G/L/1460  
G/MA/W/182  
 
1 December  2022 
(22-8950) Page: 1/12 
Council for Trade in Goods  
Committee on  Market Access    
 
 
REPORT ON THE CURRENT  FUNCTIONING OF THE  
COMMITTEE  ON MARKET ACCESS  
REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON  
The following report is being submitted by the Chairperson of the  Committee on Market Access , 
Mr Kenya Uehara , at the request of the Chairperson of the Council for Trade in Goods1, and was 
prepared with the assistance of the Secretariat.  
 
1  PAST EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE  
1.1.  The Committee on Market Access (CMA , or the Committee) has regularly engaged in 
discussions on improving different aspects of its work and to adapt to new circumstances . As a result 
of these  initiatives , improvements  have been introduced in the following areas : 
• Notification of quantitative restrictions (QRs):  In 2009, the Chairperson of the General 
Council requested all relevant WTO  bodies to discuss how to improve the  timeliness and 
completeness of notifications  and other information flow s in their respective areas . In this 
context, the Committee had examined  how to improve the  level of compliance with the 
notification requirements  under the  1995 Decision on Notification Procedures for 
Quantitative Restrictions  (QR Decision) . These discuss ions led to a revised QR  Decision, 
which was adopted by the Council for Trade in Goods in June  2012 (G/L/59/Rev.1 ) and is 
the current procedure for the n otification of QRs to the Committee . 
 
• Changes to WTO  Schedules of concessions : The Committee oversees the application of 
procedures to change th e WTO  Schedules of concessions (Goods Schedules)2, which include 
a variety of changes , such as : the rectifications and modifications of Schedules  under the 
GATT  Decision of 26  March  1980 ( document  L/4962 , here inafter the "1980 Procedures "); 
the renegotiations of concessions  under Article  XXVIII of the GATT  1994; and the 
transposition procedures  to account for amendments to the Harmonized System  (HS). In 
2019, following a request by some Members to improve access to the different legal 
instruments comprising  the Schedules , the Secretariat started working on an  online system 
which could facilitate access to all relevant information  relating to Goods Schedules. This 
work concluded in September  2020 with the launch of the " Goods Schedules e-Library ". 
• Consolidated Tariff Schedules (CTS) Database : The Committee oversees the 
CTS database which consolidate s all the latest certified tariff concessions and other 
commitments contained in WTO  Members' Schedules of concessions  and has regularly 
considered changes to the format in which the CTS database is structured.3 Since June  2021,  
in response to a request by Members,  the complete CTS  database has been made  available 
in MS  Excel, in addition to MS  Access.  
• Integrated Database (IDB) : The Committee oversees the content, operation, and access 
to the IDB, which is a database that compiles applied tariff and import data notified by 
Members . The IDB was regulated by a decision originally  adopted in  December  1995, which 
 
1 Document  JOB/CTG/18 . 
2 Document  WT/L/47 . 
3 See for e xample : documents  G/MA/63 ; G/MA/110 ; G/MA/156 ; G/MA/244 ; JOB/MA/13 ; and 
JOB/MA/ 13/Rev.1 . G/L/1460 • G/MA/W/182  
 
