G/L/1162  
 
7 November  2016 
(16-6103) Page: 1/6 
   
 
REPORT (201 6) OF THE COMMITTEE O N IMPORT LICENSING  
TO THE COUNCIL FOR T RADE IN GOODS  
 
1.  The Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures (hereinafter "the Agreement") which entered 
into force on 1 January 1995, establishes disciplines on users of import lice nsing systems with the 
principal objective of ensuring that the procedures applied for granting import licences do not in 
themselves restrict trade. It aims to simplify, clarify and minimize the administrative requirements 
necessary to obtain import licenc es. 
 
2.  The Committee on Import Licensing was established to afford Members the opportunity of 
consulting on any matters relating to the operation of the Agreement or the furtherance of its 
objectives. The Committee's Rules of Procedure, which were approv ed by the Council for Trade in 
Goods, are contained in document G/L/147.  
 
3.  All Members of the WTO are ipso facto  members of the Committee. Observer governments in 
the General Council of the WTO have Observer status in the Committee. The International 
Monetary Fund, the World Bank and UNCTAD have regular Observer status in the Committee.  
 
4.  The focus of this report is on the period since the Committee's last annual report ( G/L/1132), 
i.e. 21 October 2015  - 20 October 201 6 (hereinafter "the review period "). In 2016, t he Committee 
held two formal meetings on 21  April and 3 November (G/LIC/M/ 43 and G/LIC/M/4 4). On 11 May, 
a fax was sent to the membership on the nomination, by the Council for Trade in Goods, of 
Mr. Tapio Pyysalo (Finland ) as Chairperson for the Committee  of 2016 . On 12 May, the Committee 
elected him  by acclamation . On 22  July, Mr. Marcial Espinola of Paraguay , nominated by the 
Chairperson, was elected as Vice  Chairperson of the Committee  in the same approach . Pursuant to  
the Committee's Rules  of Procedure, they  shall hold office until the end of the first meeting of the 
following year .  
 
5.  Pursuant to Articles  1.4(a) and/or 8.2(b) of the Agreement and procedures agreed by the 
Committee, all Members are required, to notify the ir laws, regulat ions and administrative 
procedures relevant to import licensing  and submit copies of any relevant publications or laws and 
regulations upon becoming a WTO Member . Any subsequent changes to these laws, regulations 
and administrative procedures are also requ ired to be published and notified. During the review 
period, the Committee reviewed  25 notifications  (Annex I) from the following 13 Members: 
Afghanistan; Bolivia, Plurinational State of ; Brazil; Ecuador; the European Union; Macao, China; 
Paraguay; Philipp ines; Russian Federation ; Seychelles; the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, 
Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu ; Tajikistan  and Thailand . These notifications can be found in document 
series G/LIC/N/1/ -. Copies of publications and legislation submitted with these notifications are 
available for consultation in the Secretariat.  
 
6.  The Committee also reviewed , pursuant to paragraphs 5.1 -5.4 of Article  5, 18 notifications  
(Annex II) relating to the institution of new import licensing procedures or changes in these 
procedures from 11 Members:  Argentina ; Bolivia, Plurinational State of ; Brazil; El Sal vador; the 
European Union; Hong  Kong, China; Indonesia ; Jamaica ; Malaysia; Paraguay and Russian 
Federation .1 These notifications can be found in documents series G/LIC/N/2 /-. Article  5.5 of the 
Agreement allows Members to submit reverse notifications, where a Member considers that 
another Member has not notified the institution of a licensing procedure or changes in the 
                                                
1 After 2 0 October 2016, new notifications have been received from Philippines and Argentina , which will 
be reviewed at the next Committee meeting.  G/L/1162  
 
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  procedures. However, n o such reverse notifications hav e been received  under this provision since 
the entry into force of this Agreement . 
 
7.  Article  7.3 of the Agreement requires all Members to provide replies to the Questionnaire on 
Import Licensing Procedures2 by 30  September each year. During the review p eriod, the 
Committee reviewed  43 notifications (Annex III) from the following 35 Members: Australia;  Brazil ; 
Cameroon; Canada;  Colombia; Costa Rica;  Cuba; Dominican Republic; the European  Union;  El 
Salvador; Honduras ; Hong Kong, China;  India; Indonesia; Korea, Republic of ; Jamaica; Japan; 
Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kuwait, the State of ; Liechtenstein; Malaysia; Mali; Macao , China; Mauritius; 
Panama; Philippines; Russian Federation; Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen 
and Matsu;  Seychelles ; Singapo re; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine a nd Uruguay .3 These notifications 
can be found in document series G/LIC/N/3/ -. 
 
