G/TFA/W/59  
 
22 September 2021  
(21-7048) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Trade Facilitation  Original: English  
 
 
TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT FOUR YEAR REVIEW  
ARTICLE 23.1.6 OF THE TFA  
COMMENTS ON THE WTO SECRETARIAT FACTUAL REPORT (G/TFA/W/41)  
COMMUNICATION FROM CHAD ON BEHALF OF THE LEAST  DEVELOPED COUNTRIES  GROUP  
The following communication, dated 21 September 2021, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Chad on behalf of the LDC Group.  
 
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1. The LDC Group would like to offer the T rade Facilitation  Committee its views on the factual 
report in the fo rm of this submission to the first review of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). 
Some of these comments were preliminarily delivered by the focal point (Nepal) at the TF Committee 
meeting held 22 -23 June 2021. Information from further examination of th e factual report within 
the LDC Group is included in this communication . Additional information on the implementation 
experiences of LDCs has been circulated in document G/TFA/W/58 . 
2. The LDC group sincerely appreciates the draft factual report circulated as  document 
G/TFA/W/41. The draft report is comprehensive and valuable comprising most of the facts and data 
regarding implementation of the TFA. However, the LDC Group is of the view that the draft can be 
improved and take into account additional elements f rom the perspective of the LDCs. In this regard, 
the following is shared in this communication.  
2.1. Section I should elaborate further about the impact of COVID -19 on implementation and 
measures taken to facilitate trade.  
2.2. Some of the tables contain u seful information. We think the addition of a brief analysis of 
those tables would further add value.  
2.3. While the factual report has well covered notifications by Members, experience sharing, trade 
concerns and implementation arrangements, it might be helpful to include a table in section 3 of the 
report on the number of LDC notifications under categories A,  B, and C by article, with analysis of 
provisions most LDCs have notified in the same category. This could give Members an idea of those 
articles LDCs share in common within the relevant categories. This could provide a sense of the 
provisions different LD Cs see as the most difficult or requiring assistance under category C. For 
example, one review the LDC Group has conducted reveals that most LDCs have notified 
designations under category C for Article 5.3 : Test Procedures, Article 7.2 : Electronic Payment,  
Article 7.4 : Risk Management, Article 7.6 : Establishment and Publication of Average Release Times, 
7.7: Authorized Operators, Article 8 : Border Agency Cooperation, Article 10.4 : Single Window, to 
name a few. In contrast many LDCs notified Article 5.2 under category A (22) and Article 8 at 25 
designations in category C.  
2.4. It would be appreciated if a summary of constraints of LDCs could be incorporated in the draft 
for a general underst anding of the issues and challenges faced and lessons of what has worked to 
resolve challenges.  
2.5. The LDC group is of the view that presenting comparative trade (export and import) data 
based on the different groups of countries such as developed, devel oping, LDCs  and LLDCs from the G/TFA/W/59  
 
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  year 2017 to 2020 would be helpful in providing general understanding of the relationship of TFA 
implementation and global trade facilitated across different groups of Members. Furthermore, Chart 
8 represents the type of tech nical assistance required based on the notifications. It would be 
appreciated if LDC specific information could also be presented in this Chart.  
2.6. It could be useful to include in the factual report a separate section on LDCs with a brief 
assessment of both challenges and achievements. In many cases , LDCs are doing better than what 
was expected in terms of notifications.  However, there are a number of LDCs that require extensions 
of time as indicated in paragraph 3.7 of the draft factual report. The dev elopment of a section on 
LDCs might have lessons learnt on what worked and gaps. This could assist in easily identifying the 
situation of the LDCs in TFA implementation and areas for collaboration.  
2.7 Table 5 is very useful in that it reflects not only no tification obligations of LDCs, but also rightly 
and fairly reflects the obligation of donor Members embedded in the specific provisions for the use 
of category C. This is the requirement to provide information on arrangements entered into with 
LDCs on TAC B for category C designations. The first date corresponds to 22 February this year 2021. 
It is hoped that notifications under 16.2 (e) are in progress since LDCs are expected to notify 
definitive dates in August 2022. If there will be difficulties, proacti ve efforts must be made by the 
Secretariat and donor Members to assist LDCs and to expedite their notification of arrangements. 
Moreover, TFAF efforts should include proactive steps to ensure the necessary notifications will be 
made on time, or that reques ts for extension of the deadline, where applicable and necessary, would 
be made on time to the Committee on Trade Facilitation.  
 
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