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  was amended in 1997 .4 In 2009, in the context of the discuss ions on  how to improve the  
timeliness and completeness of notifications , the Committee adopted two  decisions  relating 
to the dissemination policy and the use by the Secretariat of  official national, regional or 
interna tional sources  for the collection of data with a view to enhancing Members' compliance 
with the IDB  notifications.5 In 201 8, the Committee held consultations on how to update and 
improve the IDB  Decision , also in light of technological developments . These  discussions 
concluded in May  2019 with the adoption of a fully revised Decision on " Modalities and 
Operation of th e Integrated Database " (G/MA/367 ), whi ch has led to  an increase d 
compliance with the notification requirements . 
• Feedback sessions on the databases : pursuant to paragraph  15 of the 
2019 IDB Decision , the Committee regularly hold s feedback sessions  with Members with a 
view to continuously improving the functionality of the WTO  data dissemination and online 
tools. In July 2019, the CMA  organized the first  dedicated session entitled "Feedback on the 
WTO's publications and online tools to disseminate t ariff and import data" .6 A 
second  feedback session took place on 16  June 2021.7 In response to the feedback provided 
by Members , and with a view to better responding to their needs, the Secretariat has 
introduced a series of modifications  to the existing  systems and databases 
(e.g. dissemination of CTS  files in Excel in addition to MS  Access  format ), and has been 
working on major improvements to other systems, such as a newly redesigned version of 
the Tariff Analysis Online  database (TAO)  that would integrate in one  place all information 
and data on tariffs and trade using the most recent technologies . 
• Experience -sharing sessions on COVID -19: As a result of discussions concerning the 
notifications and other information submitted by Members on measures adopted in the 
context of the pandemic , in 2022, the Committee began a series of experience -sharing 
sessions to better understand Members' policy  responses to this pandemic (see Section  2.5.1 
below) .8 
2  CURRENT STATUS OF COMMITTEE PRACTICES  
2.1  Assistance to delegates  
2.1.  The Secretariat regularly provides bilateral assistance  (via email, telephone , in person , and 
most recently through an increasing number of virtual meetings ) to Members to help them to comply 
with the several procedures and  notifications under the purview  of the Committee  (see section  2.5 
below ). 
2.2.  Since 2020, following a request by the Chairperson, the Secretariat  has made  a presentation , 
on a regular basis (at least once a year),  on the basic functioning of the CMA during one of its 
informal meetings . 
2.3.  In 2022, following a survey circulated to Members, the Secretariat began to organize training 
targeting Geneva -based delegat es on the substantive topics covered by the Committee. The CMA 
does not deliver  specific training for c apital -based officials . However,  all substantive topics covered 
by the Committee are part of the regular training programmes implemented  by the  WTO Institute 
for Training and Technical Cooperation  (Regional and Advanced Trade Policy Courses).  
 
4 See document  WT/L/225 . 
5 Decisions of the Committee on Market Access of 13  July 2009 ( G/MA/238 ) and  Framework to Enhance 
IDB Notifications Compliance  of 13 July 2009 ( G/MA/239 ). See also document  JOB/MA/106 . 
6 For a summary of this feedback session, see  document  G/MA/W/144 . See also  document  G/MA/M/71  
paragraphs 5.13 -5.20. 
7 For a summary of this feedback session, see document  G/MA/W/144/Add.1 . 
8 For more information  on the work done by the Committee on Market Access in response to the COVID -
19 pandemic , see the report  to the CTG  circulated in document  G/MA/W /181. G/L/1460 • G/MA/W/182  
 
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  2.2  Organization of Committee  work  
2.2.1   Digital tools used for Committee work  
2.4.  In July 2020, the Committee began discussing the possibility of using the eAgenda system that 
had been developed  by the SPS and TBT  Committees . At its formal meeting of 12 November  2020, 
the Committee agreed to begin a pilot project to adjust the system to the needs of the CMA and to  
use it on a voluntary basis .9 Since  April 2021,  the eAgenda  has been used to prepare  the agenda for 
the Committee's formal meeting s. The Secretariat prepared explanatory guidelines  on how to use 
the CMA eAgenda  in English, French , and Spanish10. 
2.5.  The eAgenda is used by Geneva and capital -based delegates  to add items to the agenda, 
including  new or previously raised trade concerns, and to upload their statements. In preparation 
for the last formal meeting of the Committee , in October  2022, all trade concerns were added using 
the eAgenda (by  14 Members ) and 20 Members uploaded their statements  into the system.  
2.6.  The trade concerns discussed in the CMA are included in the  WTO Trade Concerns Database , 
which was initially developed by the SPS and TBT  Committees. Currently, the system is administered 
in cooperation with these Committees, with a view  to provid ing greater transparency and a 
cross-cutting overview of trade concerns raised.  
2.7.  The CMA also uses a number of online systems and databases to facil itate access to 
notifications  and other information , including : 
• Goods Schedules e -Library : is a dedicated system that facilitate s access to the procedures 
and legal instruments that make up the WTO  Schedules of concessions. It also allows users 
to download the Consolidated Tariff Schedules (CTS)  files, which are standardized files of  all 
WTO Members' tariff commitments on trade in g oods.  
• List of Members ' official websites with tariff information and import statistics : this section of 
the WTO  website provides direct access (weblinks) to the  official national websites of 
Members in which tariff or import data are publicly available , pursuant to paragraph  16 of 
the IDB  Decision.  
• Tariff Analysis Online : is a dedicated system that provide s access and analysis of applied 
and bound tariffs, and import data . It also provides access  to the H S transposition files in 
preparation for the multilateral review . 
• Quantitative Restrictions (QR) Da tabase : provides access to QR  notifications and analyses 
the information contained in such notifications.  
2.8.  The CMA does not maintain a contact list of delegates following the Committee. Rather, i t relies 
on the WTO e-registration  system to contact delegations and send communications by email.  Emails  
are generally sent from the WTO  address cma@wto.org . 
2.2.2   Planning and organization of meetings  
2.9.  The number of CMA meetings varies from one  year to another . As a minimum, t he Committee 
holds  two formal meetings and three  informal meetings a year . Informal meetings  are largely used 
to conduct HS  multilateral review s. However, during the period 2019-2022, the number of i nformal 
meetings has steadily increased,  and informal  meetings have also been  used to discuss a variety of 
topics in preparation for formal meetings , or based on  Members' inputs and request s (see Table 1 
below) . 
2.10.   To the extent possible, formal  meetings are organized in coordination with the meetings of 
other subsidiary bodies of the CTG, in an effort to avoid scheduling conflicts , especially with those 
Committees that are followed by the same delegates . 
2.11.   The dates of formal and informal meetings  for the following year are announced a t the last 
formal meeting of the year  and delegates are regularly reminded about the meeting dates 
 
