WT/ACC/22/Add.1  
1 August 2014  
(14-4484)  Page: 1/16  
   
 
ACCESSION TO THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 
PROCEDURES FOR NEGOTIATINGS UNDER ARTICLE XII 
INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED ON DOMEST IC SUPPORT AND EXPORT SUBSIDIES IN 
AGRICULTURE 
Note by the Secretariat1 
Addendum 
                                               
1 This document revises and replaces document WT/ACC/4 of 18 March 1996.  Specifically, it 
supplements the original document with information, which takes into account th e evolution of accession 
practices.  It also incorporates a number of editorial changes and technical corrections. This document has been prepared in consultation with WTO Members but 
is without prejudice to the positions of WTO Members and to their rights to 
request additional data and documentation, which they may deem 
necessary, in the course of the WTO accession process. WT/ACC/22/Add.1 
 
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1. The purpose of this technical note is to allow acceding governments to present factual 
information on their domestic support and export subsidy measures actually in place in agriculture, as required under Section IV.C (b) and (e) of the Outline Format for a Memorandum on the Foreign 
Trade Regime (WT/ACC/22), in a manner consistent with the notification requirements of the 
Agreement on Agriculture.  To this end, the following paragraphs are designed to identify agricultural policy measures in the area of domestic support and export subsidies under the Agreement on 
Agriculture on which such information is required.  (The definition of products covered by the 
Agreement on Agriculture is contained in Annex 1 of the Agreement). 
2. To present the information in the prescribed form, the formats used by WTO Members to 
notify their current measures are proposed as the basis for data collection (i.e. G/AG/2).  
Accordingly, the description of any measures maintained by acceding governments should be 
sufficiently detailed to enable Members to make a judgement as to the relationship between each of the measures in question and the relevant criteria of the Agreement on Agriculture. 
3. The information to be provided in this context is without prejudice to any additional 
information which Members may wish to request from acceding governments on any other aspects of their trade regime on agriculture.  In this regard, it should be noted that information on border 
measures affecting foreign trade in agricultural products should be provided under Section IV.4(a) 
and (c) of the Outline Format. 
Domestic Support 4. The Agreement on Agriculture prohibits the use of domestic support in favour of agricultural 
producers in excess of commitment levels specified in schedules (Article 3:2 and Article 6) with the 
exception of support granted by means of three groups of policies: 
(i) measures that have no, or at most minimal, trade distortion effects or effects on 
production and which meet basic and policy-specific criteria and other conditions as 
set out in Annex 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture;  these are known as "green box" measures; 
(ii) some measures of assistance, whether direct or indirect, to encourage agricultural 
and rural development and which are an integral part of the development programmes of developing countries (Article 6:2);  and 
(iii) direct payments under production-limiting programmes (Article 6:5). 
5. The types of measures in operation that may fall into the "green box" include those in the 
following categories, provided they meet basic and policy specific criteria and conditions as set out in Annex 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture: 
General government services; research;  pest and disease control;  training services;  extension and 
advisory services;  inspection services;  marketing and promotion services;  infrastructural services;  and other similar types of measure. 
Expenditures in relation to public stockholding for food security purposes; and domestic food aid. 
Direct payments to producers; decoupled income support;  income insurance and safety-net 
programmes;  natural disaster relief;  producer and resource retirement programmes;  investment aids;  environmental programmes;  regional assistance programmes;  and other similar types of 
measure. 
6. Such measures should be listed as set out in Supporting Table DS:1 (attached).  In order to 
do this, the following information is required: WT/ACC/22/Add.1 
 
