WT/TPR/340  
 
21 November 2014  
(14-6818)  Page: 1/6  
  
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM 
REPORT OF THE TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY FOR 2014 
Chairperson:  H.E. Mariam MD SALLEH (Malaysia) 
1. This Report by the Trade Policy Review Body  (TPRB) provides a brief assessment of its 
activities in 2014. The annexed tables provide information on Members that will have been 
reviewed up to the end of 2014, the geographical coverage of the reviews conducted to date, the 
proposed programme of reviews for 2015, and candidates for review in 2016. 
Fifth Appraisal of the TPRM 2. The Fifth Appraisal of the TPRM was conducted by the TPRB in 2013 and the results were 
endorsed by Ministers at the Ninth Ministerial Conference.
1 Members underlined that the TPRM has 
generally performed its function well and considered that the various changes introduced following 
the Fourth Appraisal had worked satisfactorily. Thes e included: the introduction on a pilot-basis of 
an alternative timeline for the submission of questions and responses; a seven-minute rule for 
statements during the first day of a TPRB meeting2; and the possibility of podcasting 
TPRB meetings. Members noted, however, that more time was needed to fully appreciate all aspects of these changes before agreeing to ma ke them definitive, and agreed to continue 
applying them on a provisional basis until the following Appraisal.
3  
3. In 2014, four Members volunteered to use the alternative timeline: Hong Kong, China; 
Mongolia; Myanmar; and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.4 
The seven-minute rule for the interventions continued to be applied with very limited exceptions, 
contributing to making the meetings more efficient and focused. Since 2012, the WTO Secretariat 
has been testing, on a voluntary basis, digital audio files (podcasting) of TPRB meetings. It was used at twelve TPR meetings in 2014. 
Activities of the TPRB 
4. By the end of 2014, the TPRB will have conducted 405 reviews since its inception in 1989 
(up from 384 in 2013), at 302 review meetings (Annex I). The reviews have covered 149 out of 
160 Members.
5 The trade policies and practices of two Members were reviewed for the first time in 
2014.6 The TPRB will have conducted reviews of 21 Members in 2014 (Annex II).  
                                               
1 Document WT/MIN(13)/5 of 17 October 2013. 
2 While deviations from the seven minute rule have been rare, some Members noted during the 
appraisal that flexibility may be required in the application of the seven-minute time-limit in the case of group 
reviews so as to allow deeper consider ation of each member of the group. 
3 The Sixth Appraisal of the operation of the TPRM is to take place at a time to be decided by the TPRB, 
but not later than five years from the date of the Fifth Appraisal.  
4 Compared to the standard timeline , the alternative timeline provides Members under review with more 
time to prepare answers, and Members raising questions in  writing, more time to review the answers provided. 
Both timelines are described in document WT/MIN(11)/6 of 29 November 2011. 
5 Members not yet reviewed by end 2014 are: Cabo Verde; Cuba; Lao People's Dem. Rep.; Moldova, 
Rep. of; Montenegro; Russian Federation; Samoa; Tajikistan; Ukraine; Vanuatu; and Yemen. 
6 Myanmar and Tonga. WT/TPR/340 
 
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  5. The review process, from the preparatory stage to the meeting, has run relatively smoothly. 
The Secretariat's reports continue to be prepared in close consultation with the authorities of the Member under review. Responses to requests for data, documentation and information have generally been provided within the suggested dead lines. 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 web-sites. Essential elements 
to the process have been the responses by the author ities to draft reports and visits to capitals by 
teams from the Secretariat.  
6. There have been a few adjustments to the programme of reviews during the course of the 
year.
7 Efforts continue to be made to space meetings  of the TPRB as evenly as possible throughout 
the year and to avoid clashes with other meetings at the WTO so as to reduce pressure on 
Members. However, the increasing number of WT O Members, while a success for the multilateral 
trading system, is also adding to the burden on chairpersons, delegations and the Secretariat through the increasing number of reviews necessary to comply with paragraph C (ii) of Annex 3 of 
the Marrakesh Agreement. 
7. The TPR programme for 2015 comprises 21 review meetings covering 25 Members, counting 
the EU as one (Annex III). It includes a joint review of SACU Members (Botswana, Lesotho, 
Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland), and the postponed review of Sierra Leone. 
Coverage of LDCs and follow-up to TPRB Meetings 8. Trade Policy Reviews of LDCs have helped them enhance their understanding of the WTO 
Agreements, enabling better compliance and integration into the multilateral trading system. Of 
the 34 least-developed Members of the WTO, 31 will have been reviewed by the end of 2014.
8 
9. The Secretariat has continued to organize TP R follow-up workshops, at the request of 
Members. Two follow-up workshops were organized in 2014.9  
Monitoring of trade and trade-related measures 
10. 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 by the Director-General 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. The WTO Secretariat continues 
to receive good cooperation from Member s in collecting this information.  
11. The latest trade monitoring report covered measures taken over the period from mid-
November 2013 to mid-May 2014.
10 The report provided information on the trends in the number 
of trade restrictive measures as well as those fa cilitating trade. The report noted that although 
Members have introduced new trade restrictions, the pace at which these restrictions were introduced has not accelerated during the period  under review. The report also underscored the 
need for greater transparency regarding those measures, and highlighted some areas where the  
record of Members' compliance with their WTO notification obligations could be improved. 
12. The Director-General's 2014 Annual Report on Developments in the International Trading 
Environment will be discussed by the TPRB in December 2014. 
                                               