9 Document  G/MA/M/73 , paragraph 29.7 . 
10 Document  JOB/MA/151 . G/L/1460 • G/MA/W/182  
 
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  throughout the year . The Chairperson reminds delegations of the subsequent meetings at the end 
of each meeting. The me eting dates are also included in all convening notices of informal meetings 
and emails by the Chairperson. Once the dates are confirmed, they are published on the 
WTO website (under Meetings) . 
2.3  Formal meetings  
2.3.1   Communication before meetings  
2.12.   Since March  2020,  the CMA has adopted the practice of sending an email to all delegations 
one month prior to formal meeting s to provide advance notice of the upcoming meeting s and to 
inform them that the eAgenda is open for the inclusion of items . The email , sent by the Se cretariat 
on behalf of the Chairperson,  contains  a courtesy copy of the draft Airgram with  information about 
the agenda closing date and date of circulation of the final Airgram  (see section  2.3.3  below ). 
2.3.2   Number of meetings  
2.13.   The number of CMA meetings has steadily increased since 2019 . In addition to formal and 
informal meetings, in the period 2019 -2022, the Committee has organized several other dedicated 
activities, such  as feedback sessions, workshops, information and experience -sharing sessi ons, and 
training  activities (Table  1). 
2.14.   In 2020, during the lockdown , the CMA was the first  Committee to hold a formal meeting in 
virtual format (through Interprefy) and was able to carry on with all its meetings as scheduled . 
Table 1: Number of formal and informal meetings  
Year Formal meeting  
(number and 
duration)  Informal meetings  
(number and duration ) Other (e.g. workshops, symposia, 
etc.)  
2019  9 April ( 1 day ) 
28 May  (1 day ) 
11 November (1 day)  21 February     (0.5 days)  
9 April    (0.5 days)  
13 May   (0.5 days)  
24 September  (0.5 days)  17 July 2019, First Feedback session 
on WTO's publications and online tools 
to disseminate tariff and import data  
(0.5 days)  
2020  8 June  (1 day) 
12-16 Novembe r (1.5 
days) 28 February     (0.5 days)  
20 May    (0.5 days)  
10 July   (0.5 days)  
16 October    (0.5 days)  3 September  2020, WTO-WCO 
capacity -building workshop on the 
Harmonized System convention for 
WTO Members  (1 day) 
2021  29-30 April ( 1.5 days) 
11 October ( 1 day) 
 28 January    (0.5 days)  
26 May    (0.5 days)  
16 June    (0.5 days)  
21 September (0.5 days)  
9 December     (0.5 days)  16 June 2021, Second F eedback 
session on WTO's publications and 
online tools to disseminate tariff and 
import data  (0.5 days)  
21 September  2021, Information 
Session on QRs and their relation to 
Multilateral Environmental Agreements  
(0.5 days)  
2022  30-31 March ( 1.5 days)  
18-19 October  (2 days)  1 February     (0.5 days)  
27 June    (0.5 days)  
23 November  (0.5 days)  28 January  2022, CMA Information 
Session on COVID -19 (0.5 days)  
4 March  2022, 1st Experience sharing 
session  on COVID -19 (0.5 days)  
26 April  2022, 2nd Experience sharing 
session  on COVID -19 (0.5 days)  
18 July 2022, 3rd Experience sharing 
session on COVID -19 (0.5 days)  G/L/1460 • G/MA/W/182  
 