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   a description of each measure with reference to the criteria in the relevant section of 
Annex 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture; 
 the monetary value and any revenue foregone involved with each measure, normally 
using the average of the most recent 3-year period; 
 data sources of the above information. 
7. For developing countries, the following types of measures may fall into the category of 
development measures which are also exempt from commitments to be specified in schedules: 
 investment subsidies which are generally available to agriculture; 
 agricultural input subsidies, generally available to low-income or resource-poor 
producers; 
 domestic support to producers to encourage diversification from growing illicit 
narcotic crops. 
8. Such measures should be listed as set out on  Supporting Table DS:2 (a ttached).  In order to 
do this, the following information is required: 
 a description of each measure with reference to the criteria in Article 6:2 of the 
Agreement on Agriculture; 
 the monetary value and any revenue foregone involved with each measure, normally 
using the average of the most recent 3-year period; 
 data sources of the above information. 
9. Direct payments under production-limiting programmes may be exempt from commitments 
to be specified in schedules, if they:  (i) are based on fixed area and yields;  or 
 (ii) are made on 85% or less of the base level of production;  or 
 (iii) are livestock payments made on a fixed number of head. 
10. Such measures should be listed as set out on  Supporting Table DS:3 (a ttached).  In order to 
do this, the following information is required: 
 a description of each measure with reference to the criteria in Article 6:5 of the 
Agreement on Agriculture; 
 the monetary value and any revenue foregone involved with each measure, normally 
using the average of the most recent 3-year period; 
 data sources of the above information. 
Other Domestic Support Measures 
11. As noted above, any other domestic support in favour of agricultural producers is subject to 
commitments to be specified in schedules.  Under the Agreement on Agriculture the commitments are to be made on the basis of a "Total Aggregate Measurement of Support (Total AMS)", which is an 
aggregation of support measures provided on a product-specific basis for those measures that affect 
only one or a limited number of products, and support measures provided on a non-product-specific basis for other measures.  The Total AMS, including the Base Total AMS and the Current Total AMS, 
is defined in Article 1(h) of the Agreement on Agriculture.  The AMS is defined in Article 1(a) of the 
Agreement on Agriculture. 
Product-specific AMS measures 
12. A product-specific AMS should be calculated for any agricultural product that has any form of 
administered price operating, for example, as part of a programme to stabilize prices, trigger public 
intervention, trigger direct payments (e.g. deficiency payments) or provide minimum income levels, 
etc.  In addition, any other type of product-specific measure (such as product-specific fertilizer or 
transport subsidies) should also be included in the product-specific AMS. WT/ACC/22/Add.1 
 
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  13. An AMS should be calculated for each basic agricultural product, as close as practicable to 
the point of first sale of the product concerned, on which these measures operate, including support 
at both the national and the sub-national level.  The calculation of the product-specific AMS is 
described in Annex 3 of the Agreement on Agriculture2. 
14. In order to calculate a product-specific AMS for these products, relevant tables from 
Supporting Tables DS:5 to DS:7 (attached) should be used. 
15. The information required in these tables is, for each product covered, the following: 
 for any domestic support measure that affe cts the producer price (normally for each 
of the last three years): 
 
 the applied administered price; 
 a n  e x t e r n a l  r e f e r e n c e  p r i c e ,  e . g .  a n  e s t i m a t e  o f  t h e  w o r l d  p r i c e  s u c h  a s  t h e  c . i . f .  
price or f.o.b. price.  This price should be adjusted to a similar stage of processing as 
the administered price.  (For deficiency payments, the  reference price should be that used for determining payments); 
 the amount of eligible production that receives the administered price; 
 the budgetary cost of price-related non-exempt direct payments (where this is the 
option used under paragraph 10 of Annex 3 of the Agreement on Agriculture); 
 the value of any associated fees or levies. 
 