7 The TPRs of Sierra Leone, Tunisia and Ukraine have  been postponed at the request of these Members. 
8 First reviews are due for Samoa and Vanuatu in 2018, for Lao People's Democratic Republic and 
Tajikistan in 2019, and for Yemen in 2020. 
9 The workshops have been organized for the Kyrgyz Republic, and jointly for 5 countries of the Central 
African Economic and Monetary Community, that ar e Members of the WTO (Cameroon, Central African 
Republic, Chad, Congo, and Gabon). 
10 An informal meeting of the TPRB was held on 27 June 2014 to discuss the trade monitoring report 
contained in document WT/TPR/OV/W/8. WT/TPR/340 
 
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  ANNEX I  
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEWS  
WTO Members reviewed, 1989-2014 
Europe/Middle East Asia/Pacific Africa America 
Albania Australia (6) Angolab Argentina (4) 
Armenia Bangladeshb (4) Beninb, 2 (3) Antigua and Barbuda2 (3) 
Austria1 Brunei Darussalam (2) Botswana2 (3) Barbados (2) 
Bahrain, Kingdom of2 (3) Cambodiab Burkina Fasob, 2 (3) Belize (2) 
Bulgaria1 China (5) Burundib, 2 (2) Bolivia, Plurinational State of (3) 
Croatia1 Fiji (2) Cameroon2 (4) Brazil (6) 
Cyprus1 Georgia Central African Republicb, 2(2) Canada (9) 
Czech Republic1 (2) Hong Kong, China (7) Chadb, 2 (2) Chile (4) 
European Union (11) India (5) Congo, Dem.Rep. of theb  Colombia (4) 
Finland1 Indonesia (6) Congo, Rep. of 2 (2) Costa Rica (4) 
Hungary1 (2) Japan (11) Côte d'Ivoire (2) Dominica2 (3) 
Iceland (4) Korea, Rep. of (6) Djiboutib, 2 (2) Dominican Republic (3) 
Israel (4) Kyrgyz Republic (2) Egypt (3) Ecuador (2) 
Jordan Macao, China (4)  Gabon2 (3) El Salvador (3) 
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Malaysia (6) The Gambiab (2) Guatemala (2) 
Kuwait, the State of Maldives (2) Ghana (4) Grenada2 (3) 
Liechtenstein2 (4) Mongolia (2) Guinea, Republic ofb (3) Guyana (2) 
Norway (6) Myanmara, b Guinea-Bissaub Haitib 
Oman2 (2) Nepalb Kenya2 (4) Honduras (2) 
Poland1 (2) New Zealand (4) Lesothob, 2 (3) Jamaica (3)  
Qatar2 (2) Pakistan (3) Madagascarb (2) Mexico (5) 
Romania1 (3) Papua New Guinea (2) Malawib (2) Nicaragua (3) 
Slovak Republic1 (2) Philippines (4) Malib, 2 (3) Panama (2) 
Slovenia1 Singapore (6) Mauritaniab (2) Paraguay (3) 
Sweden1 (2) Solomon Islandsb (2) Mauritius2 (4) Peru (4) 
Switzerland2 (6) Sri Lanka (3) Morocco (4) St.Kitts and Nevis2 (3) 
The FYR of Macedonia Chinese Taipei (3) Mozambiqueb (2) St.Lucia2 (3) 
Turkey (5) Thailand (6) Namibia2 (3) St.Vincent & Grenadines2 (3) 
United Arab Emirates (2) Tongaa Nigerb, 2 (2) Suriname (2) 
 Viet Nam Nigeria (4) Trinidad and Tobago (3) 
  Rwandab (2) United States (12) 
  Senegalb, 2 (3) Uruguay (4) 
  Sierra Leoneb Venezuela, Bolivarian Rep. of (2) 
  South Africa2 (4)  
  Swaziland2 (3)  
  Tanzaniab, 2 (3)  
  Togob (3)  
  Tunisia (2)  
  Ugandab, 2 (4)  
  Zambiab (3)  
  Zimbabwe (2)  
45 Members (74 reviews)  30 Members (109 reviews) 41 Members (108 reviews)  33 Members (114 reviews)  
The parentheses indicate the number of reviews completed (where this is greater than one). 
a First review in 2014. 
b Least-developed Member. 1 Now included in European Union (EU28). 
2 Joint review but counted as individual Members for statistical purposes from 2009. 
Reviews conducted at end-2014  = 405 reviews at 302 TPRB meetings 
WTO Members reviewed  = 149 out of 160 Members Least-developed WTO Members reviewed  = 31 out of 34 WT/TPR/340 
 