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  Year Formal meeting  
(number and 
duration)  Informal meetings  
(number and duration ) Other (e.g. workshops, symposia, 
etc.)  
16 September  2022, 4th Experience 
sharing session  on COVID -19 
(0.5 days)  
17 October  2022, WCO -WTO Workshop 
on Changes to the Harmonized System 
and the Transposition of WTO 
Schedules Of Concessions  (0.5 days)  
21 November  2022, CMA session with 
external stakeholders on lessons 
learned from the COVID -19 pandemic 
(0.5 days)  
21 November  2022, 5th Experience 
sharing session s on COVID -19 
(0.5 days)  
 
2.3.3   Preparation of Airgrams and Agendas  
2.15.   CMA f ormal meetings  are convened through an Airgram . The CMA has been working with the 
standard "minimum 10  days before the meeting" (Rule  2 of the General Council's Rule of Procedure). 
Since the eAgenda  platform  has become operational for the CMA as of 29 April 2021, the 
Committee's current practice is to use t he platform for the preparation of its meetings . 
2.16.   Since October  2020, and with a view to providing Members with more time to prepare, t he 
Secretariat circulates the Airgram in two  steps : 
a. First, the Secretariat issues a draft Airgram which is circulated  approximately one  month 
before the date of the meeting  through the WTO/AIR/MA/  document series. This draft 
Airgram includes only the standing agenda items and all other known information  as of 
the date of circulation , and indicates the date on which the agenda  will close , as well as 
any other specific issues to take into account for the preparation of the meeting . The 
standing agenda items vary depending on the meeting . As explained above, the draft 
Airgram is emailed to delegations on the same day that it is c irculated , and becomes the 
basic structure used for the eAgenda . 
b. The revised  Airgram , contain ing the final version of the agenda for the upcoming formal 
meeting , including  trade concerns and other items raised by Members , is issued at least 
10 days prior to the date of the meeting  (WTO/AIR/MA/XX/Rev.1) . 
2.17.   The eAgenda opens  on the same day of the circulation of the draft Airgram  and is an online 
version  of the  draft Airgram , listing  the same items . Available documents ( Secretariat reports, 
notifications , etc. ) are incorporated by the Secretariat in  the eAgenda upon its openi ng, and 
additional document s are added as soon as they are circulated. This allows  Members to become 
aware of, and have direct access to, documents  as soon as they become available without having to 
wait for the official revised Airgram to be circulated . 
2.18.   Members can add new or previously raised  trade concerns , as well as other types of agenda 
items through  the eAgenda from its opening (one  month prior to the meeting) to its closure (same 
day as the agenda's closing date ). At the same time del egates can upload  statements and decide 
whether statements shall be available for interpreters  only, or if they can also be visible to  other 
Members . Once the meeting has concluded, t he eAgenda remains open for  14 days so  that 
delegations can upload  their final statements , should they wish to do so . 
2.19.   The CMA has an established practice of u sing an  annotated agenda, which is made available 
the week after the circulation of the final Airgram . Over the past years, it has been circulated  under 
the JOB/MA  document series. The annotated agenda provides additional information for each agenda 
item in order  to help Members prepare for the upcoming formal meeting.  G/L/1460 • G/MA/W/182  
 
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  2.20.   The number of items discussed by the CMA has also consistently increased during  the last 
four years , passing from 20 items on the agenda of the formal meeting held in  May 2019 (of which 
11 were trad e concerns)  to 45 items on the agenda on the formal meeting of October  2022 (of which 
33 were trade concerns).  
Table  2: Preparation of Airgrams and Agendas  
Year Date of formal meeting  Date of circulation of Airgram  No. of days before the 
meeting  
2019  9 April 2019 
28 May 2019 
11 November  2019 19 March  2019 (Airgram)  
17 May 2019 (Airgram)  
31 October  2019 (Airgram)  21 
11 
11 
2020  8 June 2020 
12 November  2020 29 May 2020 (Airgram)  
21 October  2020 (Draft Airgram)  
30 October  2020 (Final Airgram ) 10 
22 
13 
2021  29-30 April 2021 
 
