by compilin g a list of  
the problems faced by Members in filling out the questionnaire for review by the Committee and 
recalled that this type of work had been done in the past by the Secretariat in document  RD/LIC/14. 
The Chairperson observed that there were no objec tions to the suggestion of compiling a list of the  
problems faced by Members.  G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  Import Licensing Notification Workshop  
13.12.   The Chairperson recalled that in 2017, 2018, 2019, and in 2021 in virtual mode, the 
Secretariat had organized Import Licensing Notification  workshops in English for Developing Country 
Members. The objective had been  to provide technical assistance to those Members that had  
requested it , and to help Members fulfil their notification obligations in the area of Import Licensing. 
At the formal meeting held on 8  October  2021, several delegations, including developed country 
Members, expressed an interest in this type of activity, while certai n delegations requested that such 
type of activity be organized also in the two other WTO  official working languages, French and 
Spanish.  
13.13.   The Chairperson said that he had discussed the matter with the Secretariat , which was 
working to organize an Import Li censing Notification Workshop also in 2022, similar to those that 
had taken place in 2017, 2018 , and 2019. While Secretariat resources were limited, the team 
working on Import Licensing would be able to conduct such an activity in the three  WTO official 
languages and the workshop would be open to all WTO  Members. Considering the possibility of 
ongoing  travel restrictions and to maximize participation from capitals, the workshop would be in 
virtual mode and would be held in 2022 at a time to be determined , taking into account the 
scheduling of other WTO  events. The Chairperson then invited the Secretariat to make a short 
presentation of the program me of the workshop.  
13.14.   Several delegations supported holding the workshop for all Members in all three  WTO official 
working languages. Some delegations expressed particular appreciation that the workshop would , 
for the first time , take place also in French and Spanish. One  delegation said that it would be a good 
idea if, as part of the workshop, officials were allowed t o work on draft domestic notifications. 
Another delegation suggested that the digitalization of the workshop, with videos available 
afterwards, would also be helpful. Regarding the timing, some delegations suggested that it should 
take place after MC12, or , as in 2021, before the next formal meeting of the Committee.  
Experience -sharing on Import Licensing Procedures  
13.15.   The Chairperson stated that a series of experience -sharing sessions on trade in 
COVID -19-related goods were being organized by the Committee on Market Access , with the most 
recent session having been held on 4  March  2022. He sought delegations' views about the 
Committee holding a similar experience -sharing session on import licensing procedures. He noted 
that the session could focus on COVID -19-related goods or have a broader scope. He stated that he 
would gather Members' opinions before passing the lead on the consultations to the incoming 
Chairpers on. 
13.16.   Some Members commented  that such a session could be useful, but that it would be better 
to hold it after MC12. They also noted that it would be important to receive more information about 
this type of event, and that they would be glad to cooperate wit h the next Chairperson on this matter 
after MC12.  
13.17.   This concluded the Chairperson's report of the agenda items discussed at the informal 
meeting  held on 7  March  2022.  
13.18.   The representative of the European Union  thanked the Chairperson for his comprehensive 
report and for all the efforts that he and the Secretariat had engaged in to make the e -agenda 
possible in the very near future. Her delegation had some concerns about the rationale behind the 
delay in the launch of the e -agenda project as it had already been  implemented in other 
WTO Committees , such as SPS and TBT. Her delegation did not want that one committee was 
prioritized over others in the digitalization of the agenda and appreciated the efforts made to make 
sure that the e -agenda was launched for the I mport Licensing Committee in the near future and 
possibly on time for the next formal meeting of this Committee. Her delegation also strongly 
supported the online platform for notifications, to the extent it was not detrimental to the substance 
of notifications and was implemented on a voluntary basis. Regarding the workshop, she said that 
her delegation would be pleased to participate in any such activity in the near future and would have 
liked the Secretariat to explore the possibility to hold suc h an activity in virtual mode in the near 
future.  G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  13.19.   The representative of the United States  thanked the Chairperson for his comprehensive 
report regarding the Committee's  recent informal discussions on transparency and notification 
procedures. She noted that  there  was convergence  among Members on the various items and 
appreciate d the efforts made in trying to move forward the work that the Committee ha d decided to 
pursue, including its e-agenda.  She stated that , in her delegation's view , timely and complete 
notifications enable d the WTO  negotiating arm to function properly. The information that Members 
had committed to provide through existing notification obligations was necessary to improve the 
operation of WTO  Agreements, Members' monitoring work in WTO  committees, and Members' ability 
to negotiate meaningful outcomes. Therefore,  all these efforts were really important with regard to 
Members' work in this Committee . 
