G/TBT/34  
 
7 March 2014  
(14-1399)  Page: 1/27  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade    
 
NINETEENTH ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION AND 
OPERATION OF THE TBT AGREEMENT 
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
The WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (the Committee) will conduct its 
Nineteenth Annual Review of the Implementati on and Operation of the WTO Agreement on 
Technical Barriers to Trade (the TBT Agreement) under Article 15.3 at its next meeting on 19-20 
March 2014. This document contains information on developments in the Committee relating to 
the implementation and operation of the TBT Ag reement from 1 January to 31 December 2013.  
1   MEETINGS OF  THE COMMITTEE ................................................................................... 2  
2   MECHANISMS FOR REVI EW OF TBT MEASURES ........................................................... 2  
2.1   Noti fications ........................................................................................................... .. 2 
2.1.1   Technical regulations and co nformity assessmen t procedures ........................................ 2  
2.1.2   Notifications under the Code of Good  Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and 
Application of Standa rds ("the Co de") .................................................................................. 5  
2.1.3   Notifications under Article 10.7 ................................................................................. 5  
2.2   Specific Trade Concerns.............................................................................................. 5  
2.2.1   Types and Number of Spec ific Trade Concer ns Raised .................................................. 6  
2.2.2   Stated Objectives ................................................................................................... 8  
2.2.3   Distribution of Measures by Member .......................................................................... 8  
3   DISPUTES INVOLVING PROVIS IONS OF THE TBT AGREEMENT .................................. 10  
4   TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ........................................................................................... 11  
4.1   Regional Workshops .................................................................................................. 11 
4.2   National  Workshops .................................................................................................. 11 
4.3   Geneva-Bas ed Activities ............................................................................................ 11 
4.3.1   Advanced Course on the Agreem ent on Technical Ba rriers to Trade ............................... 11 
4.3.2   Other Geneva -based Activities ................................................................................. 12 
4.4   Regional Tr ade Policy Course s .................................................................................... 12 
4.5   E-Learning ............................................................................................................... 12 
ANNEXES ........................................................................................................................ 13  
A. Notifications by Relevant Ar ticles of the Ag reement in 2013 ............................................... 13 
B. Observation of the Recommended Comment Period by  Members in 2013 ............................. 20 
C. Specific Trade Concerns Raised in 2013 ........................................................................... 22 
                                               
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the position of Members and to thei r rights and obligati ons under the WTO. G/TBT/34 
 
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1  MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE 1.1.  The Committee, pursuant to Article 13. 1 of the TBT Agreement and to the Rules of 
Procedure, elected Mr. Jingo Kikukawa (Japan) as its Chairperson for 2013. 
1.2.  Three meetings were held in 2013 (6-7 March, 19-20 June and 30-31 October 2013).
2 At 
these meetings, the Committee's attention was drawn to new or revised statements on implementation and administration of the Agreem ent, submitted under Article 15.2. In 2013, two 
Members submitted a new statement under Article 15.2, and one submitted a revision to their 
existing statement.
3  
1.3.  73 specific trade concerns, 42 of which were new, were brought to the attention of the 
Committee with regard to potential adverse trade effects of the measures, or possible 
inconsistency with the Agreement.4  
1.4.  During the reporting period, the Committee held three thematic sessions on various cross-
cutting issues related to the operation and impl ementation of the Agreement, including: good 
regulatory practice, standards, conformity assessment procedures, transparency, technical 
assistance, and special and differential treatment. 
1.5.  At the meeting on 6-7 March 2013, the Committee adopted its report of the Eighteenth 
Annual Review of the Implementa tion and Operation of the TBT Agreement under Article 15.3 
(G/TBT/33). At the same meeting, the Committee carried out the Eighteenth Annual Review of the Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards (hereafter 'the Code'). This work was based on the following background documents: a list of standardising bodies 
that have accepted the Code since 1995 (G/TBT/CS/2/Rev.20) and the Eighteenth Edition of the 
WTO TBT Standards Code Directory, prepar ed by the ISO/IEC Information Centre.  
1.6.  During the reporting period, representatives of the BIPM, Codex, IEC, ISO, UNECE, and OIML, 
updated the Committee on activities relevant to the work of the TBT Committee, including on 
technical assistance.  
2  MECHANISMS FOR RE VIEW OF TBT MEASURES
5 
2.1  Notifications 
2.1.1  Technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures 2.1.  In 2013, Members submitted 1,626 new notifications (including 26 revisions) of technical 
regulations and conformity assessment procedur es along with 467 addenda and 42 corrigenda to 
notifications (Chart 1). Since the entry into fo rce of the Agreement on 1 January 1995, up to 
31 December 2013, 17,418 notifications, 3,150 addenda and 524 corrigenda to these notifications have been made by 121 Members. 
                                               