11-12 October  2021 31 March  2021 (Draft Airgram)  
15 April 2021 (Final Airgram)  
13 September  2021 (Draft Airgram)  
1 October  2021 (Final Airgram)  29 
14 
28 
10 
2022  30-31 March  2022 
 
18-19 October  2022 2 March  2022 (Draft Airgram)  
18 March  2022 (Final Airgram)  
19 September  2022 (Draft Airgram)  
7 October  2022 (Final Airgram)  28 
12 
29 
11 
 
2.3.4   Distribution of documents prior to meetings  
2.21.   Since 2019, the Secretariat has adopted the practice of issuing its regular reports and 
presentations to the Committee under several agenda items as room documents (RD/MA  document 
series) and circulating them before  the meeting. This approach serves two  purposes: (i) reducing 
the length of Secretariat's interventions at the meeting, especiall y in light of the increasing number 
of agenda items; and (ii) providing delegates with a full written report which  facilitate s their task of 
reporting back to capital. To the extent possible, t he Chairperson's reports to the Committee are 
also circulated in advance as room or JOB/MA/  documents.  
2.22.   The circulation of notifications  is done as soon as  they are submitted  to the Secretariat ( either 
through the Central Registry of Notifications or direct ly to the CMA  team) and verified by the 
CMA team. The circulation of Secretariat reports and draft annual reports  is done right after the 
agenda closes, to ensure that all the documents that were received are included in the draft reports . 
Members' submiss ions and notifications received after the closing of the agenda for the meeting are 
acknowledged at the meeting, but are only considered at the next formal meeting.  
2.23.   All documents relevant to a meeting are added under  the Documents for Meetings section  in 
Documents Online and  under the link for the meeting in the WTO  calendar of the WTO  webpage.  
2.3.5   Communication after meetings  
2.24.   There is no established practice in the CMA to circulate  communication s after the formal 
meetings. However, in some cases11, a follow -up email has been  sent by the Chairperson after the 
formal meeting to remind delegates of key deadlines that have been communicated  at the meeting , 
as well as any other important information . 
 
11 For example, follow -up emai ls were sent after the formal meetings of March and October  2022.  G/L/1460 • G/MA/W/182  
 
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  2.25.   The news item for regular meetings is prepared by the WTO Information and E xternal 
Relations  Division  in consultation with the CMA  team. 
2.3.6   Preparation of the m inutes  
2.26.   The Secretariat prepares minutes after every  formal meeting . The CMA minutes currently 
capture all information shared at the meeting in a "verbatim" style , including the Secretariat reports, 
Members' statements as well the Chairperson's report s where relevant . The minutes of a formal 
meeting of the CMA also contain information on informal meeting(s) and additional activities 
organized by the  Committee outside of the regular meetings. This is generally done by means of a 
summary prepared under the responsibility of the Chairperson, which is read at the formal meeting 
and incorporated in the minutes for the record.  
2.27.   The Secretariat incorporates statements sent by delegations; however, the Secretariat always 
verifies that the minutes reflect what has actually been said at the meeting. In case of doubt, the 
Secretariat may ask Members to verify that their statement has been reproduced in the correc t way.  
2.28.   In the 2019 -2022 period, the minutes have had an average length of 52  pages and have 
taken an average of 163  days to prepare (Table  3). While the number of pages has grown  by around 
70% between 2019 and 2022, the number of days to prepare and proces s them has increased by 
only 16%.  
Table  3: Preparation of the Minutes/Summary Reports  
Year Date of the formal 
meeting  Date of circulation of the 
minutes  No. of pages  No. of days  
2019  28 May 2019 
11 November  2019 30 October  2019 
27 May 2020 39 
37 155 
198 
2020  8 June 2020 
12 November  2020 30 October  2020 
7 April 2021 44 
55 144 
146 
2021  29-30 April 2021 
11-12 October  2021 4 October  2021 
25 March  2022 69 
59 158 
165 
2022  30-31 March  2022 
18-19 October  2022 27 September  2022 
- 67 
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2.29.   Several factors have an impact on the time required to prepare and process the minutes. 
First, the Secretariat has to wait for all the statements to be submitted by delegates . In case the 
statements are not provided after 1 4 days of the conclusion of the m eeting, the Secretariat sends 
one or more reminders to the delegates concerned and awaits a response. In case the delegate fails 
to submit the draft statement, the Secretariat proceeds to transcribe  the statement from the 
recording.  Once the draft minutes have been drafte d and edited, the entire audio recording of the 
meeting is reviewed to ensure that the written statements in the draft correspond to what an 
individual delegate actually said at the meeting . The edited draft minutes are then reviewed again  
and issued . The preparation of the minutes is also complicated by the fact that the formal meeting 
is often close to  other Committee meetings12 and the same staff  has to edit many sets of minutes 
concurrently . 
2.30.   In light of the considerable increase in the n umber of agenda items over the past three  years, 
the procedures for the preparation of the CMA  minutes have been reviewed and streamlined twice . 
First, starting with the minutes of the CMA  meeting of 29 -30 April 2021, the traditional " reporting " 
style, whi ch required considerable editing on the part of the Secretariat, was abandoned and 
replaced with an approach where statements are reproduced largely verbatim. Second, the internal 
 