8. During the review period, six Members submitted for the first time, notifications to the 
Committee under various Articles of the Agreement: (i) under Articles 1.4 (a)/8.2 (b): Afghanistan,  
Seychelles and Tajikistan; (ii) under Article 5: Bolivia, Plurinational State of  and El Salvad or; (iii) 
under Article 7.3: El  Salvador, Kazakhstan and Seychelles .  The Chair thanked these Members for 
their not ifications and urged Members who had not yet notified and those who had not updated 
their notifications  to do so as soon as possible.  
 
9.  Written comments and questions concerning notifications submitted to the Committee and/or 
on import licensing procedu res maintained by Members, and replies thereto, may  be found in 
document series G/LIC/Q/ -. During the review period: the European Union posed written questions 
to Malaysia (G/LIC/Q/MYS/12) and Morocco (G/LIC/Q/MAR/1) .4 The following Member (s) provided 
written responses to comments and questions: Mexico to questions from the United States 
(G/LIC/Q/MEX/2).  
10. The Committee has provided a regular forum for exchanging views on specific trade issues 
raised by Members. The following M embers made statements on sp ecific issues regarding other 
Members' import licensing regimes/measures.  At Committee meeting(s) during the review period,  
the United States made statements on Indonesia's import licensing regime for cellphones, 
handheld computers and tablets; on India's  import licensing requirements for boric acid; on 
Bangladesh's import licensing procedures; on Mexico's steel import licensing program as well as on 
Viet Nam's import requirements on distilled spirits and the completeness of its notification.   The 
European  Union made  statement s on Brazil's regulatory requirements for nitrocellulose import . The 
Russian Federation made statement s on European Union's import licensing system on steel  and on 
Ukraine's import regime . Members whose licensing measures have been que stioned responded at 
the meeting (s). 
11.  For some time now, t he low level of compliance of Members with the transparency obligations 
of the Agreement has been the main preoccupation of the Committee. During the review period, 
five informal meetings (16 Fe bruary, 5 April, 2 June, 17 October and 3 November of 2016) have 
been held on improving transparency and streamlining the notification procedures and templates 
of the Agreement. To facilitate the discussion, the Secretariat prepared a number of background 
papers and presentations, which have been circulated in documents RD/LIC/6, 7, 8 and 9. The re is 
a general recognition that  the issue of overlapping notification procedure s contained in different 
provisions , as well as  the duplications in  current  notificat ion templates contributed to the low 
compliance  of notifications under this Agreement .  Members have started to di scuss possible new 
approaches to improving transparency  and the technical work is ongoing.  
 
_______________  
 
 
 
                                                
2 Annexed to document G/LIC/3.  
3 After 20 October, new notifications have been received from the United States and Si ngapore, which 
will be reviewed at the next Committee meeting.  
4 On 3 November, the United States submitted new written questions to Indonesia; and the Russian 
Federation submitted written questions to the European Union. Both documents will be reviewed at  the next 
Committee meeting.  G/L/1162  
 
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   ANNEX I: NOTIFICATIONS REVIEW ED DURING THE REVIEW PE RIOD PURSUANT  
TO ARTICLES  1.4(A) AND/OR 8.2(B)  OF THE AGREEMENT  
FROM 21 OCTOBER 2015 TO 2 1 OCTOBER  2016 
 