2 G/TBT/M/59-61. 
3 The full list of statements of Members having submitted a statement on implementation and 
administration of the TBT Agreement under Article 15.2 (since January 1995) is contained in document G/TBT/GEN/1/Rev.13. The new statements were received from Montenegro (G/TBT/2/Add.110) and Lao PDR (G/TBT/2/Add.111). Ukraine (G/TBT/2/Add.100/Rev.3) submitted a revision to its statement. 
4 http://tbtims.wto.org/  
5 The data for the graphs in this section are dr awn from the TBT IMS, more detail is contained in 
Annexes A and B.  G/TBT/34 
 
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  Chart 1: Number of TBT Notifications since 1995 
 
2.2.  The share of notifications to which one or more addendum, corrigendum, or revision was 
submitted increased to around 25% over the ye ars 2008-2011 (see Chart 2) and then appears to 
have declined in 2012 and 2013.6  
Chart 2: Share of TBT Notifications Subject to Subsequent Notifications (Addenda, 
Corrigenda, or Revisions) since 19957 
 
 
                                               
6 The Committee is currently working on guidelines  for the coherent use of  notification formats 
(JOB/TBT/68). 
7 Addenda, corrigenda and revisions are counted in th e year of the parent notification, not the year in 
which they were issued. For 2012 and 2013, the time period following the distribution of notifications may not 
have been sufficiently long in order to draw conclusion s regarding trends in subseq uent notifications for those 
years. G/TBT/34 
 
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  2.3.  Among the 1,626 notifications received in 2013, the following objectives were most 
frequently mentioned by Members: protection of human health or safety; protection of the environment; quality requirements; prevention of  deceptive practices and consumer protection. 
Other objectives mentioned included: consumer information; lowering or removal of trade 
barriers; harmonization; adoption of domestic law; protection of animal or plant life or health; 
trade facilitation; cost saving and increasing productivity; and national security (See Chart 3). 
Chart 3: Notifications in 2013 by Objective
8 
 
 2.4.  In 1995, the Committee recommended that the normal time-limit for presentation of 
comments on notified technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures should be 
60 days. It was also recommended that any Member able to provide more than 60 days (such as 90 days) was encouraged to do so.
9 In 2013, Members allowed an average of 59 days for 
comments in the 1,501 cases where they specified a comment period in notifications. In total, 
125 notifications did not specify a comment period, stated it as non-applicable, or had a comment period which had lapsed (see Annex B). Chart 4 shows the average time allowed for comments since 1995. 
                                               
8 Notifications may refer to multiple objectives. 
9 G/TBT/1/Rev.11,  page 23. G/TBT/34 
 
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  Chart 4: Average Number of Days Allowed for Comments since 199510 
 
