RESTRICTED  
  
WT/ACC/AFG/30/Rev.3  
 
19 October 2015  
(15-5517)  Page: 1/6  
Working Party on the Accession of the 
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan  Original: English  
 
  ACCESSION OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN 
LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLAN 
Revision 
 The following submission, dated 19 October 2015, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.1 
  
_______________ 
 
 
                                               
1 In accordance with long-standing WTO accession practice, all WTO-related legislation and 
implementing regulation must be enacted and/or ad opted prior to WTO membership, without prejudice to 
negotiated and agreed transition periods.  
  WT/ACC/AFG/30/Rev.3  
 
- 2 - PART I - PENDING BILL S/DRAFTS/REGULATIONS2 
Legislation/Regulation Competent 
Authority Expected date of adoption/enactment Status Expected date of 
implementation Translation 
submitted to the 
Working Party Submission to 
the Cabinet of 
Ministers Submission 
to the 
National 
Assembly Enactment 
Customs Valuation Agreement – Rules of Origin 
Amendments to the 2005 
Customs Law Afghanistan 
Customs Department (ACD)  2016 2016 Draft at the 
Cabinet of Ministers  Law has been in 
force since 2005.  Amendments will come into force upon their enactment WT/ACC/AFG/22 
Procedure on Customs 
Valuation (incl. interpretative notes and software and interest charge valuation) Afghanistan 
Customs Department (ACD) N/A N/A Upon Enactment 
of Amendments to Customs Law Draft has been 
prepared Within 30 days of 
adoption by Ministry of Finance WT/ACC/AFG/20 
Technical Barriers to Trade  
Law on Standards and 
Technical Regulations Afghanistan 
National Standardization Agency (ANSA) 2016 2016 2016 Draft at the 
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Upon enactment 
except for transition indicated in Draft WP Report WT/ACC/AFG/19 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  
Law on Animal Health and 
Veterinary Ministry of 
Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock
 (MAIL) - 
General 
Directorate of Animal Health 2016 2016 2016 Draft at the 
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Upon enactment 
except for transition indicated in Draft WP Report WT/ACC/AFG/19 
Law on Food Safety Ministry of Public 
Health (MoPH) 2016 2016 2016 Draft at the 
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Upon enactment 
except for transition indicated in Draft WP Report WT/ACC/AFG/19 
                                               
2 All Afghanistan's WTO-relevant laws have been pr epared, and approved at the Ministerial level.   
  
  WT/ACC/AFG/30/Rev.3  
 
- 3 - Legislation/Regulation Competent 
Authority Expected date of adoption/enactment Status Expected date of 
implementation Translation 
submitted to the 
Working Party Submission to 
the Cabinet of 
Ministers Submission 
to the 
National 
Assembly Enactment 
TRIPS  
Amendments to the Law on 
Supporting the Rights of Inventors and Discoverers of 31 April 2009 (Patents Law) Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI)  2016 2016 Draft at the 
Cabinet of Ministers Law has been in 
force since 2009. Amendments will come into force upon their enactment WT/ACC/AFG/21 
WT/ACC/AFG/25 (revised)  
Amendments to the Law on Supporting the Right of Authors, Composers, Artists, and Researchers of 26 July 2008 (Copyrights Law) Ministry of 
Information and Culture (MoIC)  2016 2016 Draft at the 
Cabinet of Ministers Law has been in 
force since 2008. Amendments will come into force upon 
their enactment WT/ACC/AFG/21 
Law on Industrial Designs Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI)  2016 2016 Draft at the 
Cabinet of Ministers Law will come into 
force upon enactment except for transition indicated in Draft WP Report WT/ACC/AFG/21 
Draft amendments to the 
Commercial Code  Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI) 2016 2016 2016 Draft at the 
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Law will come 
into force upon enactment WT/ACC/AFG/7/Add.1 
Law on Trade Secrets 
(undisclosed information)  Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI)  2016 2016 Draft at the 
Cabinet of Ministers Law will come into 
force upon enactment except for transition indicated in Draft WP Report WT/ACC/AFG/25 
 
Law on Topography of Integrated Circuits  Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI) 2016 2016 2016 Draft at the 
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Law will come into 
force upon enactment except for transition indicated in Draft WP Report WT/ACC/AFG/25 
 
Law on Consumer Protection (provisions on Unfair Competition) Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI)  2016 2016 Draft at the 
Cabinet of Ministers Law will come into 
force upon enactment WT/ACC/AFG/25 
  