MEMBER  DOCUMENT  DATE OF ISSUANCE OF 
THE DOCUMENT  
AFGHANISTAN  G/LIC/N/1/AFG/1  10/08/2016  
BOLIVIA  PLURINATIONAL  
STATE OF  G/LIC /N/1/BOL/2  
G/LIC/N/1/BOL/3  
G/LIC/N/1/BOL/4  09/03/2016  
23/09/2016  
27/09/2016  
BRAZIL  G/LIC/N/1/BRA/7  31/08/2016  
 G/LIC/N/1/BRA/7/ Corr.1 06/09/2016  
ECUADOR  G/LIC/N/1/ECU/6  23/09/2016  
EUROPEAN UNION  G/LIC/N/1/EU/8  
G/LIC/N/1/EU/9  31/05/2016  
20/10/2016  
MACA O, CHINA  G/LIC/N/1/MAC/6  24/06/2016  
PARAGUAY  G/LIC/N/1/PRY/7  10/08/2016  
PHILIPPINES  G/LIC/N/1/PHL /5  17/10/2016  
RUSSIAN FEDERATION  G/LIC/N/1/RUS/7  24/11/2015  
 G/LIC/N/1/RUS/8  24/11/2015  
 G/LIC/N/1/RUS/9  24/11/2015  
 G/LIC/N/1/RUS/10  24/11/2015  
 G/LIC /N/1/RUS/11  04/12/2015  
 G/LIC/N/1/RUS/12  04/10/2016  
 G/LIC/N/1/RUS/13  04/10/2016  
 G/LIC/N/1/RUS/14  04/10/2016  
 G/LIC/N/1/RUS/15  04/10/2016  
 G/LIC/N/1/RUS/16  04/10/2016  
SEYCHELLES  G/LIC/N/1/SYC/1  22/08/2016  
SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF 
TAIWAN, PENGH U, KINMEN AND 
MATSU  G/LIC/N/1/TPKM/11  22/08/2016  
TAJIKISTAN  G/LIC/N/1/TJK/1  23/11/2015  
THAILAND  G/LIC/N/1/THA/2  21/10/2016  
 
 G/L/1162  
 
- 4 - 
 
  ANNEX II: NOTIFICATIONS REVIEW ED DURING THE REVIEW PE RIOD PURSUANT TO 
PARAGRAPHS 5.1 -5.4 OF ARTICLE 5 OF THE AGREEMENT  
 FROM 21 OCTOBER  2015 TO 2 1 OCTOBER  2016 
 
MEMBER  DOCUMENT  DATE OF ISSUANCE OF 
THE DOCUMENT  
ARGENTINA  G/LIC/N/2/ARG/27  
G/LIC/N/2/ARG/27/A dd.1 
G/LIC/N/2/ARG/27/A dd.2 
G/LIC/N/2/ARG/27/A dd.3 10/03/2016  
12/05/2016  
08/08/2016  
23/09/2016  
BOLIVIA , PLURINATIONAL  
STATE OF  G/LIC/N/2/BOL/1  
G/LIC/N/2/BOL/2  28/06/2016  
21/09/2016  
BRAZIL  G/LIC/N/2/BRA/7  31/08/2016  
EL SALVADOR  G/LIC/N/2/SLV/1  27/04/2016  
EUROPEAN UNION  G/LIC/N/2/EU/8  
G/LIC/N/2/EU/9  31/05/2016  
20/10/2016  
HONG KONG, CHINA  G/LIC/N/2/HKG/7  08/08/2016  
INDONESIA  G/LIC/N/2/IDN/29  
G/LIC/N/2/IDN/30  
G/LIC/N/2/IDN/31  02/11/2015  
10/03/2016  
10/03/2016  
JAMAICA  G/LIC/N/2/JAM/3  01/04/2016  
MALAYSIA  G/LIC/N/2/MYS/7  23/09/2016  
PARAGUAY  G/LIC/N/2/PRY/6  10/08/2016  
RUSSIAN FEDERATION  G/LIC/N/2/RUS/2  04/12/2015  
 G/L/1162  
 
