WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/COMTD/N/7/Add.5 
26 September 2012 
 (12-5174) 
Committee on Trade and Development Original:   English 
  
 
GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES 
 
Notification by Switzerland 
 
Addendum 
  
The following communication, dated 21 September 2012, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Switzerland.   
 
It contains a notification from Switzerland, in  accordance with paragraph 4 of the Decision on 
Differential and More Favourable Treatment, Reciprocity and Fuller Participation of Developing 
Countries of 28 November 1979 (the "Enabling Clau se"), concerning amendments to the list of 
beneficiary countries within the framework of Sw itzerland's Generalized System of Preferences 
(GSP).  The revised list applies as of 1 Septembe r 2012 and is contained in the following legal 
instrument: 
 
 Ordinance of 16 March 2007 establishing pr eferential tariff rates for developing 
countries (Ordinance on tariff preferences), (Status:  1 September 2012), Annex I. 
 Link to the above referred document:  http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/c632_911.html.  
 
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REVISED LIST OF COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES BENEFITTING FROM 
SWITZERLAND'S GSP 
1. The revised list of countries and territories benefitting from Switzerland's GSP applies as of 
1 September 2012.  This list continues to presen t countries and territories under three categories, 
namely developing countries, least developed countries (LDCs) and countries engaged in an 
international debt reduction initia tive ("High Indebted Poor Countries - HIPC").  Countries and 
territories in the latter (HIPC) category are granted the treatment granted to LDCs. 
2. Main amendments within the revised list are: 
 - the inclusion in the list of South Sudan , a new developing country recognized by 
Switzerland;  this is with a view to better adhere to internationally agreed definitions 
of countries according to income groups;  
 
 - the exclusion from the list of countries having concluded a free-trade agreement with 
Switzerland through the European Free Trade Association (EFTA);  this applies to 
Montenegro  and Ukraine , and is made with a view to  avoid contradictions between 
trade concessions; 
 WT/COMTD/N/7/Add.5 
Page 2  
 
   - the exclusion from the list of high income territories or territories belonging to 
high-income economies;  this is with a view to better adhere to internationally agreed 
definitions of countries according to income groups and concerns Barbados  and 
Trinidad-and-Tobago ; 
 
 - the exclusion from the LDC category of the Maldives ;  this is with a view to adhere to 
internationally agreed definitions according to income groups; 
  - the exclusion from the HIPC category of Guinea-Bissau , the Kyrgyz Republic , 
Liberia , the Democratic Republic of the Congo  and Togo ;  this is with a view to take 
into account the recent successful debt ca ncellation of the mentioned countries. 
    WT/COMTD/N/7/Add.5 
 Page 3 
 
 
  ANNEXES 
 
 
MAIN ANNEX:  Ordinance of 16 March 2007 establishing preferential tariff rates for 
developing countries (Ordinance on tariff preferences) (Status:  1 September 2012). 
 
- ANNEX 1:  List of developing countries and territories. 
 
- ANNEX 2:  List of tariff preferences (unaltered). 
 
- ANNEX 3:  Lowering of tariffs on goods  under tariff headings 1006.4020 and 
1701.1100/9999 (unaltered). 
  The text of the Ordinance can be downloade d (in French, German and Italian) under:  
http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/c632_911.html  
 
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