2.1.2  Notifications under the Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and 
Application of Standards ("the Code") 
2.5.  In 2013, standardizing bodies from Mont enegro, Lao PDR and the Republic of Moldova 
accepted the Code of Good Practice. No standa rdizing body withdrew during the period under 
review. Since the entry into force of the Agreement and through December 2013, 164 
standardizing bodies from 124 Members have adhered to the Code.11 Document 
G/TBT/CS/2/Rev.20 contains a list, by Member, of standardizing bodies that have accepted the Code since 1 January 1995 through December 2013. The ISO/IEC Information Centre prepares the 
WTO TBT Standards Code Directory which lists all standardizing bodies that have notified their 
acceptance of the Code.
12 
2.1.3  Notifications under Article 10.7 
2.6.  In 2013, two Members notified agreements under Article 10.7 - the European Union with 
Israel, and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu with Japan. 
Since the entry into force of the TBT Agreement, Members have submitted 139 notifications under Article 10.7 along with 6 corrigenda.  
2.2  Specific Trade Concerns 
2.7.  Since its first meeting, Members have used the TBT Committee as a forum to discuss issues 
related to specific measures (technical regulations, standards or conformity assessment 
procedures) maintained by other Members. These ar e referred to as "specific trade concerns" and 
relate either to proposed measures notified to the TBT Committee in accordance with the notification requirements in the Agreement, or to measures currently in force. Committee 
meetings, or informal discussions between Members held in the margins of such meetings, afford 
Members the opportunity to review trade concerns in  a bilateral or multilateral setting and to seek 
further clarification. Members regularly discuss fo llow-up in the Committee. In 2013, 73 specific 
trade concerns were raised (see Annex C). The following Charts provide information on the 406 
concerns raised to date.  
                                               
10 This chart covers only those notifications that specify a comment period. The chart does not take into 
account notifications where the comment period was not sp ecified, was stated as non- applicable, or had lapsed 
at the time of circulation (in other words, the deadline for comments stated on the notification was earlier than 
the date of circulation of the notification).  
11 Notifications of acceptance of the Code by st andardizing bodies of Members are contained in 
documents G/TBT/CS/N/1-182.  
12 http://www.standardsinfo.net/info/inttrade.html . G/TBT/34 
 
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  2.2.1  Types and Number of Specific Trade Concerns Raised 
2.8.  In 2013, 42 new concerns were raised and 31 previously raised concerns were discussed. 
Chart 5 illustrates the number of specific trade concerns addressed by the Committee each year since 1995.
13 The total number of specific trade concerns raised in 2013 decreased from the peak 
in 2012, however, the number of new specific trade concerns raised for discussion increased. 
Chart 5: Number of Specific Tr ade Concerns Raised Per Year 
 
 
2.9.  In discussions at the Committee between 1995 and 2013, the most frequently invoked concerns were those relating to the need for more information, or clarification about the measure 
at issue. Concerns relating to the avoidance of unnecessary barriers to trade and to lack of 
transparency were also frequent. As can be seen in Chart 6, the ranking of concerns in 2013 remained consistent with the long term trend. 
                                               
13 More detail on specific trade concerns raised in the TBT Committee is available through the TBT IMS 
(http://tbtims.wto.org ). G/TBT/34 
 
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Chart 6: Types of Concerns Raised in 1995 - 201314 
 
 
 
2.10.  Approximately 68% of the specific trade concerns discussed in the Committee to date related to notified measures (278 out of 406).
15 Measures notified as technical regulations (Articles 
2.9.2, 2.10.1) are most frequently discussed (Chart 7).16  
Chart 7: Notified Measures Raised in Specific Trade Concerns, by Frequency17 
 
 
                                               
14 For each specific trade concern covered there may be more than one type of concern raised. 'Other 
Issues' that have been raised include, inter alia , "complexity", "lack of scientific evidence", and "intellectual 
property".  'Time to adapt, "reasonable interval"' refe rs to the period between the publication of technical 
regulations and conformity assessment pr ocedures, and their entry into force. 
15 Eight specific trade concerns discussed in the TBT Committee were also notified to the SPS 
Committee. 
16 Some measures have been notified both as technical regulations and conformity assessment 
procedures. 
17 Given that some measures have been notified unde r multiple articles, and that some concerns may be 
raised against multiple notified measures, the total sum of article frequency is greater than the total number of STCs. G/TBT/34 
 
