RESTRICTED  
  
WT/PCTF/M/14  
 
 16 June 2016  
(16-3293)  Page: 1/2  
Preparatory Committee on Trade Facilitation    
 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING 
HELD IN THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD 9 JUNE 2016 
Chairman: H.E. Mr. Esteban Conejos (Philippines) 
 
 1  INTRODUCTION 
1.1.  The Chairman welcomed Members to the meet ing and noted that the current week was a rich 
one for trade facilitation. He was happy to see so many delegates able to join. The Chair then 
recalled that the proposed agenda had been circulated in WTO/AIR/PCTF/5. As Members would have noticed from the convening airgram, the Committee had several items to address:  
1.2.  First, the Committee would formally receive the notifications of category commitments that 
Members had submitted since the last meeting. Th is was going to be followed by an informal 
working session where delegations would be updated on (a) the overall state of notifications, with 
a particular focus on the ones related to categories B and C, (b) progress with respect to the 
ratification process, and (c) several Secretariat activities, including the experience sharing session on national trade facilitation committees that had taken place the previous day. Delegations would 
also have the opportunity to react to the workshop’s presentations and would be informed of the 
result of an electronic survey conducted by the Secretariat.   
1.3.  The agenda was adopted. 
2  RECEIPT OF CATEGORY NOTIFICATIONS 
2.1.  The Chairman informed that the Committee had received several new category submissions 
since it had last met.   
2.2.  The list of new notifications covere d submissions from the following Members:  
India (WT/PCTF/N/IND/1), Namibia (WT/PCTF/N/N AM/1), Malawi (WT/PCTF/N/MWI/1), Mauritius 
(WT/PCTF/N/MUS/2), Argentina (WT/PCTF/N/ARG /1), Cameroon (WT/PCTF/N/CMR/1) and Papua 
New Guinea (WT/PCTF/N/PNG/1).  
2.3.  The notifications from India, Namibia, Argentina, Cameroon and Papua New Guinea were 
limited in scope to their category A commitments, whereas Mauritius' submission covered categories B and C – a complement to the category  A notification they had already tabled before. 
Malawi’s submission was the most comprehensive in that it covered categories A, B and C.  
2.4.  The Committee received the notifications.  
2.5.  The Chairman reported that the overall num ber of category A notifications had grown to a 
current total of 87, which was excellent news. The corresponding figure for category B and C 
notifications, on the other hand, was still la gging behind. Members had only presented give 
notifications in each of the two categories so far.  He therefore wished to recall that all developing 
countries were required to (i) notify their category B and C designations, (ii) to give indicative 
implementation dates and (iii) to provide inform ation on required assistance by the time the 
Agreement entered into force. With that moment getting closer with every deposited acceptance WT/PCTF/M/14 
 
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  instrument, he urged all delegations which had not yet tabled their category B and C notifications 
t o  h a n d  t h e m  i n  a s  s o o n  a s  p o s s i b l e .  T h e  S e c r e t a r i a t  w o u l d  f o l l o w  u p  w i t h  m o r e  d e t a i l e d  information.  
2.6.  The Committee took note of the Chairman's report.  
3  INFORMAL OPEN-ENDED WORKING SESSION 
3.1.  This part of the meeting covered an update by the Secretariat on (i) the latest state-of-play 
with respect to (i) category A, B and C notifi cations, (ii) the acceptance of the amendment 
protocol, and (iii) other notifications under section I of the Trade Facilitation Agreement. The 
Secretariat further informed of various technical assistance and capacity building activities such as training courses and workshops and the preparation of audio-visual work. Special attention was paid to an experience sharing session on the establishment or maintaining of national trade 
facilitation committees which had taken place a day prior the meeting of the Preparatory 
Committee. Members were given the opportunity to offer feedback and were briefed on the results of an electronic survey conducted by the Secretariat.   
3.2.  This segment of the meeting was conducted in informal mode.  
3.3.  The Committee took note of the statements made. 
4  OTHER BUSINESS 4.1.  The Chairman addressed the date of the next meeting of the Preparatory Committee. He 
noted that determining the best moment for that meeting was a little more challenging this time, 
since much would depend on the speed of the ra tification process. But unless there were any 
unexpected developments, he would consider the end of September to be an opportune moment 
to touch base again.  He therefore proposed that the Committee next met on 30 September, it 
being understood that that date could change, should circumstances warrant it. Details about the agenda would be communicated in due course, as usual.  
4.2.  It was so agreed. 
4.3.  The Preparatory Committee took note of the statements made.    
4.4.  The meeting was adjourned.  
 
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