G/L/1049  
 
11 October 2013  
(13-5538)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Market Access    
 
 
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 (13 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.  The practice of the twice-a-year report to the Council for Trade in Goods, which is in addition to 
the annual report, had its origin in the early 1990s when a large number of individual waivers were renewed almost automatically every six months.  A background note on this subject by the 
Secretariat was circulated in JOB/MA/105.  At its meeting of 7 May, the Chairman reported on his 
consultations concerning the need to continue with this practice, and at its meeting of 7 October, the Committee agreed to discontinue it.  The Committee took note that the Council for Trade in Goods would be advised of the Committee's decision.  
 
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 that a revised version of the HS2012 waiver decision should be issued in order to include Argentina.  The Committee agreed to forward the 
draft waiver decisions (G/C/W/682, G/C/W/683 and G/C/W/684/Rev.1) 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.   
 
                                               
1 G/L/1010, dated 6 November 2012. G/L/1049 
 
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  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.    
F.  INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2012 (HS2012) CHANGES TO SCHEDULES 
OF CONCESSIONS 
8.  At its formal meetings in 2013, the Committee took note that the Secretariat had not commenced 
the HS2012 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 Members under the Decision on Notifi cation Procedures for Quantitative Restrictions 
(G/L/59/Rev.1). The Committee took note of the document (G/MA/QR/1) which had been prepared by the Secretariat pursuant to paragraph 7 of the decision, and of comments made in relation to 
this notification exercise.    
  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 Committee 
also took note of the documents which refl ected 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 discussed and took note of a Secretariat document which consolidated the notification requirements of the IDB (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 approved the procedures to derestrict the negotiating 
material of the Kennedy Round (JOB/MA/109)
2.  
 
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.   
 
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2 The approved procedures have been issued in document G/MA/287.