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  2.2.2  Stated Objectives 
2.11.  Information about the stated objective of measures may be derived from the notification 
itself, or, when raised in the Committee, through the discussion therein. The most commonly stated objectives of measures discussed relate to the protection of human health and safety, and 
the protection of the environment. The category 'o ther' covers a wide range of stated objectives 
including trade facilitation and cost saving. For a significant number of trade concerns, the objective is not readily apparent from discussions and there is no notification; these stated 
objectives have been classified as "not specified" in Chart 8. 
Chart 8: Stated Objectives for the Measures in 1995 - 2013
18 
 
 
 
2.12.  A greater number of specific trade concerns in 2013 were raised with measures that 
addressed "consumer information and labelling" and "quality requirements" than "prevention of 
deceptive practices", and there were no measures raised that related to "harmonization" or "national security requirements". 
 
2.2.3  Distribution of Measures by Member 
2.13.  Most of the STCs are raised with measures  maintained by Members in the Asia, Europe and 
North America regions. Very few STCs are raised about measures maintained by Members in the 
Africa, CIS and Middle East regions. No concerns about measures maintained by LDCs have been 
raised. Charts 9 and 10 show the distribution of  region and development status of Members that 
have raised STCs in the TBT Committee, as well as  those maintaining the measures raised in STCs. 
                                               
18 For each specific trade concern there may be more than one stated objective. G/TBT/34 
 
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  Chart 9: Members with Measures Subject to  STCs: by Region & Development Status 
 
 
Chart 10: Members Raising STCs: by  Region & Development Status 
 
 
2.14.  Chart 11 illustrates how frequently concerns with one particular measure are raised in 
Committee meetings. Most specific trade concerns have been raised once or twice. Some have 
been raised more than five times, and, amongst these, several have been on the agenda for a number of years. G/TBT/34 
 
- 10 - 
 
  Chart 11: Number of Meetings at Which the Same Concern is Raised 
 
2.15.  Measures maintained by the European Unio n, China and the United States have been most 
frequently raised for discussion in the Committee (Chart 12). 
Chart 12: Top 10 Members whose Measures Ha ve Been Most Frequently Discussed,  
1995-2013 
 
 
3  DISPUTES INVOLVING PROVISIONS OF THE TBT AGREEMENT  
3.1.  During the review period, a panel report relevant to the TBT Agreement was circulated. 
Additionally, two relevant compliance procedures an d one retaliation ("suspension of concessions") 
procedure were initiated: 
a. European Communities — Measures Prohibiting the Importation and Marketing of Seal 
Products  (Complainants: Canada and Norway). On 25 November 2013, the panel report 
was circulated to Members.19 
                                               
19 For more detail, see: http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds400_e.htm  (complaint 
by Canada) and http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds401_e.htm  (complaint by Norway). 
This panel report is currently under appeal. G/TBT/34 
 
