G/AG/28  
 
26 September 2018  
(18-5977) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Agriculture    
 
REPORT ON THE FIRST TRIENNIAL REVIEW OF THE MINIST ERIAL DECISION  
OF 19 DECEMBER 2015 ON EXPORT COMPETITIO N 
1.   Paragraph 5 of the Ministerial Decision on Export Competition adopted on 19 December 20151 
(the Ministerial Decision) provides that: "The regular sessions of the Committee on Agriculture shall 
review every three years the disciplines contained in this Decision, with the aim of enhancing 
disciplines to ensure that no circumvention threatens export subsidy elimination commitments and 
to prevent non -commercial transactions from being used to circumvent such commitments."  
2.  The Committee held its first discussion on the triennial review of the Ministerial Decision pursuant 
to its paragraph 5 at its informal meeting on 20 February 2018.2 
3.  The Chairperson not ed that the triennial review was an opportunity to assess whether the 
disciplines contained in the Ministerial Decision  as well as the way their implementation was  
monitored3 could be enhanced " to ensure that no circumvention threatens export subsidy elimi nation 
commitments and to prevent non -commercial transactions from being used to circumvent such 
commitments ". 
4.  The Chairperson invited Members to express their views based on the experience acquired in the 
Committee on Agriculture, including on the provisi ons of the Ministerial Decision;  the content of the 
Questionnaire annexed to the Ministerial Decision, and the process followed thus far for the annual 
dedicated discussion.  
5.  Several Members considered that the Nairobi outcome on export competition was stil l "unfinished 
business" and supported the aim of enhancing the disciplines contained in the Ministerial Decision 
with regards to export credits, export credit guarantees or insurance programmes, agricultural 
exporting state trading enterprises as well as i nternational food aid.  
6.  Several Members also stressed the importance of implement ing the commitments made in 
Nairobi to eliminate the remaining scheduled export subsidies entitlements. These delegations called 
for enhanced transparency on the steps being un dertaken by the relevant Members to implement 
the Ministerial Decision.  
7.  Several Members commended the review process established for the June dedicated discussion 
on export competition which provided Members with the opportunity to discuss in detail the re plies 
to the questionnaire. One Member noted that this process could be further developed and possibly 
be used in other areas of the Committee's work.  
8.  All the interveners stressed the need to improve the rate of replies to the questionnaire to ensure 
an effective monitoring mechanism through the June dedicated discussion exercise and encouraged 
all Members to reply to the questionnaire. One delegation also suggested including data on the use 
of article 9.4 export subsidies in the Secretariat's background do cument.  
                                                
1 Document WT/MIN(15)/45 - WT/L/980 dated 21 December 2015.  
2 See summary report in document G/AG/R/87 (section 2.5.2) dated 23 May 2018.  
3 See Annex.  G/AG/28  
 
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  9.  The Committee held its second informal meeting on the review of the Ministerial Decision  
on 11 June 2018. The Chairperson's report did not attract any additional comment by Members and 
it was therefore suggested to conclude the first triennial revi ew of the Ministerial  Decision at the 
September 2018 meeting of the Committee on Agriculture.4 
10.  This report was adopted by th e Committee on Agriculture on 26 September 2018 . 
 
 
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4 See summary report in document G/AG/R/88 (section 3.3.2) dated 18 July 2018.  G/AG/28  
 
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  ANNEX  
SHORT DESCRIPTION - IMPLEMENTATION OF TH E MINISTERIAL DECISI ON 2016-2018 
1.  The first, second and third annual dedicated discussions on export competition held in accordance 
with the Ministerial Decision took place respectively on 7  June 2016, 7 June 2017 and  11 June 2018 
at the regular meetings of the Committee on Agriculture.1 
2.  These dedica ted discussions were based on annual background document s by the Secretariat2 
compiling  information from Members' relevant notifications along with responses to the export 
competition questionnaire circulated by the Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture.3 The 
background document s by the Secretariat  were updated after each of the dedicated discussions.4 
3.  During these dedicated discussions, Members exchanged questions and  responses on specific 
measures.5 Members also circulated submissions to contribute to these discussions.6  
4.  Members with export subsidies reduction commitments had the opportunity to update other 
Members about the progress in the elimination of their scheduled export subsidies entitlements 
pursuant to the Ministerial Decision  at each regular meeting  of the Commi ttee on Agriculture  under 
the item on the implementation of Ministerial outcomes.  
5.  In addition to the annual dedicated discussions on export competition, Paragraph  32 of the 
Ministerial Decision provides that: "Members agree to review the provisions on inte rnational food aid 
contained in the preceding paragraphs within the regular Committee on Agriculture monitoring of 
the implementation of the Marrakesh Ministerial Decision of April 1994 on Measures Concerning the 
Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Pro gramme on Least -developed and net food -importing 
developing countries ." This review was added accordingly to the annual monitoring exercise on the 
follow -up to the Marrakesh NFIDC Decision under Article 16.2 of the Agreement on Agriculture .7 
 
 
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1 See summary report s of relevant meetings in  document s G/AG/R/81 (section 3.1) dated 
8 August  2016, G/AG/R/85 (section 2.1) dated 28 July 2017 and G/AG/R/88 (section 3.1) dated 18 July 2018.  
2 Documents G/AG/W/125/Rev.4 and addenda dated 11 May 2016, G/AG/W/125/Rev.6 and adden da 
dated 10 May 2017 and G/AG/W/125/Rev.8 and addenda dated 24 April 2018.  
3 The questionnaires circulated res pectively on 20 January 2016,  31 October 2016 and 16 November  2017 
reflected the elements conta ined in the Annex to the Ministerial  Decision.  
4 Documents G/AG/W/125/Rev.5 and addenda dated 26 July 2016, G/AG/W/125/Rev.7 and addenda 
dated 27 September 2017 and G/AG/W/125/Rev.9 and addenda dated 24 July 2018.  
5 See documents G/AG/W/155 dated 10 August 2016, G/AG/W/162 dated 24 May 2017, G/AG/W/166 
dated 24 July 2017, G/AG/W/176 dated 29 May 2018 and G/AG/W/182 dated 18 July 2018.  
6 Documents G/AG/W/153 dated 31 May 2016, G/AG/W/164 dated 2 June 2017 and G/AG/W/180 dated 
7 June 2018.  
7 See summary report s of relevant meetings in  document  G/AG/R/83 (s ection 2.1.3) dated 
22 December  2016, and document G/AG/R/87 (section 2.2.3) dated 23 May 2018.