G/RO/W/163/Rev.3  
 
27 September 2017 
(17-5133) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Rules of Origin    
 
 STATUS OF NOTIFICATI ONS OF PREFERENTIAL RULES OF ORIGIN FOR LDCS AND 
PREFERENTIAL IMPORT DATA  
Note by the Secretariat1 
Revision  
Paragraph 4.3 of the 2015 (Nairobi) Ministerial Decision on preferential rules of origin for least 
developed countries (LDCs) r eiterates Members' commitment to notify their preferential rules of 
origin for LDCs as well as data concerning their preferential imports from LDCs.  This note 
summarizes existing notification requirements and reports on the notifications received to date by 
the Secretariat.  
1  REQUIREMENT TO NOTIF Y PREFERENTIAL RULES  OF ORIGIN AND PREFER ENTIAL 
IMPORTS  
1.1 The following WTO instruments require Members to notify their preferential rules of origin 
for LDCs and their preferential trade imports from LDCs:  
- Paragr aph 4 of Annex II of the Agreement on Rules of Origin  requires Members to notify 
"promptly" "to the Secretariat" any preferential rules of origin.  Notifications are circulated 
under the G/RO/N/ document series and are examined by the Committee on Rules of  Origin 
(CRO);  
- The Transparency Mechanism for Preferential Trade Arrangements (WT/L/806 of 
14 December  2010) requires Members to provide detailed and product -specific rules of 
origin "to the Secretariat".  Annex 1 of the Decision  enumerates the specific information 
which should be provided, including preferential rules of origin.  The Decision also requires 
Members to notify, at the tariff line level, import data under their PTAs. Notifications of PTAs 
under the Transparency Mechanism are circulated as doc uments of the Committee on Trade 
and Development (CTD). Notifications are considered by the CTD in Dedicated Session 
(CTD-DS), on the basis of a "factual presentation" prepared by the Secretariat.  Only PTAs 
notified after the adoption of the Decision in 2 010 have been examined under these 
procedures. In addition, a "guide" for each PTA is prepared in consultation with the Member 
implementing the PTA, and is placed in the Database on PTAs ( http://ptadb.wto.org ) after 
its approval by the implementing Member.  
- The 2013 (Bali) Ministerial Decision on Preferential Rules of Origin for LDCs (WT/L/917)  and 
the 2015 (Nairobi) Decision (WT/L/917/Add.1)  reiterate these obligations. In addition, the 
CRO agreed on a t emplate to be used by all WTO preference -granting Members (G/RO/84)  
when notifying their preferential rules of origin . These notifications are circulated under the 
G/RO/LDC/N/  document series.  
                                                
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat 's own responsibility and  is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO . G/RO/W/163/Rev.3  
 
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  2  STATUS OF NOTIFICATI ONS AND IMPORT DATA RECEIVED TO DATE  
2.1 The following ta ble enumerates, for each preference -granting Member, the latest 
notifications received concerning trade preferences in favour of LDCs.  It lists:  
- The references of the latest notifications which were sent either or both to the Committee on 
Trade and Deve lopment (CTD), the WTO Integrated Base, and to the CRO;  
- The date in which a notification and PTA was considered by the CTD; and  
- The availability of information about the tariff coverage of preferential schemes as well as 
data concerning preferential im ports. "Yes" means the data has been notified and is 
available. The sign " -" indicates that the information has not been notified by the Member. 
The abbreviation "n.a." means that the preferences had not yet been implemented by the 
Member and that, as a re sult, no notification obligation was applicable.  
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  G/RO/W/163/Rev.3  
 