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  b. United States — Certain Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) Requirements  
(Complainants: Canada and Mexico). On 19 August 2013, Canada and Mexico requested the establishment of a compliance panel. On 27 September 2013, the compliance panel was composed.
20  
c. United States — Measures Concerning the Im portation, Marketing and Sale of Tuna and 
Tuna Products  (Complaint: Mexico). On 14 November 2013, Mexico requested the 
establishment of a compliance panel.21 
d. United States — Measures Affecting the Production and Sale of Clove Cigarettes  
(Complainant: Indonesia). On 12 August 2013, Indonesia requested the authorization of 
the DSB to suspend concessions or other obligations pursuant to Article 22.2 of the DSU. On 22 August 2013, the United States objected to the level of suspension of concessions 
or other obligations and referred the matter to arbitration pursuant to Article 22.6 of the 
DSU. At the DSB meeting on 23 August 2013, it was agreed that the matter be referred to arbitration as required by Article 22.6 of the DSU.
22 
3.2.  Since the entry into force of the Agreemen t, 49 cases have cited the TBT Agreement in their 
request for consultations. A full listing of these cases can be found on the WTO website under "Disputes by Agreement".
23  
4  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
4.1  Regional Workshops 4.1.  In 2013, the Secretariat organized, in cooperation with the Singapore Government, one 
regional workshop on the TBT Agreement for Asia  and Pacific Countries. The programme of this 
workshop was designed to assist participating economies from the region to consolidate knowledge 
of the principles and disciplines of the TBT Agreement.  
4.2  National Workshops 
4.2.  In response to requests received from individual Members, workshops were held in Angola, 
Cabo Verde, Kuwait, China (TBT, SPS), Costa Rica  (video-conference), Seychelles and India during 
2013. These workshops were broadly aimed at promoting a better understanding of the TBT 
Agreement, enabling a discussion of challenges in implementation of the Agreement, and, 
providing an opportunity to address TBT issues of specific interest to these Members.  
4.3  Geneva-Based Activities 4.3.1  Advanced Course on the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade 
4.3.  A two-week Specialized Course on the TBT Agreement was held in Geneva on 10-21 June 
2013. The 25 selected participants in this advanced TBT activity were government officials from developing and least-developed WTO Members and Observers. The course was designed to 
promote a greater understanding of the TBT Agreemen t and to help participants identify concrete 
initiatives to deal with implementation challenges.  The Course comprised a series of sessions and practical exercises related to the implementation of the Agreement.  Participants also debated 
various TBT-relevant issues currently being discussed in the TBT Committee.   
                                               
20 For more detail, see: http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/dispu_e/cas es_e/ds384_e.htm  (complaint 
by Canada) and http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds386_e.htm  (complaint by Mexico). 
21 For more detail, see: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds381_e.htm . This 
compliance panel was eventually composed on 27 January 2014. 
22 For more detail, see: http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds406_e.htm . 
23 
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dispu_a greements_index_e.htm?id=A22#selected_agreement . G/TBT/34 
 
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  4.3.2  Other Geneva-based Activities 
4.4.  The Secretariat provided training on th e TBT Agreement at three Advanced Trade Policy 
Courses as well as the Advanced Course on the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.  
4.4  Regional Trade Policy Courses 
4.5.  TBT training was also provided in the regional trade policy courses organized by the WTO 
Secretariat, which were held in Botswana (for  English-speaking African countries from 14-15 
October 2013), Turkey for Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus Countries 
(CEECAC) on 23 May 2013, India (for Asia and Pacific countries) on 23 September 2013, and Tunisia (for French Speaking African Countries) on 24 May 2013.  
4.5  E-Learning 
4.6.  In 2013, 228 participants successfully completed TBT E-Learning courses (137 participants in 
English, 58 participants in French, and 33 participants in Spanish). The TBT-online course is addressed to government officials from Members and Observers and covers all aspects of the TBT 
Agreement. The TBT online course is availabl e throughout the year in all three languages.
24  
                                               
24 While the WTO E-Learning material is freely available in the WTO E-Learning website, participants 
have to register and submit a nomination form in orde r to participate in a monitored course, access the module 
exams and obtain a WTO certificate.  More information can be obtained at: http://etraining.wto.org/  . G/TBT/34 
 
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ANNEXES 
A. Notifications by Relevant Ar ticles of the Agreement in 2013 
Member  Number of 
notifications 
made in 2013  2.9 2.10 3.2 5.6 5.7 7.2 Not 
specified  Total number 
of 
notifications 
made since 
1995  
Albania 3  3 0 0 3 0 0 0 65 
Angola 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Antigua and 
Barbuda 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Argentina 8  8 0 0 0 0 0 0 340 
Armenia 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 73 
Australia 23  23 0 0 0 0 0 0 194 
Austria 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 
Bahrain, 
Kingdom of 40  40 0 0 2 0 0 0 320 
Bangladesh 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Barbados 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 
Belgium 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 207 
Belize 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 
Benin 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
Bolivia, 
Plurinational 
State of 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 
Botswana 24  24 0 0 0 0 0 0 38 
Brazil 50  36 0 0 14 0 1 1 687 
Brunei 
Darussalam 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
Bulgaria 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Burkina Faso 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Burundi 1  1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
Cambodia 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 
Cameroon 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 
Canada 28  28 0 0 13 0 0 0 554 
Cabo Verde 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Central 
African 
Republic 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 G/TBT/34 
 
