RESTRICTED  
  
WT/TPR/ W/135 
 
28 September  2017 
(17-5203) Page: 1/7 
Trade Policy Review Body   
 
 TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM  
DRAFT  REPORT OF THE TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY F OR 201 7 
Chairperson: H.E. Ambassador  Juan Carlos G ONZALEZ  (Colombia ) 
1. This Report by the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) provides a brief asse ssment of its 
activities in 2017 . The a nnexed tables provide information on Members reviewed up to the end of 
2017, the geographical coverage of the reviews conducted to date, the programme of reviews for 
2018, and candidates for review in 201 9. 
Sixth Appraisal of the TPRM  
2. The Sixth Appraisal o f the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM)  was launched on 
20 June 2016. The main issues discussed were: preparation for Trade Policy Review ( TPR) 
meetings; organization and structure of TPR meetings; follow -up to TPR meetings ; and other areas 
of the TPRM . After intensive consultations and meetings, Members agreed on the final appraisal 
report at a TPRB meeting on 21 December 2016. The TPRB then agreed on 27 January 2017 to 
submit one of the outcomes of the Appraisal, i.e. the proposal to the General Counci l to amend the 
TPRM contained in Annex 3 to the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the WTO.  
3. On 26 July 2017, the General Council approved this landmark reform to change the current 
cycle of reviews , which has Members undergoing a TPR every two, four or six years , depending on 
the size of their economy, to three, five or seven years, respectively .1 The current review cycle 
was already stretching the resources of both Members and the Secretariat to the limit, and start 
building up serious backlogs  (as indicate d during previous apprasials) . The new review cycle will 
make the number of TPRs sustainable in the long run even after accession of new Members .2 This 
new arrangement will be phased in, starting from 2019. This is the first amendment to the TPRM 
since it  was establish ed in 1989  under the GATT and made permanent under the WTO, as part of 
the 1994 Uruguay Round agreements.3  
4. Besides the decision to amend the TPR cycles, Members also agreed to revise other 
procedural elements of the Review Mechanism, such as the timeline for the question -and-answer 
process of the TPRs, so that Members under review who opt to provide early written answers to 
other Members ' questions will have one more week to prepare the answers. Members also noted 
efforts by the WTO Secretaria t to develop an information technology system to better manage this 
question -and-answer process  (which should start operating once the system is fully ready to be 
implemented) . Furthermore, to enhance the transparency of trade policies, there was agreement  
to establish a regular practice for Members to provide brief reports on significant changes in their 
policies during trade monitoring meetings.   
5. The next Appraisal of the operation of the TPRM should take place at a time to be decided by 
the TPRB, but not  later than within five years, and preferably not in the year of a WTO Ministerial 
Conference. It is understood that nothing precludes the TPRB from deciding on specific items for 
                                                
1 The amendment has been officially incorporated into the WTO Agreement pursuant to paragraph 8 of 
Article X of t he Marrakesh Agreement.  
2 With the current review cycle, the TPRB would have had to review, in the coming years, on average 
more than 30 Members per year. With the new cycle, the average number of Members will be 23 per year.  
3 It is also the second amendm ent to the WTO Agreement following the amendment to the WTO's 
intellectual property (TRIPS) agreement on 23 January 2017.  WT/TPR/W/135  
 
