WT/TPR/503  
 
26 September  2023 
(23-6387) Page: 1/3 
Trade Policy Review Body    
 
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW  MECHANISM  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY  
SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF TAIWAN , PENGHU , KINMEN AND MATSU 
Arrangements for Review Meeting  
1. In pursuance of Article  IV, paragraph  4 and Annex  3 of the WTO Agreement, a meeting of the 
Trade Policy Review Body is scheduled for  7 and 9 November  2023 to conduct the  fifth review of the 
trade policies and practices of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and M atsu 
(WTO/AIR/ TPR/150). 
2. This communication sets out arrangements  concerning the review meeting.  In this connection, 
attention is also drawn to the procedures for the conduct of reviews contained in the rules of 
procedure of the Trade Policy Review Body (WT /TPR/6/Rev. 4). 
3. Members' attention is drawn to the use of the "alternative" time -frame by the 
Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu  for submission of 
written questions and responses . 
1  QUESTIONS IN WRITING IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING AND MAIN POINTS  
4. Members wishing to submit written questions to the Member under review should do 
so at least five weeks before the review meeting to allow replies to be submitted  one week 
prior to the  first session of the meeting.  For the forthcomi ng review, such questions should 
therefore be with the Trade  Policies Review Division of the Secretariat ( tprd@wto.org ) by 5.30 p.m., 
on Monday , 3 October  2023 , at the latest . Advance written questions should reach the Secretariat 
no later than the day before the start of the meeting, by 2.00 p.m. at the latest to allow time for 
the Secretariat to process them. Questions sent on the day of the meeting will be processed after 
the end of the first session of the me eting. Delegations are informed that the Separate Customs 
Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu  has opted for the traditional way of handling 
questions and answers.  
5. In accordance  with the rules of procedure of the  TPRB (WT/TPR/6/Rev.4, paragraph  17), 
Members are reminded that they should group their written questions into the following 
three  categories so as to facilitate responses: those related to the Secretariat report (with a 
reference to relevant paragraph num bers); those concerning the Government report (with a 
reference to relevant paragraph numbers); and other questions.  
6. The Secretariat shall identify the main points contained in the questions submitted at least 
five weeks before a review meeting, post them on the Members' Website one week before the 
meeting, and distribute a revised list of main points during the first se ssion of a review when 
questions received after the five-week deadline give rise to si gnificantly new issues. The main points 
may be found on the Members' Websi te under "Forthcoming Meetings:  Documents for Meetings".  
2  ANSWERS IN WRITING BY THE MEMBER UNDER REVIEW  
7. Answers by the Member under review should be distributed in writing. Advance questions 
submitted by the five-week deadline before the start of the TPRB review date should be WT/TPR/503  
 
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  answered in writing by the Member under review one week prior to the start of the 
meeting (31 October  2023 ). Written answers will be made available on the Members' 
website four working days prior to the meeting ( 1 November  2023 ). Questions posed 
subsequent ly should be answered, to the extent possible, before the start of the second session of 
the meeting. Questions left unanswered at the end of the second session should be answered in 
writing no later than one  month after the meeting with some latitude in t he Chair's discretion for 
Members reviewing a very large number of questions.  
8. In the course of the discussions at the review meeting, the Member under review may indicate 
that it intends to provide supplementary information, in writi ng, on specific points raised. Upon 
receipt, the Secretariat will circulate a document containing this information to all Members.  
3  DISCUSSANT  
9. In consultation with the Member under review, the Chairperson of the Trade Policy Review Body 
may choose a discussant who, in his persona l capacity, will introduc e the discussions in the Body. 
The name of the  discussant  for the review of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, 
Kinmen and Matsu  will be communicated later and as soon as possible.  
4  STRUCTURE OF THE MEETING  
10. Trade polic y reviews cover four broad headings:  
a. appreciation of the full range of the Member's trade policies and practices;  
b. relevant background: wider economic and developmental needs, including the external 
environment;  
c. impact of the Member's trade policies and practices on the functioning of the multilateral 
trading syst em; and 
d. general comments by way of assessment and evaluation.  
11. Meetings take place in two  sessions. The first session is devoted to the opening statements by 
the Member under review and the discus sant, and remarks and questions from the floor. 
The discussion in the second session, when the Member under review will reply to questions, is  
based on main themes identified after the opening meeting by the Chairperson, the discussant and 
the Secretariat in consultation with the Member.  
12. As indicated in the rules of procedure for TPRB meetings (WT/TPR/6/Rev.4, paragraph 21), t he 
speakers ' list will follow the order in which questions are rec eived by the Secretariat and in the event 
of more than one batch, t he final batch will determine the order of speakers.  Delegations not 
submitting written questions will continue to speak second, in the order in which their flags are 
raised.  On the day before each review meeting, the Secretariat will post on the WTO Membe rs' 
website a provisional list of speakers for the first session of that meeting, for Members' advance 
information . 
5  DOCUMENTATION AND PRESS ARRANGEMENTS  
13. Reports by the Member under review and the Secretariat are contained in the following 
documents:  
WT/TPR /G/448 Report by the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen 
and Matsu  
 
WT/TPR/S/ 448 Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu : 
Report by the Secretariat  
14. The press embargo for the review of  the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen 
and Matsu  will end at 2.00  p.m. Geneva time on  7 November  2023. WT/TPR/503  
 
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  6  RECORD OF THE MEETING  
15. The record of the meeting will be circulated as a draft to Members for comments on their own 
statements and placed on the WTO website.  
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