12 For example, between the formal meeting of 30 -31 March and the formal meeting of 18 -19 October, 
the CMA held one  informal meeting, three  experience -sharing sessions, one  workshop, and two  training  
activities . G/L/1460 • G/MA/W/182  
 
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  steps for the preparation of the minutes, and in particular the order in whi ch translations were 
handled, were reviewed and streamlined in 2021, with significant gains in efficiency.  
2.31.   The minutes are circulated under the G/MA/M document series  and are  automatically 
derestricted 45  days after the date of circulation , in accordance with the derestriction procedures of 
WTO documents . 
2.4  Informal meetings  
2.32.   Informal meetings are convened through a communication sent to the official email addresses 
of all Members, as well as to delegates' list of contacts retrieved from the e -registration system 
(using only the list of delegates signed up for the Committee on Market Access). Since the informal 
meeting of 16  October  2020, thes e emails are also assigned a symbol as Informal Convening 
Notices, under the ICN/MA document series, and made available through Documents Online.  
2.33.   The convening notice contains information on the meeting date , time, and the list of issues  
proposed for  discuss ion. The convening email is typically sent between one  month and two  weeks  in 
advance of a given meeting (Table  4). 
2.34.   After an informal meeting, the Chairperson sends a "follow -up email" to Members to 
summarize the main outcome s of the meeting and to remind them of key deadlines, where 
appropriate, and upcoming meeting dates.  
Table  4: Convening of informal meetings  
Year Date of informal meeting  Date of communication 
convening the informal meeting  No. of days  
2019  21 February  2019 
9 April 2019 
13 May 2019 
17 July 2019 
24 September  2019 11 January  2019 
2 April 2019 
30 April 2019 
13 June 2019 
11 September  2019 41 
7 
13 
34 
13 
2020  28 February  2020 
20 May 2020 
10 July 2020 
16 October  2020 17 January  2020 
12 May 2020 
17 June 2020 
16 September  2020 42 
8 
23 
30 
2021  28 January  2021 
26 May 2021 
16 June 2021 
21 September  2021 
9 December  2021 17 December  2020 
12 May 2021 
4 June 2021 
8 September  2021 
25 November  2021 42 
14 
12 
13 
14 
2022  1 February  2022 
27 June 2022 
23 November  2022 17 January  2022 
20 June 2022 
11 November  2022 15 
7 
12 
 
2.5  Substantive work  
2.5.1   Experience -sharing sessions and workshops  
2.35.   The CMA has organized several  dedicated sessions and workshops over the past years. In 
most cases, t hese activities do not follow a regular calendar and respond to Members' demand s. G/L/1460 • G/MA/W/182  
 
