WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/TPR/W/46 
24 October 2012  
 
(12-5810) 
Trade Policy Review Body  
  
 
DRAFT 
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM 
 
Report of the Trade Policy Review Body for 2012 
 
Chairperson:  H.E. Mr. Eduardo Muñoz (Colombia) 
 
 
1. This Report by the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) provides a brief assessment of the 
activities of the TPRB over the past twelve months and reports on the reviews of Members conducted 
in 2012.Tables are annexed showing the Members that  will have been reviewed  up to the end of 2012, 
the geographical coverage of th e reviews conducted to date, as well as the proposed programme of 
reviews for 2013 and candidates for review in 2014. 
Follow-up to the Fourth Appraisal of the TPRM 
2. The Fourth Appraisal of the TPRM was conducted by the TPRB between July and November 
2011 and the results were endorsed by Ministers at MC8 (WT/MIN(11)/6). In addition, the Ministerial 
Conference took a decision to continue and strengthen the trade monitoring exercise (WT/L/848).  
The TPRB began implementing those results on a provisional basis in 2012. Inter alia : three Members 
(the Philippines, Singapore and Norway) volunteer ed to apply the alternative timelines for the 
Question and Answer process, which produced a more timely distribution of written answers ahead of 
TPRB meetings; improvements were made to the or ganization and structure of TPRB meetings, to 
make them more interactive and the discussion mo re fruitful; follow-up activities to the reviews of 
Members on the 6-year cycle, especially LDCs, were organised for four Members under review; and 
digital audio files (podcasting) were introduced on a pilot basis. The Fifth Appraisal of the TPRM will 
be prepared in 2013 for the Ninth Ministerial Conference.        
Activities of the TPRB 
3. The TPRB is required to periodically review the trade policies and practices of all Members.  
By the end of 2012, the TPRB will have conducted 364  reviews since its formation, at 274 review 
meetings (Annex I). The reviews have covered 145 of 157 Members.1 The trade policies and practices 
of four Members were reviewed for the first time in 2012.2 
4. The Trade Policy Review Body will have c onducted 20 reviews (of 26 Members) in 2012 
(Annex II). The Secretariat's reports continue to be prepared in close consultation with the authorities 
of the Member under review. 
                                                      
1 Members not reviewed at end 2012 are:  Cap Verde, Cuba, FYR Macedoni a, Moldova, Montenegro, 
Myanmar, Russian Federation, Samoa, To nga, Ukraine, Vanuatu, and Viet Nam. 
2 Guinea-Bissau, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Nepal. WT/TPR/W/46 
Page 2  
 
  5. Procedures for the reviews conducted in 2012 have run smoothly. Responses to requests for 
documentation and questionnaires have normally been pr ovided at or close to the requested dates. In 
line with recent practice, the Secretariat has atte mpted to reduce the burden on Members under review 
of providing responses by using, to the extent possible, alternative sources of documentation, 
including Members' official web-sites. It has not been possible to do this for all Members under 
review, and requests for documentati on continue to be followed up w ith a detailed questionnaire when 
sufficient information is not available from alterna tive sources. Secretariat visits to capitals have 
continued to be productive, and comments provided on Secretariat drafts have been pertinent; close 
contact with the Member under review is necessary to  help ensure the factual accuracy and clarity of 
the documentation prepared for the Review.   
6. Efforts continue to be made to space meeti ngs of the TPRB as evenly as possible throughout 
the year and to avoid clashes with other meetings at the WTO so as to reduce pressure on Members. 
7. Informal consultations have taken place dur ing the year on possible ways in which the 
documentation costs of the TPRB can be reduced. Based on the results of those consultations, some positive steps have been taken. 
8. The Trade Policy Review programme for 2013 comprises 18 review meetings for 
23 Members (counting the EU as one) (Annex III). Howe ver, in view of the difficulty of scheduling 
TPRB meetings in December 2013, it has been agreed that the TPRs of Mongolia and Tonga will take place in early 2014. 
Coverage of least developed countries (LDCs) 
9. Of the 33 least developed Members of the WTO,  31 will have been reviewed by the end of 
2012.3 
10. Trade Policy Reviews of LDCs have helped to enhance understanding in these countries of 
the WTO Agreements, enabling better compliance and in tegration into the multilateral trading system.  
In some cases, better interacti on between government agencies has been facilitated by the reviews.  
The reports' wide coverage of Members' policies al so enables Members to identify any shortcomings 
in policy and specific areas where further technical assistance may be required. 
11. When requested by the Member concerned, th e Secretariat organizes follow-up seminars to 
discuss the outcome of the trade policy review  process with domestic stakeholders. Follow-up 
seminars were conducted in 2012 for Jamaica,  the D.R Congo, UEMOA (Benin, Burkina Faso, 
Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Ni ger, Senegal and Togo) and Zimbabwe. 
Monitoring of trade and trade-related measures 
12. The TPRM requires Members, in between their re views, to provide information on significant 
trade policy changes. The WTO Secretariat uses this and other information to prepare reports by the 
Director-General on a regular basis on the trade and trade-related developments of Members and Observer Governments. The reports are discu ssed at informal meetings of the TPRB.
4 The WTO 
Secretariat consults closely with delegations to gather complete, up-to-date and accurate information 
on their trade and trade-related measures, and has received good cooperation. The information is 
consolidated and presented in the Director-Gen eral's Annual Report on Developments in the 
                                                      