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  Member  Number of 
notifications 
made in 2013  2.9 2.10 3.2 5.6 5.7 7.2 Not 
specified  Total number 
of 
notifications 
made since 
1995  
Chad 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Chile 31  12 2 0 19 0 0 0 320 
China 90  83 1 0 5 1 0 0 1032 
Colombia 13  8 0 0 9 0 0 0 240 
Congo 3  3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 
Costa Rica 6  6 0 0 0 0 0 0 156 
Côte d'Ivoire 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Croatia 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 38 
Cuba 7  7 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 
Cyprus 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
Czech 
Republic 4  4 0 0 0 0 0 0 281 
Democratic 
Republic of 
the Congo 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Denmark 2  2 0 0 0 0 0 0 248 
Djibouti 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Dominica 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 
Dominican 
Republic 33  29 1 0 8 0 0 0 229 
Ecuador 43  36 7 0 0 0 0 0 133 
Egypt 19  19 0 0 0 0 0 0 55 
El Salvador 7  7 0 0 0 0 0 0 226 
Estonia 1  1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 
European 
Union 93  87 0 0 27 0 0 0 787 
Fiji 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
Finland 1  1 0 0 0 0 0 0 70 
France 12  12 0 0 0 0 0 0 218 
Gabon 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Georgia 6  5 1 0 5 0 0 0 75 
Germany 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 G/TBT/34 
 
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  Member  Number of 
notifications 
made in 2013  2.9 2.10 3.2 5.6 5.7 7.2 Not 
specified  Total number 
of 
notifications 
made since 
1995  
Ghana 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 
Greece 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Grenada 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 
Guatemala 3  3 0 0 0 0 0 0 91 
Guinea 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Guinea-
Bissau 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Guyana 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 
Haiti 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Honduras 4  4 0 0 0 0 0 0 81 
Hong Kong, 
China 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 76 
Hungary 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 
Iceland 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
India 3  3 0 0 0 0 0 0 93 
Indonesia 13  13 0 0 9 0 0 0 85 
Ireland 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Israel 83  83 0 0 0 0 0 0 785 
Italy 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 
Jamaica 2  2 0 0 0 0 0 0 66 
Japan 38  38 0 0 6 0 0 0 679 
Jordan 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 47 
Kenya 54  53 1 0 0 0 0 0 398 
Korea, 
Republic of 45  34 0 0 31 0 0 0 566 
Kuwait, the 
State of 49  48 0 0 1 0 0 0 197 
Kyrgyz 
Republic 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33 
Lao People's 
Democratic 
Republic 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Latvia 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 
Lesotho 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 G/TBT/34 
 
- 16 - 
 
  Member  Number of 
notifications 
made in 2013  2.9 2.10 3.2 5.6 5.7 7.2 Not 
specified  Total number 
of 
notifications 
made since 
1995  
Liechtenstein 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Lithuania 3  3 0 0 2 0 0 0 22 
Luxembourg 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Macao, 
China 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 
Madagascar 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Malawi 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Malaysia 4  4 0 0 0 0 0 0 201 
Maldives 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Mali 2  2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
Malta 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Mauritania 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Mauritius 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 
Mexico 18  18 0 0 1 0 0 0 448 
Moldova, 
Republic of 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 
Mongolia 1  1 0 0 1 0 0 0 7 
Montenegro 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Morocco 1  1 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 
Mozambique 3  3 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 
Myanmar 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Namibia 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Nepal 4  4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 
Netherlands 1  1 0 0 0 0 0 0 620 
New Zealand 2  1 1 0 0 0 0 0 96 
Nicaragua 6  6 0 0 0 0 0 0 132 
Niger 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Nigeria 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
Norway 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 78 
Oman 4  4 0 0 0 0 0 0 150 G/TBT/34 
 