 for other measures (for the same period): 
 
 the budgetary expenditures an d any revenue foregone involved with the measure for 
each product; 
 the value of any associated fees or levies. 
 data sources of the above information. 
16. For any measure which affects the producer price, Supporting Table DS:5 should be used 
unless the measure in question involves direct payments from the government to producers, in 
which case Supporting Table DS:6 should be used.  The results of the calculations in Supporting 
Tables DS:5 and DS:6 should, along with the budgetary cost (or revenue foregone) of other 
measures, be entered in Supporting Table DS:7 which allows all product-specific AMS to be totalled.  For more details on the calculation methodology of the product-specific AMS, see Annex 3 of the 
Agreement on Agriculture. 
17. Note, however, that the Agreement on Agriculture (Article 6:4) provides for a " de minimis " 
level of 5% (developed countries) or 10% (developing countries) of the value of production of the 
product concerned.  If the information provided shows that product-specific AMS (inclusive of any 
equivalent measurement of support) in a given year does not exceed the " de minimis " level (i.e. the 
relevant de minimis  % of the total value of production of the concerned basic agricultural product in 
the year in question), the product-specific AMS may be exempted from the commitments to be 
included in schedules.  In order to justify the de minimis  exemptions for product-specific support, the 
information on the total value of production of the relevant products should be included. This information may, for example, be included in Supporting Table DS:4 by adding an additional column. 
The non-product-specific AMS 
18. For measures not included in the product-specific AMS, a non-product-specific AMS should 
be calculated by aggregating the value of any non-exempt non-product-specific measures such as 
input subsidies (e.g. fertilizer or transport subsidies) and credit and other financial input assistance. 
19. In order to calculate this AMS as shown in Supporting Table DS:9 (attached), the following 
information is required, normally for each of the three most recent years: 
                                               
     2 It may not be practicable to calculate the AMS howe ver, if, for example, an appropriate world price for 
the product in question cannot be established (c.f. paragraph 15 below).  If this is the case, an "equivalent measurement of support" may need to be established as  set out in Annex 4 of the Agreement on Agriculture 
(Supporting Table DS:8 attached). WT/ACC/22/Add.1 
 
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   the budgetary outlays and any revenue foregone involved with each measure; 
 the value of any associated fees and levies; 
 data sources of the above information. 
20. As with the product-specific AMS, if the information provided shows that the value of the 
non-product-specific AMS in a given year does not exceed 5% (developed) or 10% (developing) of 
the total value of total agricultural production of that year, the de minimis  provision may apply 
(Article 6:4).  Similar to the de minimis  claims for product-specific AMS, the information on the value 
of total agricultural production should be included to justify de minimis  exemption in respect of the 
non-product-specific AMS. 
Aggregating AMS commitments 
21. As commitments to be included in schedules under the Agreement on Agriculture are made 
on the Total AMS (the aggregate of all individual AMS and any equivalent measurements of support), 
Supporting Table DS:4 (attached) can be used to ge t an aggregate figure.  This only needs to include 
AMS that is over the relevant de minimis  level (if any). 
Export Subsidies  
22. The Agreement on Agriculture prohibits the use of those export subsidies listed in Article 9:1 
with the exception of those that apply to products explicitly specified in schedules (Article 3:3).  Such subsidies include (for more precision, see Article 9:1): 
(a) direct subsidies contingent on export performance; 
(b) the sale or disposal for export of non-commercial stocks at a price lower than that in 
the domestic market; 
(c) payments on exports financed by virtue of governmental action including those 
financed from the proceeds of a levy on producers; 
(d) subsidies to reduce the costs of marketing exports (other than widely available 
export promotion and advisory services) including handling, upgrading and other 
processing costs, and the costs of international transport and freight; 
(e) internal transport charges on export shipments on terms more favourable than for 
domestic shipments;  and, 
(f) subsidies on agricultural products contingent on their incorporation in exported 
products. 
23. Developing countries may not be required, during the implementation period of the 
Agreement on Agriculture,  i.e until 2005, to take commitments on subsidies in categories (d) and (e) 
listed in paragraph 19 (Article 9:4). 
24. Acceding governments should provide information on the amount of subsidy and the 
quantity of subsidized product exported, if any, for each category of export subsidy.  In order to do 
this, Supporting Table ES:1 (attached) should be used which requires the following data, normally 
for each of the last three years: 
 the budgetary expenditures and any revenue foregone involved with each measure 
for each product; 
 the quantity of product exported that received such subsidies and a detailed 
description of the product including tariff line references at least the six-digit level; 
 data sources of the above information. WT/ACC/22/Add.1 
 