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  ANNEX II 
Trade Policy Reviews conducted in 2014 
Member* Meeting date Review cycle (years) 
Tonga (1) 11 and 13 February 6 
Malaysia (6) 3 and 5 March 4 
Myanmara,b (1) 11 and 13 March 6 
Oman (2), and Kingdom of Bahrain (3), 
and Qatar (2) 22 and 24 April 6 
Ghana (4) 26 and 28 May 6 
OECS: Antigua and Barbuda (3), 
Dominica (3), Grenada (3), 
Saint Kitts and Nevis (3), 
Saint Lucia (3), and Saint Vincent 
and the Grenadines (3) 17 and 19 June 6 
China (5) 1 and 3 July 2 
Panama (2) 23 and 25 July 6 
Chinese Taipeia (3) 16 and 18 September 4 
Mongoliaa (2) 24 and 26 September 6 
Sierra Leoneb [Postponed] 6 
Djiboutib (2) and Mauritius (4) 22 and 24 October 6 
Hong Kong, Chinaa (7) 19 and 21 November 4 
United States (12) 16 and 18 December 2 
* Figures in brackets indicate the total number of reviews that will have been conducted by the end of 
2014. 
a Alternative timeline. 
b Least-develo ped country. WT/TPR/340 
 
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  ANNEX III 
Proposed programme of reviews for 2015 
Member Meeting dates (scheduled) 
Barbados 27 and 29 January 
Brunei Darussalama 10 and 12 February 
Japana 9 and 11 March 
Pakistan 24 and 26 March 
Australiaa 21 and 23 April 
Sierra Leoneb [postponed from 2014] 
India 2 and 4 June 
Canadaa 15 and 17 June 
Chilea 23 and 25 June 
New Zealanda 29 June and 1 July 
European Uniona 6 and 8 July 
Madagascarb 14 and 16 July 
Dominican Republica 28 and 30 July 
Guyanaa 15 and 17 September 
Angolab 22 and 24 September 
Cabo Verde 6 and 8 October 
Moldova, Rep. of 19 and 21 October 
SACU:  Botswana, Lesothob, Namibia, South Africa, and 
Swaziland 4 and 6 November 
Jordan 17 and 19 November 
Thailand 24 and 26 November 
Haitib 2 and 4 December 
[ ] Dates to be confirmed.  
a Alternative timeline. 
b Least-develo ped country. 
 WT/TPR/340 
 
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  ANNEX IV 
Candidates for TPRB Reviews in 2016 
(Due date in parentheses) 
 
 
Member  
Albania (2016) Malia (2016) 
Armenia (2016) Morocco (2015) 
Belize (2016) Mozambiquea (2015) 
Benina (2016) Nigera (2015) 
Bolivia, Plurinational State of (2011) Papua New Guinea (2016) 
Burkina Fasoa (2016) Russian Federation 
China (2016) Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of (2016) 
Congo, Dem. Rep. of thea (2016) Senegala (2015) 
Cuba (2001) Singapore (2016) 
Egypt (2011) Solomon Islandsa (2015) 
El Salvador (2016) Sri Lanka (2016) 
Fiji (2015) Tunisia (2011) 
The Gambiaa (2016) Turkey (2016) 
Georgia (2015) Ukraine (2014) 
Guatemala (2015) United Arab Emirates (2016) 
Honduras (2016) United States (2016) 
Korea, Rep. of (2016) Venezuela, Bolivarian Rep. of (2008) 
Malawia (2016) Zambiaa (2015) 
Maldives (2015)  
a Least-develo ped country. 
 
 
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