3 The first reviews for Samoa and Vanuatu are due in 2018. 
4 An informal meeting of the TPRB was held on 18 July 2012 to discuss the trade monitoring report 
contained in document WT/TPR/OV/W/6.  WT/TPR/W/46 
 Page 3 
 
 
  International Trading Environment, as called for by paragraph G of Annex 3.  The 2012 Annual 
Report will be discussed by the TPRB in December 2012. 
13. In the context of the 4th Appraisal of the TPRM done in November 2011, Members decided 
to bring this transparency exercise to  the attention of Ministers at the 8th Ministerial Conference, and 
prepared a Ministerial Decision aimed at the continuation and strengthening of the trade monitoring 
exercise under the TPRB. The Ministerial Deci sion was issued in document WT/L/848 of 
19 December 2011. 
14. Following on the Ministerial Decision, TPRB Members met on, 3 and 6 July, and 2 October 
2012 to discuss ways to further strengthen a nd improve the trade monitoring exercise. WT/TPR/W/46 
Page 4  
 
  Annex  I  
TRADE POLICY REVIEWS  
WTO Members reviewed, 1989-2012 
 
Europe/Middle East Asia/Pacific Africa America 
Albania Australia (6) Angolab Argentina (3) 
Armenia Bangladeshb (4) Beninb,2 (3) Antigua and Barbuda2 (2) 
Austria1 Brunei Darussalam (2) Botswana2 (3) Barbados (2) 
Bahrain (2) Cambodia,b Burkina Fasob,2 (3) Belize (2) 
Bulgaria1 China (4) Burundib, 2 (2) Bolivia (3) 
Croatia Fiji (2) Cameroon2 (3) Brazil (5) 
Cyprus1 Georgia Chadb Canada (9) 
Czech Republic1 (2) Hong Kong, China (6 ) Central African Republicb Chile (4) 
European Union (10) India (5) Congo, D.R.b Colombia (4) 
Finland1 Indonesia (5) Congo, Rep. of Costa Rica (3) 
Hungary1 (2) Japan (10) Côte d'Ivoire (2) Dominica2 (2) 
Iceland (4) Korea, Rep. of  (6) Djiboutib Dominican Republic (3) 
Israel (4) Kyrgyz Republic Egypt (3) Ecuador (2) 
Kingdom of Saudi Arabiaa  Macao, China (3)  Gabon2 (2) El Salvador (3) 
Kuwaita  Malaysia (5) Gambia b (2) Guatemala (2) 
Liechtenstein2 (3) Maldivesb (2) Ghana (3) Grenada2 (2) 
Norway (6) Mongolia Guinea, Republic ofb  (3) Guyana (2) 
Poland1 (2) Nepala,b Guinea-Bissaua,b Haitib 
Qatar  New Zealand (4) Kenya2 (4) Honduras (2) 
Romania1 (3) Pakistan (3) Lesothob,2 (3) Jamaica (3)  
Slovak Republic1 (2) Papua New Guinea (2) Madagascarb (2) Mexico (4) 
Slovenia1 Philippines (4) Malawib (2) Nicaragua (3) 
Sweden1 (2) Singapore (6) Mali,b,2 (3) Panama 
Switzerland2 (5) Solomon Islandsb (2) Mauritaniab (2) Paraguay (3) 
Turkey (5) Sri Lanka (3) Mauritius (3) Peru (3) 
United Arab Emirates (2) Chinese Taipei (2) Morocco (4) St.Kitts and Nevis2 (2) 
Jordan  Thailand (6) Mozambiqueb (2) St.Lucia2 (2) 
Oman  Namibia2 (3) St.Vincent & Grenadines2 (2) 
  N i g e rb,2 (2) Suriname 
  Nigeria (4) Trinidad and Tobago (3) 
  R w a n d ab (2) United States (11) 
  S e n e g a lb,2 (3) Uruguay (4) 
  S i e r r a  L e o n eb Venezuela (2) 
  South Africa2 (4)  
  Swaziland2 (3)  
  Tanzaniab,2 (3)  
  Togob (3)  
  Tunisia (2)  
  U g a n d ab,2 (4)  
  Z a m b i ab (3)  
  Zimbabwe (2)  
44 Members (67 reviews)  27 Members (97 reviews) 41 Members (100 review s)  33 Members (100 reviews)  
( ) Number of reviews completed where this is greater than one. 
a First review in 2012. 
b Least developed Member. 
1 Now included in European Union (EU27). 
2 Joint review but counted as individual Members for statistical purposes from 2009. 
Reviews conducted at end- 2012   = 364 reviews at 274 review meetings 
WTO Members reviewed   = 145 out of 157 Members 
Least developed WTO Members reviewed   =     31 out of 33  WT/TPR/W/46 
 Page 5 
 