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  2.36.   Pursuant to paragraph  15 of the IDB  Decision, the Secretariat holds feedback sessions on the 
WTO's publications and online tools to disseminate tariff and import data. The first two  feedback 
session were organized in 2019 and 2021.13 
2.37.   In 2020 and 2022, the CMA organized two  workshops in collaboration with the World Customs 
Organization (WCO). The first was a capacity -building workshop on the Harmonized System  (HS) 
Convention for WTO  Members , which took place on 3  September  2020, and the second was a 
workshop on changes to the HS and the transposition of WTO Schedules of Concessions , which took 
place on 17  October  2022.  
2.38.   In the area of quantitative restrictions, the CMA organized a capacity -building workshop on 
notifications of QRs  on 24 -25 April 2018, which was open to Geneva -based delegates as well as 
selected capital -based officials in charge of the QR  notificatio ns. On 26  September  2021, the 
Committee also organized an information session on QRs and their relation to Multilateral 
Environmental Agreements , in collaboration with the  WTO Trade and Environment Division, the  
WCO, and the Secretariat of the  Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions  (UNEP) . 
2.39.   In 2022, the CMA has so far held six  information and experience -sharing sessions  on trade in 
COVID -19-related goods  (see also Table  1) which were attended by both  capital  and Geneva -based 
delegates .14 
2.40.   In addition, two training  activities for Geneva -based delegates following the CMA were 
delivered by the Secretariat on (i)  market access issues  (on 6  July 2022)  and (ii)  the HS  (on 
19 Septembe r 2022) . 
2.5.2   Notifications  
2.41.   The CMA has the mandate to oversee a number of procedures relating to tariff and non -tariff 
measures15, from which an important number of notifications are received and examined every year.  
However, it shall be noted that not all  notifications are  examined in the context of regular meetings  
of the Committee. I n most cases , the Secretariat prepares a status report that is periodically 
submitted for consideration by the Committee  (see also section  2.5.4 below) . 
2.42.   The following procedu res and notifications fall within the mandate of the CMA:  
• Rectification s and Modification s of WTO Schedules of concessions for goods pursuant to the 
1980 Procedures . These documents are reviewed through written and bilateral procedures, 
and they are not ex amined at the CMA  meetings unless a Member requests their inclusion 
on the agenda ; 
• Renegotiations of concessions pursuant to GATT  Article  XXVIII of the GATT  1994. These 
documents are reviewed through written and bilateral procedures, and they are not 
exami ned at the CMA  meetings unless a Member requests their inclusion on the agenda ; 
• QR notifications pursuant  to the  Decision on Notification Procedures for Quantitative 
Restrictions .16 Pursuant to paragraph  1 of the QR  Decision, all notifications are automatically 
placed on the agenda for review by Members at formal meetings ; 
• Notification of tariff and import data pursuant to the 2019  IDB Decision . 
2.43.   In addition, since 2020, the Committee has considered a series of volunta ry submissions by 
Members with measures aimed at facilitating trade in COVID -19 goods. These submissions were 
circulated under the G/MA/W  document series and were compiled by the Secretariat in a report 
circulated under the G/MA/W/157  document symbol and s ubmitted for consideration by the 
 
13 G/MA/W/144  document series . 
14 See document G/MA/W/181 for more information.  
15 Document  WT/L/47.  
16 Document  G/L/59/Rev.1, 3  July 2012.  G/L/1460 • G/MA/W/182  
 
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  Committee at each formal meeting . The Secretariat also prepares a regular report on the trade policy 
measures  adopted by Members during the pandemic ( see paragraph  2.46 below) . 
2.5.3   Specific Trade Concerns  
2.44.   The number of trade concerns  raised by Members at the CMA  has increased substantially over 
the last few years . For example, 12 trade concerns were raised at the first formal meeting in 2019, 
whereas at the formal meeting in October  2022, the number  of trade concerns  was 34, of which 17 
were new concerns. Trade concerns raised in the CMA  cover a variety of trade -related measures, 
ranging from tax-related measures (e.g. import tariffs, other duties and charges, internal taxes and 
regulations) to non -tariff measures  (e.g. prohibitions and bans, import and export licences , 
regulatory requirements) that have an impact on market access conditions for WTO  Members.  
Chart 1: Number of trade concerns raised in the Committee on Market Access since 2019  
 
 
2.45.   Since 2021, information on trade concerns raised in the CMA is available in the Trade Concerns 
Database . Members have  so far  not asked t he Secretariat to further analyse  the trade concerns 
raised.  
2.5.4   Reports by the Secretariat  
2.46.   The Secretariat regularly produces  nine reports for consideration by the Committee  under the 
different areas of work, including the following : 
HS Transpositions  
a. Status Report on the introduction of HS  changes (HS1996, HS2002, HS2007, HS2012, and 
HS201717) to Schedules of concessions ( G/MA/W/158  document series) ; 
IDB Decision  
b. Status of IDB  notifications ( G/MA/IDB/2/Rev  document series) ; 
c. List of Members' Official Websites with tariff information and import statistics 
(G/MA/IDB/W/13 document series) ; 
d. Status of the CTS  Database ; 
 