- 17 - 
 
  Member  Number of 
notifications 
made in 2013  2.9 2.10 3.2 5.6 5.7 7.2 Not 
specified  Total number 
of 
notifications 
made since 
1995  
Pakistan 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 57 
Panama 4  3 1 0 0 0 0 0 41 
Papua New 
Guinea 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
Paraguay 7  7 0 0 0 0 0 0 72 
Peru 9  9 0 0 0 0 0 0 58 
Philippines 14  14 0 0 0 0 0 0 231 
Poland 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 
Portugal 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
Qatar 40  39 1 0 0 0 0 0 317 
Romania 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 90 
Russian 
Federation 26  26 0 0 17 0 0 0 28 
Rwanda 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 
Saint Kitts 
and Nevis 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Saint Lucia 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 
Saint 
Vincent and 
the 
Grenadines 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 
Samoa 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Saudi 
Arabia, 
Kingdom of 214  214 0 0 0 0 0 0 708 
Senegal 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 
Sierra Leone 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Singapore 5  5 0 0 0 0 0 0 37 
Slovak 
Republic 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 46 
Slovenia 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 101 
Solomon 
Islands 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
South Africa 15  15 0 0 0 0 0 0 221 
Spain 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 68 
Sri Lanka 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 46 G/TBT/34 
 
- 18 - 
 
  Member  Number of 
notifications 
made in 2013  2.9 2.10 3.2 5.6 5.7 7.2 Not 
specified  Total number 
of 
notifications 
made since 
1995  
Suriname 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Swaziland 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
Sweden 5  5 0 0 1 0 0 0 219 
Switzerland 9  9 0 0 0 0 0 0 251 
Chinese 
Taipei  24  23 0 0 12 0 0 1 154 
Tajikistan 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Tanzania 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 44 
Thailand 23  23 0 0 0 0 0 0 538 
The former 
Yugoslav 
Republic of 
Macedonia 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 
The Gambia 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Togo 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
Tonga 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Trinidad and 
Tobago 3  3 0 0 0 0 0 0 109 
Tunisia 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 
Turkey 26  26 0 0 1 0 0 0 48 
Uganda 125  125 0 0 0 0 0 0 415 
Ukraine 9  7 0 0 3 0 0 0 97 
United Arab 
Emirates 60  59 0 0 4 0 0 0 182 
United 
Kingdom 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 44 
United 
States of 
America 103  92 0 11 0 0 0 0 1078 
Uruguay 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 
Vanuatu 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Venezuela, 
Bolivarian 
Republic of 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 35 
Viet Nam 14  12 0 0 2 0 0 0 36 G/TBT/34 
 
- 19 - 
 
  Member  Number of 
notifications 
made in 2013  2.9 2.10 3.2 5.6 5.7 7.2 Not 
specified  Total number 
of 
notifications 
made since 
1995  
Zambia 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 44 
Zimbabwe 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
TOTAL 1626 1530 16 11 196 1 1 2 17411 
 
