. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/MA/286 
6 November 2012 
 (12-6107) 
Committee on Market Access  
  
 
PERIODIC REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO THE 
COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS 
 
 1. The Committee met on 16 October 2012 and examined the following issues: 
 
2. The Committee took note of the dr aft periodic report (G/MA/SPEC/51).  
 3. At its meeting of 16 October, the Co mmittee approved the extension of the HS2002 
"collective" waiver (G/C/W/672)
1, the HS2007 "collective" waiver (G/C/W/673) and the HS2012 
"collective waiver" (G/C/W/674).   The Committee agreed to forward th e draft waiver decisions to the 
Council for Trade in Goods for appropriate action.  4. The Committee took note of the status of the Harmonized System 1996 (HS1996) transposition 
work undertaken pursuant to the pr ocedures contained in L/6905 and WT/L/756.  The Committee also 
took note of the report by the Chairman concerning consultations he had held with Members who had 
still to complete their HS1996 transposition exercise. 
  5. The Committee took note of the status of the Harmonized System 2002 (HS2002) transposition 
work undertaken pursuant to the procedures contai ned in WT/L/605, as well as on the outcomes of the 
informal dedicated sessions of the Committee dur ing which the files containing the HS2002 changes 
of Members were examined.   
 6.  Concerning the Harmonized System 2007 (HS2007) changes, the Committee took note of the 
status of work related to the introduction of HS2007 changes to schedules of concessions pursuant to the 
procedures contained in WT/L/673.    
7. On the Harmonized System 2012 (HS2012) ch anges, the Committee was informed by the 
Secretariat that a Member had submitted its HS 2012 file; the first submission under the HS2012 
procedures (WT/L/831).   8. With reference to the operation of the Integr ated Data Base (IDB) and the Consolidated Tariff 
Schedules (CTS) database, the Committee  took note of the report by the Secretariat on the status of 
work on the databases, use of the information cont ained in the databases, the status of software 
development and technical assistance.  The Committee was informed that the Secretariat intended to integrate into the IDB historical tariff and impor t information for 29 countries covering years 1988 to 
1995.  The Secretariat also intended to put togeth er a consolidated document on IDB notification for 
ease of reference. The Committee took note of the do cument which reflec ted the status of submissions to 
the IDB (G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.36).   
                                                      
1 A revised version of the draft decision was issued to remove Mexico and Thailand from the annex as 
they have now completed their HS2002 procedures.  G/MA/286 
Page 2  
 
  9. Concerning the Decision on Notificati on Procedures for Quantitative Restrictions 
(G/L/59/Rev.1),  the Committee examined the quant itative restriction notifications submitted by two 
Members and agreed to revert to a third notificati on at its next meeting. The Committee also took note 
that additional notifications had been notified sub sequent to 30 September a nd would be examined at 
the next formal meeting of the Committee.  The Committee was informed that in respect of the 
quantitative restriction database, the intention was to make it available to the public early next year. 
 10. The Committee approved procedures which were being proposed for the derestriction of the 
negotiating material of the Dillon Round and some  negotiating material of the four earlier GATT 
rounds (JOB/MA/102)
2.  Furthermore, the Committee was informed that the negotiating material 
pertaining to the earlier negotiating rounds which had been derestricted was available on the WTO 
public website.  11. The Committee took note of the statements ma de under the agenda item relating to Ukraine's 
Article XXVIII notification contained in G/SECRET/34. 
 
12. The Committee considered its draft report (2012) to the CTG (G/MA/SPEC/52). It was agreed that an update of this report which took into acc ount the developments at this meeting would be 
circulated to all Members. If no comments were  forthcoming then the updated report would be 
considered adopted
3. 
 
13. The Committee elected Ms Laurie Molnar (United States) as Vice-Chairperson.   
 
 
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2 The approved procedures were issued in document G/MA/285. 
3 Adopted report was circulated as G/L/1010.