 
  Annex II 
Trade Policy Reviews conducted in 2012 
 
Membera Meeting date (scheduled ) Review cycle (years) 
Saudi Arabia  25/01/2012  4 
Kuwait  07/02/2012  6 
Turkey (5)  21/02/2012  4 
Trinidad & Tobago (3)  07/03/2012  6 
Nepal*  13/03/2012  6 
Philippines (4)  20/03/2012  6 
UAE (2)  27/03/2012  4 
Uruguay (4)  25/04/2012  6 
China (4)  12/06/2012  2 
Colombia (4)  26/06/2012  6 
Côte d'Ivoire (2)  02/07/2012  6 
Guinea-Bissau*  02/07/2012  6 
Togo* (3)  02/07/2012  6 
Singapore (6)  24/07/2012  4 
Korea, Rep of (6)  19/09/2012  4 
Norway (6)  09/10/2012  4 
Bangladesh* (4)  15/10/2012  6 
Israel (4)  30/10/2012  6 
Iceland (4)  13/11/2012  6 
Burundi* (2) (EAC)  21/11/2012  6 
Kenya (4) (EAC) (2)  21/11/2012  6 
Tanzania* (3) (EAC) (2)  21/11/2012  6 
Uganda* (4) (EAC) (2)  21/11/2012  6 
Rwanda (2) (EAC)  21/11/2012  6 
Nicaragua (3)  04/12/2012  6 
United States (11)  18/12/2012  2 
 
* Least developed country. 
a Figures in brackets indicate number of reviews. 
 
 WT/TPR/W/46 
Page 6  
 
   
Annex III 
Proposed programme of reviews for 2013 
 
Japan 19 and 21 February 
Argentina 20 and 22 March 
Indonesia 10 and 12 April 
Mexicoa 17 and 19 April 
Liechtenstein and Switzerland  23 and 25 April 
Macao Chinaa 13 and 15 May 
Surinamea 10 and 12 June  
Brazil 25 and 27 June 
European Uniona 9 and 11 July 
CEMAC (Cameroon, Central African Republic*, 
Chad*, Congo, Rep. of*, Gabon) 29 and 31 July 
Vietnam 17 and 19 September 
Costa Ricaa 24 and 26 September 
Myanmar [29 and 31 October] 
Kyrgyz Republic 19 and 21 November 
Peru 13 and 15 November 
FYR Macedonia 27 and 29 November 
Mongolia Postponed to early 2014  
Tonga Postponed to early 2014  
 
* Least developed country. 
a Schedule of Review to follow the alternative timelines (WT/MIN(11)/6 and WT/TPR/6/Rev.3).  WT/TPR/W/46 
 Page 7 
 
 
   
Annex IV 
 
Candidates for TPRB Reviews in 2014 
(Due date in parentheses) 
 
 
1. Cuba (2001)  17. Brunei Darussalam (2014) 
2. Moldova* (2007)  18. Cap Verde (2014) 
3. Venezuela, Bolivarian Rep. of (2008)  19. China (2014) 
4. Haïti (2009)  20. Dominican Republic (2014) 
5. Bolivia, Plurinational State of (2011)  21. Ghana (2014) 
6. Egypt (2011)  22. Hong Kong,  China   (2014) 
7. Mongolia (2011)  23. Jordan (2014) 
8. Qatar (2011)  24. Madagascar (2014) 
9. Sierra Leone (2011)  25. Malaysia  (2014) 
10. Tunisia (2011)  26. Mauritius  (2014) 
11. Angola (2012)  27. Oman (2014) 
12. Djibouti (2012)  28. Pakistan (2014) 
13. Bahrain (2013)  29. Chinese Taipei (2014) 
14. OECS (Antigua, Dominica, 
Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, 
St. Vincent) (2013)  30. Ukraine (2014) 
15. Panama (2013)  31. United States (2014) 
16. Barbados (2014)    
* Scheduled for early 2015. 
__________