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Preference -
granting 
Member(i)  
 Notifications (CTD)  Guide  Consideration 
by the CTD  Notifications (CRO)   2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 
1. Australia  WT/COMTD/N/18  
21 January 2004  No No G/RO/LDC/N/AUS/1  
12 September 2017  Tariffs  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 
Imports  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - 
2. Canada  WT/COMTD/N/15/Add.3  
17 November 2014  06/04/2016  No G/RO/LDC/N/CAN/1  
13 June 2017  Tariffs  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 
Imports  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - 
3. Chile  WT/COMTD/N/44 and 
Add.1/Rev.1  
23 October 2014  16/09/2014  11/03/2015  No Tariffs  n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Yes Yes Yes - 
Imports  n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Yes Yes - - 
4. China  WT/COMTD/N/39/Add.2  
21 November 2016  11/11/2 016 Pending  G/RO/LDC/N/CHN/1  
10 July 2017  Tariffs  Yes Yes - - - - - Yes 
Imports  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - 
5. European 
Union  WT/COMTD/N/4/Add.7  
1 July 2015  03/08/2016  No G/RO/LDC/N/EU/1  
30 June 2017  Tariffs  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 
Imports Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - - 
6. Iceland  WT/COMTD/N/17 and Corr.1  
20 January 2004  No No No Tariffs  - - - Yes Yes  Yes Yes Yes 
Imports  - - - - - - - - 
7. India  WT/COMTD/N/38 and Add.1  
18 November 2015  18/11/2015  Pending  G/RO/LDC/N/IND/1  
27 June 2017  Tariffs Yes - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - 
Imports  - - - - - Yes - - 
8. Japan  WT/COMTD/N/2/Add.16  
4 November 2015  22/11/2016  No G/RO/LDC/N/JPN/1  
11 July 2017  Tariffs  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - 
Imports  - - - Yes Yes Yes - - 
9. Kazakhstan  PTA has not been n otified  No No No Tariffs  n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Yes Yes 
Imports  n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. - - 
10. Korea, Rep. of  WT/COMTD/N/12/Rev.1/Add.1  
20 March 2012  24/05/2016  No G/RO/LDC/N/KOR/1  
27 September 2017  Tariffs  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 
Imports  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - - 
11. Kyrgyz Rep.  PTA has not been notified  No No No Tariffs  Yes - Yes Yes - - - - 
Imports  - - - - - - - - 
12. New Zealand  WT/COMTD/27  
20 November 2000  17/11/2011  No G/RO/LDC/N/NZL/1  
5 September 2017  Tariffs  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 
Imports  - - - - - - - - 
13. Norway  WT/COMTD/N/6/Add.6  
1 June 2016  25/05/2016  No G/RO/LDC/N/NOR/1  
30 June 2017  Tariffs  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes  Yes Yes 
Imports  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - - 
14. Russian Fed.  WT/COMTD/N/42  
5 April 2013 No Pending  G/RO/LDC/N/RUS/1  
18 September 2017  Tariffs  - - Yes - Yes - Yes - 
Imports  - - - - - - - - 
15. Switzerland  WT/COMTD/N/7/Add.5  
26 September 2012  09/11/2011  No G/RO/LDC/N/CHE/1 
and Corr.1  
6 July 2017  Tariffs  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes  Yes Yes Yes 
Imports  - - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - 
16. Chinese Taipei  WT/COMTD/N/40 and Corr.1  
28 February 2012  13/03/2012  Pending  G/RO/LDC/N/TPKM/1  
and Corr.1  
31 July 2017  Tariffs  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 
Imports  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - 
17. Tajikistan  PTA has not been notified  No No No Tariffs  - - - Yes Yes - - - 
Imports  - - - - - - - - 
18. Thailand  WT/COMTD/N/46  
23 July 2015  No Pending  G/RO/LDC/N/THA/1  
7 August 2017  Tariffs  n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Yes - - 
Imports  n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Yes - -  
  G/RO/W/163/Rev.3  
 
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Preference -
granting 
Member(i)  
 Notifications (CTD)  Guide  Consideration 
by the CTD  Notifications (CRO)   2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 
19. Turkey  WT/TPR/S/259/Rev.1  
7 March 2012  01/03/2012  No No Tariffs  Yes Yes - Yes - Yes - - 
Imports  - - - - - - - - 
20. USA - GSP WT/COMTD/N/1/Add.9  
8 February 2016  21/09/2016  No G/RO/LDC/N/USA/1  
11 July 2017  Tariffs  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 
Imports  Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - - 
USA - Haiti  WT/L/1012  
12 July 2017  13/06/2016   G/RO/LDC/N/USA/2  
11 July 2017  Tariffs  - - - - - - - - 
Imports  - - - - - - - - 
USA - AGOA  WT/L/1006  
20 January 2017  13/06/2016   G/RO/LDC/N/USA/3  
11 July 2017  Tariffs - - - - - - - - 
Imports  - - - - - - - - 
 
Notes:  
 
1 Some PTA schemes entered into force after the adoption of the PTA transparency mechanism, i.e. Chile; Kazakhstan;  and Thailand.  
 
 
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