- 2 - 
 
  improvement before the next Appraisal. The next Appraisal should include an assessment of the 
implementation of the conclusions reached at this Appraisal, inter alia , in terms of the 
transparency of Members' trade policies.4 
Activities of the TPRB  
6. By the end of 2017, the TPRB will have conducted 467 reviews since its inception in 1989 
(up from 452 in 2016), at 360 review meetings (Annex I). The reviews have covered 153 out of 
164 Members.5 The TPRB will have conducted reviews of 23 Members in 2017 (Annex  II), including 
a joint review of members of the West African Economic and Mone tary Union (WAEMU) (Benin, 
Burkina Faso, Côte  d'Ivoire, Guinea -Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo), and the postponed 
review of Sierra Leone.6  
7. The review process, from start to finish , has run smoothly. The Secretariat's reports 
continue to be prepare d in close consultation with the authorities of the Member s under review , 
and are always delivered on time . Responses to requests for data, documentation and information 
have generally been provided within the suggested deadlines. In preparing its reports,  the 
Secretariat has continued its efforts to reduce the burden on Members under review by using, to 
the extent possible, other sources of documentation, including Members' official websites or other 
credible sources. Essential elements to the process have  been the responses by the authorities to 
draft reports and visits to capitals by teams from the Secretariat.  
8. There have been a few adjustments to the programme of reviews during the course of the 
year. Efforts continue to be made to space meetings of the  TPRB as evenly as possible throughout 
the year and to the extent possible avoid clashes with other meetings at the WTO so as to reduce 
pressure on Members.  
9. The TPR programme for 2018 comprises 18 review meetings covering 23 Members 
(Annex  III). Annex IV provides the list of Members that can be considered as candidates for review 
in 2019 . According to the Amendment of Annex 3, the new cycle of reviews is to be implemented 
as of 2019. That year, only 10 Members are candidates for review  as a result of the 
implementation of the new cycle . The WTO Secretariat has started contacting several delegations 
to explore the possibility of advancing their TPRs to 2019, so as to ensure a more complete 
programme of reviews for the year.  
Coverage of LDCs and follow -up to TPRB meetings  
10. Trade policy reviews of LDCs have been beneficial to them in terms of improving their 
understanding of WTO Agreements, as well as encouraging their compliance with , and integration 
into, the multilateral trading system. Of the 36 least -develo ped Members of the WTO, 31 will have 
been reviewed by the end of 2017.7 
11. At the request of the Member concerned, the Secretariat organizes follow -up workshops to 
discuss the outcome of its Trade Policy Review with domestic stakeholders . Building on the succ ess 
of the Myanmar and Pakistan follow -ups in 2015 , the WTO Secretariat has enhanced  its approach. 
In addition to further  disseminating the results/outcomes of the Review , the Secretariat also works 
closely with the Member under review, upon its request, t o plan for the workshop t o reflect its 
priorities and technical assistance needs , on the basis of the TPR reports and the discussions at the 
TPRB. In 201 7, five follow -up workshops for Chad, Guatemala, Honduras, Republic of Congo , and 
Solomon Islands  were conducted. Also, there was a Regional Trade Policy Workshop in Myanmar 
which also included the participation of Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao People' s Democratic Republic , 
and Nepal.  
                                                
4 WT/TPR/389, 22 December 2016.  
5 Members not yet reviewed by end -2017 are: Afghanistan;  Cuba;  Kazakhstan; Lao People's Democratic 
Republic;  Liberia; Montenegro (to be reviewed in 2018) ; Samoa;  Seychelles; Tajikistan;  Vanuatu (to be 
reviewed in 2018) ; and Yemen . 
6 The TPR of Sierra Leone had been postponed at its request.  
7 First reviews are due for Vanu atu in 2018, for Lao People' s Demo cratic Republic in 2019 , for Yemen in 
2020, and for Afghanistan and Liberia in 2022 . WT/TPR/W/135  
 
- 3 - 
 
  Monitoring of trade and trade -related measures  
12. The TPRM requires Members, in  between their reviews, to provide information on significant 
trade policy changes. The WTO Secretariat uses this and other information to prepare, on a regular 
basis, reports on the trade and trade -related developments of Members and Observer 
Governments.  The information  is consolidated and presented in the Director -General's Annual 
Report on Developments in the International Trading Environment, as called for by paragraph G of 
Annex 3 of the Marrakesh Agreement. Cooperation and interest from Members  in the trade 
monitoring exercise remain very positive as noted during discussions for the Sixth Appraisal of the 
TPRM. At the same time, some Members have yet to participate actively in the exercise and the 
Secretariat continues to reach out to improve the part icipation of all Members and Observers.  
13. The latest trade monitoring report covered measures taken during the period from 
mid-October 2016 to mid -May 2017.8 The report provided information on the latest trends and 
developments with respect to trade -restric tive measures as well as those facilitating trade. The 
report showed that WTO Members recorded the lowest monthly average of new trade -restrictive 
measures since the financial crisis of 2008. The number of trade -facilitating measures recorded 
during the re view period was also low, marking the second -lowest monthly average since 2008. 
The trade coverage of the trade -facilitating measures was , however, significantly higher than that 
of the trade -restrictive measures. The report called on WTO Members , faced wi th continuing global 
economic uncertainties,  to show leadership in supporting open markets and strengthening the 
rules-based trading system as a key driver of economic growth and a major engine for prosperity. 
The report urged WTO Members to continue impro ving the global trading environment, including 
by implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, which  entered into force in 
February  2017, and working together to achieve a successful outcome at the 11th WTO Ministerial 
Conference in December.  
14. The Dir ector-General's 201 7 Annual Report on Developments in the International Trading 
Environment is scheduled to be discus sed by the TPRB in December 2017 . 
                                                