17 These are circulated in document s JOB/MA/41 , JOB/MA/42 , JOB/MA/104 , JOB/MA/129 , and 
JOB/MA /143. 
0510152025303540
Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall
2019 2020 2021 2022STCs raisedG/L/1460 • G/MA/W/182  
 
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  QR Decision  
e. A report with the status  of notifications is circulated under G/MA/QR / document series ; 
f. A factual report describing the contents of the notifications is prepared annually and 
circulated under the G/MA/W/114  document series ; 
Rectifications, modifications and renegotiations  of Schedules  
g. A status report listing the status of Goods Schedules for  each Member  is prepared annually 
and circulated under the G/MA/W/23/ document series ; 
h. A list of procedures under Article  XXVIII of the GATT is updated regularly and circulated 
under  the G/MA/W/123 / document series ; 
Other 
i. The draft annual report is prepared by the Secretariat for consideration by the Committee 
at its formal meeting in the autumn.  
2.47.   In additional to the above -mentioned regular reports, the Secretariat also prepares ad hoc  
reports at the request of Members  that change over time. These include:  
a. In relation to the HS  transposition work, once a new amendment to the HS  nomenclature 
is approved by the WCO and enters into force, the Secretariat prepares draft Procedures 
for the introduction of the differen t HS amendments in WTO  Schedules of concessions for 
Members' consideration. Once the procedures have been approved, the Secretar iat also 
prepares for Members' consideration draft Notes on the Methodology. Both documents are 
submitted to the Committee for a pproval. The HS  transposition procedures are forwarded 
to the General Council, through the CTG, for adoption ; 
b. Since the formal meeting s in 2020, the Secretariat has prepared and periodically updated 
two reports on trade -related measures relating to the COV ID-19 pandemic: (i)  a list of 
notifications relating to COVID -19 (G/MA/W/157 document series); and (ii)  a summary of 
export restrictions and trade-easing measures relating to the COVID -19 pandemic 
(G/MA/W168 document series ); 
c. The Secretariat has also produced summary reports for the four  experience -sharing 
sessions on trade in COVID -19 organized by the Committee in 2022 ( JOB/MA/152 
document series).  
2.5.5   Participation by external stakeholders  
2.48.   The Committee maintains a list with the "Observer Status of International Organizations" 
(G/MA/W/11/Rev.2 ), which inclu des eight  organizations . However,  with the exception of the World 
Customs Organization,  these organizations have never taken the floor to participate in a 
CMA meeting .18 The WTO  Secretariat is also an observer to the Harmonized System Committee of 
the WCO, but it has only participated occasionally in its meetings.  
2.49.   Over the past few years, the CMA has considerably improved its coordination with the WCO, 
and in particular with the Harmonized System Committee. Since 2020, the WCO regularly 
participates in the CMA  formal meetings , under the ag enda item " The Harmonized System and the 
work of the World Trade Organization ", to report about activities and developments in relation to 
the HS that are relevant to the work of the Committee.  In the context of COVID -19-related work, 
the CMA is in regular  contact with the WCO , and the Chairperson and the WTO  Secretariat 
(CMA  team) have been invited to participate in the Harmonized System Committee's meetings to 
 
18 The WCO has the recognised observer status in the CMA pursuant to G/MA/W/11/Rev.2 .  G/L/1460 • G/MA/W/182  
 
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  discuss the proposals for the classification of essential medical goods in the HS2027  review cyc le 
stemming from the CMA  communication to the WCO .19 
2.50.   On 21  November  2022, the Committee organized a session on lessons learned from the 
COVID -19 pandemic where external stakeholders, mainly from the private sector, academia and 
other organizations, were invited to speak about their experience s during the  pandemic.  
2.5.6   Work with other Committees or WTO bodies  
2.51.   The Committee  has not formally worked together with other Committees, but the Secretariat 
staff servicing the CMA has occasionally pa rticipated in other Committees, and vice versa . Among 
the most recent examples are the following : the participation by the Trade and Environment Division 
in the CMA  information session on "QRs and the relationship with Multilateral Environmental 
Agreements ", which took place on 21  September  2021; the presentations made by the  Secretariat 
in 2022 on the use and functioning of the CMA  eAgenda at  the Committee on Import Licensing  and 
Committee on Customs Valuation ; and the presentation made by the CMA team on non-tariff 
measures relating to climate change and relevant work in the WTO  at the TESSD  Working Group on 
Environmental Goods and Services . 
__________  
 
19 G/MA/406 .