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  25. For the purposes of Supporting Table ES:1, the following level of product aggregation should 
be used: 
(i) Wheat and wheat flour  (ix) Skim milk powder  (xvii) Eggs 
(ii) Coarse grains   (x) Cheese    (xviii) Wine (iii) Rice    (xi) Other milk products  (xix) Fruit 
(iv) Oilseeds   (xii) Bovine  meat   (xx) Vegetables 
(v) Vegetable oils   (xiii) Pig meat   (xxi) Tobacco (vi) Oilcakes   (xiv) Poultry meat   (xxii) Cotton 
(vii) Sugar    (xv) Sheep meat 
(viii) Butter and butter oil  (xvi) Live animals 26. In the case of subsidies on agricultural products contingent on their incorporation in exported 
products, aggregate budgetary ou tlays only should be listed in Supporting Table ES:1. 
27. If the acceding government does not maintain, at present, any export subsidy listed in 
Article 9:1 of the Agreement on Agriculture, a statement to this effect should be included in lieu of Supporting Table ES:1.  
  WT/ACC/22/Add.1  
 
- 7 - Supporting Table DS:1 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: Name of the acceding government  
REPORTING PERIOD: Calendar year, marketing year, etc.  
Measures exempt from the reduction commitment - "Green Box" 
Measure type Name and description of measure with reference to criteria in Annex 2 of the 
Agreement on Agriculture Monetary value 
of measure in 
year in question Data sources 
1 2 3 4 
 
(a) "General services" 
(b) "Public stockholding for food security purposes" 
(c) "Domestic food aid" 
(d) "Decoupled income support" (e) "Income insurance and income safety-net programmes" 
(f) "Payments for relief from natural disasters" 
(g) "Structural adjustment assistance provided through producer retirement programmes" (h) "Structural adjustment assistance provided through resource retirement programmes" (i) "Structural adjustment assistance provided through investment aids" 
(j) "Environmental programmes" 
(k) "Regional assistance programmes" (l) "Other"  
  WT/ACC/22/Add.1  
 
- 8 - Supporting Table DS:2 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Name of  the acceding government 
REPORTING PERIOD: Calendar year, marketing year, etc.  
Measures exempt from the reduction commitment - Special and Differential Treatment - "Development Programmes" 
Measure type Name and description of measure with reference to criteria in Article 6:2 
of the Agreement on Agriculture Monetary value of 
measure in year 
in question Data sources 
1 2 3 4 
 
(a) "Investment subsidies generally available to agriculture" 
(b) "Input subsidies generally available to low-income or resource-poor producers" 
(c) "Support to encourage diversification from growing illicit narcotic crops"  
  WT/ACC/22/Add.1  
 
- 9 - Supporting Table DS:3 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Name of  the acceding government 
REPORTING PERIOD: Calendar year, marketing year, etc.  
Measures exempt from the reduction commitment - Direct Payments under Production-Limiting Programmes - "Exempt Direct Payments"  
Measure type Name and description of measure with reference to criteria in Article 6:5 of the Agreement 
on Agriculture Monetary value of 
measure in year 
in question Data sources 
1 2 3 4 
 
(a) "Payments based on fixed area and yields" 
(b) "Payments based on 85% or less of the base level of production" 
(c) "Livestock payments made on a fixed number of head"  
  WT/ACC/22/Add.1  
 
- 10 - Supporting Table DS:4 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: Name of the acceding government 
REPORTING PERIOD: Calendar year, marketing year, etc.  
Calculation of the Total Aggregate Measurement of Support 
Description of basic 
products 
(including non-product 
specific AMS) Product-specific AMS (from Supporting 
Tables DS:5 to DS:7 below) Product-specific measurements of 
support (from Supporting Table DS:8 
below) Current Total AMS (aggregate) 
 