8 An informal meeting of the TPRB was held on 24 July 2017 to discuss the trade monitoring report 
contained in document WT/TPR/OV/W/ 11. WT/TPR/W/135  
 
- 4 - 
 
  ANNEX I   
TRADE POLICY REVIEWS   
WTO Members reviewed, 1989 -2017 
Europe/Middle East  Asia/Pacific  Africa  America  
Albania (2)  Australia (7)  Angolaa (2) Argentina (4)  
Armenia  Bangladesha (4) Benina, 2 (4) Antigua and Barbuda2 (3) 
Austria1 Brunei Darussalam (3) Botswana2 (4) Barbados (3)  
Bahrain, Kingdom of2 (3) Cambodiaa (2) Burkina Fasoa, 2 (4) Belize (3)  
Bulgaria1 China (6)  Burundia, 2 (2) Bolivia, Plurinational State of (4)  
Croatia1 Fiji (3) Cabo Verde  Brazil (7)  
Cyprus1 Hong Kong, China (7)  Cameroon2 (4) Canada (10)  
Czech Republic1 (2) India (6)  Central African Republica, 2(2) Chile (5)  
European Union  (13) Indonesia (6)  Chada, 2 (2) Colombia (4)  
Finland1 Japan (13)  Congo, Dem. Rep. of thea (2)  Costa Rica (4)  
Georgia (2)  Korea, Rep. of (7)  Congo, Rep. of 2 (2) Dominica2 (3) 
Hungary1 (2) Kyrgyz Republic (2)  Côte d'Ivoire (3)  Dominican Republic (4)  
Iceland (5)  Macao, China (4)  Djiboutia, 2 (2) Ecuador (2)  
Israel (4)  Malaysia (6)  Egypt (3)  El Salvador (4)  
Jordan (2) Maldives (3)  Gabon2 (3) Guatemala (3) 
Kuwait, the State of  Mongolia (2)  The Gambiaa (2) Grenada2 (3) 
Liechtenstein2 (5) Myanmara Ghana (4) Guyana (3)  
Moldova, Rep. of  Nepala Guinea, Republic ofa (3) Haitia (2) 
Norway (6)  New Zealand (5)  Guinea -Bissaua (2) Honduras (3)  
Oman2 (2) Pakistan (4)  Kenya2 (4) Jamaica (4)  
Poland1 (2) Papua New Guinea (2)  Lesothoa, 2 (4) Mexico (6)  
Qatar2 (2) Philippines (4) Madagascara (3) Nicaragua (3)  
Romania1 (3) Singapore (7) Malawia (3) Panama (2) 
Russian Federation  Solomon Islandsa (3) Malia, 2 (4) Paraguay (4)  
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of (2) Sri Lanka (4)  Mauritaniaa (2) Peru (4)  
Slovak Republic1 (2) Chinese Taipei (3)  Mauritius2 (4) St. Kitts and Nevis2 (3) 
Slovenia1 Thailand (7)  Morocco (5)  St. Lucia2 (3) 
Sweden1 (2) Tonga  Mozambiquea (3) St. Vincent & Grenadines2 (3) 
Switzerland2 (7) Viet Nam  Namibia2 (4) Suriname (2)  
The FYR of Macedonia   Nigera, 2 (3) Trinidad and Tobago (3)  
Turkey (6)   Nigeria (5)  United States of America (13)  
Ukraine   Rwandaa (2) Uruguay (4)  
United Arab Emirates (3)   Senegala, 2 (4) Venezuela, Bolivarian Rep. of (2)  
  Sierra Leonea (2)   
  South Africa2 (5)  
  Swazila nd2 (4)  
  Tanzaniaa, 2 (3)  
  Togoa (4)  
  Tunisia (3)   
  Ugandaa, 2 (4)  
  Zambiaa (4)  
  Zimbabwe (2)   
    