13.20.   She added that h er delegation wished to share their efforts in the WTO  with regard to t he 
transparency proposal,  Procedures to Enhance Transparency and Improve Compliance with 
Notification Requirements , contained in documents  JOB/GC/204/Rev .8 and JOB/CTG/14/Rev .8. 
This proposal  called for an open, Member -driven process to identify and recommend improvements 
to notification practices. It include d constructive suggestions for process improvements and other 
actions that would streamline submission of notifications and improve compliance . Acknowledging 
that many Members face d resource and c apacity constraints and other challenges that could  hinder 
their ability to prepare  and submit notifications in a timely manner, she also noted that any Member 
may seek specific technical assistance and capacity building support to enable it to submit its 
notifications and build its capabilities. In this way, the proposal was structured so as to encourage a 
greater sense of ownership and agency in Members , which would then be able to participate more 
fully in the work of the WTO.  She explained that the proposal could deliver practical and tangible 
changes in notification procedures that would  bring greater transparency to the WTO,  while fostering 
inclusivity and responding to Members ' needs. Co -sponsors of the proposal were  at that time carrying 
out a new ro und of outreach to Members and considering additional revisions with the expectation 
of having a revised proposal ready for the next meeting  of the General Council . The proposal already 
had broad support from nearly one -third of WTO  Members , namely 21 Members plus the EU -27, and 
represent ed a reasonable step that Members could  take to introduce reform to the Organization and 
contribute to a more  stable and predictable trading environment. She concluded by saying that her 
delegation welcomed Members' support for this proposal . 
13.21.   The representative of the United Kingdom  express ed his delegation's  gratitude to the 
Chairperson and to the WTO Secretariat for exploring different options for progress ing with the work 
of the Committee. The UK recogni zed the work t o strengthen transparency by streamlining existing 
notifications, but under the condition that the integrity of vital information was maintained. Similarly,  
to the European Union, the UK also support ed the digitalization efforts around the e -agenda proposa l 
and congratulate d the Secretariat for the creation of the import licensing website.  He added that his 
delegation would endeavour to work with WTO  Members on existing initiatives to ensure that import 
licensing was simple, transparent , and predictable , while not losing vital information needed to trade. 
The United Kingdom  welcome d more constructive proposals in this area. 
13.22.   The Committee took note  of the Chairperson's report and of the statements made.  
14  CALL TO UPDATE THE CONTACT LIST OF DELEGATIONS ON THE WEBSITE – 
G/LIC/INF/4  
14.1.   The Chairperson  recalled that the Secretariat  had circulated document  G/LIC/INF/4 , 
containing a form that Members c ould use to update the contact points of their delegations on the 
import licensing website. The purp ose of the form  was to facilitate communications among officials 
responsible for import licensing issues, both in Geneva and in capitals . The Chairperson  encourage d 
Members to review their contact details on the import licensing website and provide updated  
information to the Secretariat, if necessary.  
14.2.   The Committee took note . 
15  DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING  
15.1.   The Chairperson  informed the Committee that t he Secretariat had tentatively reserved Friday, 
7 October  2022, as the date of the Committee's next formal meeting, on the understanding that the G/LIC/M/54  
 
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  final date would be confirmed in an email circulated well in advance of the meeting, and that 
additional meetings could  also be convened , as required.  
16  ELECTION OF THE CHAIR PERSON  
16.1.   The Chairperson  recalled that the Chairperson of the Council for Trade in Goods had been 
consulting with Members regarding the election of chairpersons for the subsidiary bodies of the 
Council, including the Committee on Import Licensing. However, t o date, no agreement had been 
reached on the slate of names of proposed chairpersons for the Goods Council's subsidiary bodies. 
For this reason, he proposed to proceed as follows. Once the Council for Trade in Goods had agreed 
on the proposed chairpersons for its subsidiary bodies, the Secretariat would send an email to 
Members with the name of the proposed chairperson for the Committee on Import Licensing. If no 
objection was received within the time -frame indicated in that email, the candidate would be de emed 
to have been elected by the Committee by acclamation. The Vice -Chairperson of the Committee 
would be proposed by the new Chairperson and be elected by the Committee based on the same 
approach.  
__________