  WT/ACC/AFG/30/Rev.3  
 
- 4 - Legislation/Regulation Competent 
Authority Expected date of adoption/enactment Status Expected date of 
implementation Translation 
submitted to the 
Working Party Submission to 
the Cabinet of 
Ministers Submission 
to the 
National 
Assembly Enactment 
Law on Plant Variety Protection  Ministry of 
Agriculture, 
Irrigation, and Livestock
 (MAIL) 2016 2017 2017 Draft being 
finalized at the 
Ministry of 
Agriculture, 
Irrigation, and Livestock
 
(MAIL) Law will come 
into force upon enactment except for transition 
indicated in 
Draft WP Report WT/ACC/AFG/35 
Transparency  
Amendments to the Law on 
Publication and Enforcement of Legislation of 1998 Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI) / Ministry of Justice (MoJ)  2016 2016 Draft at the 
Cabinet of Ministers Law has been in 
force since 1998.  Amendments will come into force upon their enactment WT/ACC/AFG/20 
Amendments to the Regulation 
on Drafting Procedure and Processing of Legal Acts Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI) / Ministry of Justice (MoJ)  2016 2016 Draft at the 
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Regulation has 
been in force since 2012. Amendments will come into force upon their enactment WT/ACC/AFG/20 
Quantitative import restrictions, including prohibitions, quotas and licensing systems 
Law on Foreign Trade in Goods  Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI) 2016 2016 2016 Draft at the 
Ministry of Justice (MoJ)  Law will come into 
force upon enactment WT/ACC/AFG/23  
WT/ACC/AFG/31 (revised) 
Regulations on Import and Export Licensing Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI) 2016 N/A 2016 Draft at the 
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) 2016  WT/ACC/AFG/31  
  WT/ACC/AFG/30/Rev.3  
 
- 5 - Legislation/Regulation Competent 
Authority Expected date of adoption/enactment Status Expected date of 
implementation Translation 
submitted to the 
Working Party Submission to 
the Cabinet of 
Ministers Submission 
to the 
National 
Assembly Enactment 
Fees and Charges for Services Rendered 
Procedure on Customs 
Storage fees Afghanistan 
Customs Department (ACD) N/A N/A 2015 Draft being 
finalized by the Afghanistan Customs Department (ACD) 2016 To be submitted as 
soon as finalized 
Regulation of production and importation of medicines and 
medical equipment of 
24 February 2007 (concerning fees for activity licence for import of medicines and medical equipment) Ministry of Public 
Health (MoPH) 2016 N/A 2016 Draft being 
finalized by the 
Ministry of 
Public Health (MoPH) Procedure will 
come into force 
upon enactment To be submitted as 
soon as finalized 
Application of Internal Taxes to Imports 
Income Tax Law (concerning 3% fixed Tax) Ministry of Finance 
(MoF) 2016 2016 2016 Draft is being 
finalized Upon Enactment To be submitted as 
soon as finalized 
Anti-dumping, countervailing duties, safeguard regimes  
Law on Safeguard Measures 
for Domestic Production Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI) 2016 2016  2016 Draft at the 
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Law will come into 
force upon enactment WT/ACC/AFG/23 
WT/ACC/AFG/31 (revised)  
  WT/ACC/AFG/30/Rev.3  
 
- 6 - PART II – COMPLETED LEGISLATION/REGULATIONS 
Legislation/Regulation  Competent 
Authority  Date of adoption/enactment  Status  Date of 
implementation Translation 
submitted to 
Working Party 
Law on Value Added Tax  Ministry of 
Finance (MoF) April 2015 Adopted Upon signing by 
the President and subsequent publication in 
official gazette.  WT/ACC/AFG/33 
Law on Minerals Ministry of Mines 
and Petroleum June 2014 Adopted In force. WT/ACC/AFG/31 
Amendments to the Law on Trade 
Marks of 1 September 2009 Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI) May 2015 Adopted In force. WT/ACC/AFG/25 
Law on Geographical Indications Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI) August 2015 Adopted In force. WT/ACC/AFG/21 
Law on Plant Protection and 
Quarantine Ministry of 
Agriculture, Irrigation, and 
Livestock
 (MAIL) June 2015 Adopted Upon signing by 
the President and subsequent publication in official gazette. WT/ACC/AFG/35 
Procedure on Advance Ruling on 
Binding Decisions (covering advance origin rulings) Afghanistan 
Customs Department 
(ACD) July 2015 Adopted August 2017 WT/ACC/AFG/20 
Procedure Customs Control of IPR 
(IP Border Enforcement) Afghanistan 
Customs Department (ACD) April 2014 Adopted In force. WT/ACC/AFG/20 
Order on Optical Disks Ministry of 
Information and 
Culture (MoIC) November 2013 Adopted September 2014 WT/ACC/AFG/26 
Trade License Procedure Ministry of 
Commerce and Industries (MoCI) October 2013 Adopted October 2013 WT/ACC/AFG/33 
 
 
__________