49 Members (88 reviews)  29 Members (124  reviews)  42 Members (125 reviews)  33 Members (130 reviews)  
The parentheses indicate the number  of reviews completed (where this is greater than one).  
a Least -developed Member.  
1 Now included in European Union (EU -28). 
2 Joint review but counted as individual Members for statistical purposes from 2009.  
Reviews conducted at end -2017  = 467 reviews at  360 TPRB meetings  
WTO Members reviewed   = 153 out of 164  
Least-developed WTO Members reviewed  = 31 out of 36  
 WT/TPR/W/135  
 
- 5 - 
 
  ANNEX II  
Trade policy reviews conducted in 2017  
Member  Meeting date  Review cycle (years)  
Sierra Leoneb (2) 14 and 16 February  6 
Japana (13) 8 and 10 March  2 
Mexicoa (6) 5 and 7 April  4 
Belize (3)  24 and 26 April  6 
Mozambiqueb (3) 3 and 5 May  6 
Switzerland (7) and Liechtenstein (5)  16 and 18 May  4 
Nigeria (5)  13 and 15 June  6 
European Uniona (13) 5 and 7 July  2 
Brazil (7)  17 and 19 July  4 
Jamaica (4)  13 and 15 September  6 
Paraguaya (4) 20 and 22 September  6 
Iceland (5)  4 and 6 October  6 
WAEMU  
(Beninb (4), Burkina Fasob (4), Côte 
d'Ivoire (3), Guinea -Bissaub (2), Malib (4), 
Nigerb (3), Senegalb (4) and Togob(4)) 25 and 27 October  6 
Bolivia, Plurinational State ofa (4) 14 and 16 November  6 
Cambodiab (2)  21 and 23 November  6 
Note:  Figures in parentheses indicate the total number of reviews that will have been conducted by the 
end of 2017.  
a Alternative timeline.  
b Least -developed co untry.  WT/TPR/W/135  
 
- 6 - 
 
  ANNEX III 
Programme of reviews for 2018  
Member  Meeting dates (scheduled)  
The Gambiaa,b  23 and 25 January  
Malaysia  14 and 16 February  
Egypt  20 and 22 February  
Philippinesb  26 and 28 March  
Montenegro  11 and 13 April  
Guineaa and Mauritaniaa 29 and 31 May  
Colombiab  12 and 14 June  
Norwayb  18 and 20 June  
Uruguay  27 and 29 June  
China  [11 and 13 July – to be confirmed]  
Israel  17 and 19 July  
Chinese Taipeib  12 and 14 September  
Armenia  16 and 18 October  
Vanuatua 23 and 25 October  
Hong Ko ng, Chinab  5 and 7 November  
East African Community (EAC)  
(Burundia, Kenya, Rwandaa, Tanzaniaa, and 
Ugandaa) 20 and 22 November  
Nepala,b 3 and 5 December  
United States of America  17 and 19 December  
a Least -developed country.  
b Alternative timeline.  
 WT/TPR/W/135  
 
- 7 - 
 
   
ANNEX IV  
Members to be  review ed in 201 9 
(Due date in parentheses)  
Member  
Bangladesha (2018)  
Cuba (2001)  
Ecuador (2017)  
Kuwait (2018)  
Nicaragua (2018)  
Papua New Guinea (2016)  
Samoa (2018)  
Trinidad and Tobago (2018)  
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic o f (2008)  
Zimbabwe (2017)  
a Least -developed country.  
Note:  According to the Amendment of Annex 3, approved by Members in 2017, the new cycle of reviews 
will be applied as of 2019. The WTO Secretariat has started contacting several delegations to explore 
the possibility of advancing their TPRs by one year, so as to be able to prepare a more complete 
programme of reviews for 2019.  
 
__________