- 5 - 
 
   
ANNEX III: NO TIFICATIONS REVIEWED DURING THE REVIEW PE RIOD  
PURSUANT TO ARTIC LE 7.3 OF THE AGREEM ENT  
FROM 21 OCTOBER 2015 TO 2 1 OCTOBER  2016 
MEMBER  DOCUMENT  
(YEAR NOTIFIED FOR)  DATE OF 
ISSUANCE OF THE 
DOCUMENT  
AUSTRALIA  G/LIC/N/3/AUS/8       (2015)  01/03/2016  
BRAZIL  G/LIC/N/3/BRA/11    (2016 ) 31/08/2016  
CAMEROON  G/LIC/N/3/CMR/6       (2016)  31/05/2016  
CANADA  G/LIC/N/3/CAN/14      
G/LIC/N/3/CAN/15      (2014)  
(2015)  25/02/2016  
06/10/2016  
COLOMBIA  G/LIC/N/3/COL/11      (2015)  21/03/2016  
COSTA RICA  G/LIC/N/3/CRI/12       (2015)  05/11/2015  
CUBA  G/LIC/N/3/CUB/8        (2016)  27/09/2016  
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC  G/LIC/N/3/DOM/8  (2014,  
2015 , 
2016) 02/02/2016  
EL SALVADOR  G/LIC/N/3/SLV/1         (2016)  27/04/2016  
EUROPEAN UNION  G/LIC/N/3/EU/5          (2016)  21/10/2016  
HON DURAS  G/LIC/N/3/HND/10     (2016)  12/08/2016  
HONG KONG, CHINA  G/LIC/N/3/HKG/20     (2016)  28/09/2016  
INDIA  G/LIC/N/3/IND/15      
G/LIC/N/3/IND/16      (2015)  
(2016)  09/03/2016  
19/10/2016  
INDONESIA  G/LIC/N/3/IDN/8       
G/LIC/N/3/IDN/9        
G/LIC/N/3/I DN/10    (2013)  
(2014)  
(2015)  02/11/2015  
02/11/2015  
12/02/2016  
JAMAICA  G/LIC/N/3/JAM/5       (2016)  01/04/2016  
JAPAN  G/LIC/N/3/JPN/15      (2016)  05/10/2016  
JORDAN  G/LIC/N/3/JOR/3        (2016)  05/10/2016  
KAZAKHSTAN  G/LIC/N/3/KAZ/1        
G/LIC/N/3/KAZ /1/Corr.1  (2016)  29/06/2016  
20/09/2016  
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF  G/LIC/N/3/KOR/11      (2015)  30/10/2015  
KUWAIT, THE STATE OF  G/LIC/N/3/KWT/5        
G/LIC/N/3/KWT/6        (2015)  
(2016)  05/11/2015  
08/08/2016  
LIECHTENSTEIN  G/LIC/N/3/LIE/9  (2016)  20/10/2016  
MAC AO, CHINA  G/LIC/N/3/MAC/19     
G/LIC/N/3/MAC/19/Corr.1  (2016)  24/06/2016  
17/07/2016  
MALAYSIA  G/LIC/N/3/MYS/11      (2015)  10/03/2016  
MALI  G/LIC/N/3/MLI/7         (2015)  10/03/2016  
MAURITIUS  G/LIC/N/3/MUS/6       (2015)  08/08/2016  
MEXICO  G/LIC/N/3/MEX/5  (2016)  20/10/2016  
PANAMA  G/LIC/N/3/PAN/7        (2016)  10/06/2016  
PHILIPPINES  G/LIC/N/3/PHL/12      (2016)  19/10/2016  
THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION  G/LIC/N/3/RUS/2/Rev.1  
G/LIC/N/3/RUS/3        (2015)  
(2016)  02/11/2015  
05/10/2016  
 G/L/1162  
 
- 6 - 
 
  MEMBER  DOCUMENT  
(YEAR NOTIFIED FOR)  DATE OF 
ISSUANCE OF THE 
DOCUMENT  
SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF 
TAIWAN, PENGHU, KINMEN AND 
MATSU  G/LIC/N/3/TPKM/7    (2016)  22/08/2016  
SEYCHELLES  G/LIC/N/3/SYC/1        
G/LIC/N/3/SYC/2        (2015)  
(2016)  11/04/2016  
22/08/2016  
SINGAPORE  G/LIC/N/3/SGP/11     (2015)  18/03/2016  
SWITZERLAND  G/LIC/N/3/CHE/11    
G/LIC /N/3/CHE/12    (2015)  
(2016)  02/11/2015  
30/09/2016  
TURKEY  G/LIC/N/3/TUR/15    (2016)  10/10/2016  
UKRAINE  G/LIC/N/3/UKR/9      (2016)  09/08/2016  
URUGUAY  G/LIC/N/3/URY/8      
G/LIC/N/3/URY/9      (2014)  
(2015)  29/03/2016  
30/03/2016  
 
 
 
 
_________