1 2 3 4 
 
Product A    Total Product A 
Product B    Total Product B Product C    Total Product C ...    ...      Non-product-specific AMS    Total Non-product-specific AMS 
(from Supporting Table DS:9 
below) 
    _______________________     TOTAL:  Current Total AMS  
  WT/ACC/22/Add.1  
 
- 11 - Supporting Table DS:5 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: Name of the acceding government  
REPORTING PERIOD: Calendar year, marketing year, etc.  
Product-Specific Aggregate Measurements of Support:  Market Price Support 
Description of 
basic products Calendar / 
marketing year Measure 
type(s) Applied administered 
price External 
reference price  Eligible 
production Associated 
fees/levies Total market 
price support Data 
sources 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 = 
((4-5)*6)-7 9 
  
  WT/ACC/22/Add.1  
 
- 12 - Supporting Table DS:6 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Name of  the acceding government 
REPORTING PERIOD: Calendar year, marketing year, etc.  
Product-Specific Aggregate Measurements of Support:  Non-Exempt Direct Payments 
Description 
of basic 
product Calendar / 
marketing 
year Measure 
type(s) Applied 
administered 
price External 
reference 
price  Eligible 
production Total price-
related 
direct 
payments Other non-
exempt 
direct 
payments Associated 
fees/levies Total direct 
payments Data 
sources 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 = 
((4-5)*6) 8 9 10 = 
(7+8-9) 11 
  
  WT/ACC/22/Add.1  
 
- 13 - Supporting Table DS:7 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Name of  the acceding government 
REPORTING PERIOD: Calendar year, marketing year, etc.  
Product-Specific Aggregate Measurements of Support:  Othe r Product-Specific Support and Total Product-Specific AMS 
Description 
of basic 
product Calendar / 
marketing 
year Measure 
type(s) Other 
product-
specific 
budgetary 
outlays Other 
product- 
specific 
support 
(include 
calculation 
details) Associated 
fees/levies Total other 
product-
specific 
support Market price 
support 
(Supporting 
Table DS:5) Non-exempt 
direct 
payments 
(Supporting 
Table DS:6) Total AMS Data 
sources 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 = 
(4+5-6) 8 9 10 = 
(7+8+9) 11 
  
  WT/ACC/22/Add.1  
 
- 14 - Supporting Table DS:8 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Name of  the acceding government 
REPORTING PERIOD: Calendar year, marketing year, etc.  
Product-Specific Equivalent Measurements of Support 
Description 
of basic 
products Calendar / 
marketing 
year Measure 
type(s) Applied 
administered 
price Production 
eligible to 
receive the 
applied 
administered 
price Market 
price 
support 
budgetary 
outlays Equivalent 
measurement 
of support 
(include 
calculation 
details) Non-
exempt 
direct 
payments  Other 
product-
specific 
support Associated 
fees/levies  Total 
monetary 
value of 
equivalent 
commitment  Data 
sources 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 = 
(7+8+9-10) 12 
  
  WT/ACC/22/Add.1  
 
- 15 - Supporting Table DS:9 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Name of  the acceding government 
REPORTING PERIOD: Calendar year, marketing year, etc.  
Non-Product-Specific AMS 
Measure type(s) Calendar / 
marketing year Non-product-specific 
budgetary outlays Other non-product-
specific support 
(include calculation 
details) Associated 
fees/levies Total non-product-
specific support Data sources 
1 2 3 4 5 6 = (3+4-5) 7 
  
  WT/ACC/22/Add.1  
 
- 16 - Supporting Table ES:1 
EXPORT  SUBSIDIES: Name of  the acceding government 
REPORTING PERIOD: Calendar year, marketing year, etc. 
Export Subsidies:  Outlay and Quantity 
Description of 
products Direct export 
subsidies Sales of 
stocks Producer 
financed 
subsidies Cost reduction 
measures Internal transport 
subsidies Total product 
specific 
export 
subsidies Quantity of 
subsidized 
exports Data source 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 
 
 
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