RESTRICTED  
  
G/MA/SPEC/53  
 
30 September 2013  
(13-5239)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Market Access    
 
 DRAFT 
 
REPORT (2013) OF THE COMMITTEE ON MARKET ACCESS 
1.  Since the last review1, the Committee on Market Access has held two formal meetings (7 May 
and 7 October 2013) and four informal meetings (12 December 2012, 14 March, 3 May and 12 July 2013).  The minutes of the formal meetings are contained in documents G/MA/M/57 and 
[G/MA/M/58].   
 2.  At its meeting of 7 May, the Committee took note of the nomination of Mr. Krzysztof Trepczynski (Poland) as Chairman of the Committee for the current year and elected 
him by acclamation.   
 A.  PERIODIC REPORT OF THE COMMITTE E TO THE COUNCIL FO R TRADE IN GOODS 
3.  [At its meeting of 7 May, the Chairman reported  on his consultations concerning the practice of 
the Committee's periodic reports to the Council for Trade in Goods.  At its meeting of 7 October, the Committee agreed to discontinue this practice.]  
 
B.  WAIVERS 
4.  [At its meeting of 7 October, the Committee approved the extension of the HS2002 "collective" 
waiver (G/C/W/682), the HS2007 "collective" waiver (G/C/W/683) and the HS2012 "collective 
waiver" (G/C/W/684).  The Committee agreed to forward the draft waiver decisions to the Council 
for Trade in Goods for appropriate action.]  
C.  INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SY STEM 1996 (HS1996) CHANGES TO SCHEDULES 
OF CONCESSIONS 
5.  At its meetings in 2013, the Committee took note of the status of the HS1996 transposition work 
undertaken pursuant to the procedures contained in L/6905 and WT/L/756.   
 D.  INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2002 (HS2002) CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF CONCESSIONS 
6.  At its meetings in 2013, the Committee took note of the status of work concerning the 
introduction of HS2002 changes to schedules of concessions using the CTS database (WT/L/605 and WT/L/807) as well as the outcomes of the informal dedicated sessions of the Committee 
during which the files containing the HS2002 changes of Members were examined.   
 E.  INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2007 (HS2007) CHANGES TO SCHEDULES 
OF CONCESSIONS 
7.  At its meetings in 2013, the Committee took note of the status of work concerning the 
introduction of HS2007 changes to schedules of concessions using the CTS database (WT/L/673 and WT/L/830) as well as the outcomes of the informal dedicated sessions of the Committee 
during which the files containing the HS2007 changes of Members were examined.   
 
                                               
1 G/L/1010, dated 6 November 2012. G/MA/SPEC/53 
 
- 2 - 
 
  F.  INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2012 (HS2012) CHANGES TO SCHEDULES 
OF CONCESSIONS 
8.  [At its meeting of 7 May, the Committee took note that the Secretariat had not commenced this 
transposition work as the focus was on moving ahead with the HS2007 exercise.]  
 
G.  DECISION ON NOTIFICATION PROCED URES FOR QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS 
9.  [During its meetings in 2013, the Committee examined the quantitative restriction notifications 
submitted by several Members and took note of  the document prepared by the Secretariat 
(G/MA/QR/1) which reflected the status of such notifications.]     H.  DATABASES 
10.  [At its meetings in 2013, the Secretariat reported on the status of work concerning the 
Integrated Data Base (IDB) and the Consolidated Tariff Schedules (CTS) database. The reports provided information on inter alia the use of information in the databases, the status of software 
development and technical assistance.  The Committee also took note of the documents which 
reflected the status of submissions to the IDB (G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.37 and 38).]   
11.  [At its meeting of 7 May, the Committee approved a request (G/MA/W/112) from the Latin 
American Integration Association (ALADI) for access to the databases.]   12.  [During its meetings in 2013, the Committee also discussed a Secretariat document which 
consolidated the notification requirements of the IDB (JOB/MA/106 and JOB/MA/106/Rev.1).]   
 I.  DRAFT DECISION DERESTRICTING NEGOTIATING MATERIAL OF EARLIER GATT 
ROUNDS 
13.  [At its formal meeting in May, the Committee approved on an ad referendum  basis with a 
two-month period for comments the draft decision in document G/MA/W/111 which proposed to 
derestrict on 1 July the negotiating material of the Dillon Round and some negotiating material of 
the earlier GATT Rounds.  This decision had been elaborated pursuant to the procedures contained 
in G/MA/285.  As no comments were received, a slightly revised version of the draft decision (adjusted in order to take account a new proposed date of derestriction, i.e. 1 August) was 
forwarded to the Council for Trade in Good and subsequently to the General Council.  The General 
Council adopted the decision on 31 July 2013 and the decision was issued as WT/L/892]. [At its meeting of 7 October, the Committee considered the procedures to derestrict the negotiating 
material of the Kennedy Round (JOB/MA/109).]  
 J.  OTHER ACTIVITIES 
14.  [At its meeting in May, the Committee took note of the Secretariat document entitled 
"Situation of Schedules of WTO Members" (G/MA/W/23/Rev.9) which compiled in one place the legal instruments relating to each Member's schedule.   The Committee also took note of concerns expressed about Ukraine's use of import licensing procedures to administer newly introduced 
quotas on coking coal and prohibition on metallurgical coke.]  
 The report will be completed in light of the discussions that will take place at the 
Committee meeting on 7 October 2013. 
 
__________