  G/TBT/34 
 
- 20 - 
 
  B. Observation of the Recommended Comment Period by Members in 2013 
Member Less 
than 
45 
days 45-59 
days 60 
days 
or 
more Not 
Specified 
or Stated 
as Not 
Applicable  Lapsed Total 
Albania 0 0 3 0 0 3 
Argentina 2 0 0 6 0 8 
Australia 0 2 21 0 0 23 
Bahrain, Kingdom of 0 0 40 0 0 40 
Botswana 0 0 24 0 0 24 
Brazil 9 30 2 6 2 49 
Burundi 0 0 0 1 0 1 
Canada 1 6 20 1 0 28 
Chile 2 16 13 0 0 31 
China 3 0 87 0 0 90 
Colombia 0 0 13 0 0 13 
Congo 0 0 0 3 0 3 
Costa Rica 0 0 4 2 0 6 
Cuba 0 0 0 7 0 7 
Czech Republic 0 0 4 0 0 4 
Denmark 0 0 0 2 0 2 
Dominican Republic 0 0 33 0 0 33 
Ecuador 0 0 36 7 0 43 
Egypt 0 0 19 0 0 19 
El Salvador 0 0 7 0 0 7 
Estonia 0 0 1 0 0 1 
European Union 0 2 91 0 0 93 
Finland 0 0 0 1 0 1 
France 0 0 11 1 0 12 
Georgia 0 0 0 6 0 6 
Guatemala 0 0 3 0 0 3 
Honduras 0 0 4 0 0 4 
India 0 0 3 0 0 3 
Indonesia 0 0 13 0 0 13 
Israel 0 2 80 1 0 83 
Jamaica 0 0 2 0 0 2 
Japan 14 1 23 0 0 38 
Kenya 4 5 44 1 0 54 
Korea, Republic of 0 0 45 0 0 45 
Kuwait, the State of 0 0 49 0 0 49 
Lithuania 0 0 3 0 0 3 
Malaysia 0 0 4 0 0 4 
Mali 0 0 0 2 0 2 
Mexico 1 17 0 0 0 18 
Moldova, Republic of 0 0 0 0 1 1 G/TBT/34 
 
- 21 - 
 
  Member Less 
than 
45 
days 45-59 
days 60 
days 
or 
more Not 
Specified 
or Stated 
as Not 
Applicable  Lapsed Total 
Mongolia 0 0 1 0 0 1 
Morocco 0 0 0 1 0 1 
Mozambique 0 0 0 3 0 3 
Nepal 0 0 4 0 0 4 
Netherlands 0 0 0 1 0 1 
New Zealand 0 0 1 1 0 2 
Nicaragua 0 0 6 0 0 6 
Oman 0 0 4 0 0 4 
Panama 3 0 1 0 0 4 
Paraguay 4 0 2 1 0 7 
Peru 0 0 9 0 0 9 
Philippines 5 9 0 0 0 14 
Qatar 1 0 39 0 0 40 
Russian Federation 0 9 4 0 13 26 
Saudi Arabia, 
Kingdom of 0 0 213 1 0 214 
Singapore 0 0 5 0 0 5 
South Africa 1 5 9 0 0 15 
Sweden 0 0 5 0 0 5 
Switzerland 0 2 7 0 0 9 
Chinese Taipei 7 0 13 2 2 24 
Thailand 0 0 9 14 0 23 
Trinidad and Tobago 3 0 0 0 0 3 
Turkey 2 0 4 20 1 27 
Uganda 0 0 125 0 0 125 
Ukraine 3 0 4 2 0 9 
United Arab Emirates 0 0 60 0 0 60 
United States of 
America 32 32 26 10 3 103 
Viet Nam 0 0 14 0 0 14 
GRAND TOTAL 97 138 1266 103 22 1626 
 G/TBT/34 
 
- 22 - 
 
  C. Specific Trade Concerns Raised in 2013 
1. The following table lists the 73 specific trade concerns raised in the TBT Committee during 
2013. The second column contains the name of specific trade concern, and in parentheses, its unique identification number in the online TBT IMS (IMS ID).
 25 
2. The specific trade concerns are sorted as follows:  
a. Date: date of meeting when the specific trade concern was last raised (in reverse 
chronological order);  
b. Frequency : number of meetings at which the specific trade concern has been raised; 
and  
c. Members : number of Members that have expressed concern about the measure since it 
was first raised.  
 Specific trade concerns Date last raised  Frequency Members 
1 European Communities - Regulation  
on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) 
 
(ID 88) 30 October 2013 33 34 
2 India - Pneumatic tyres and tubes for 
automotive vehicles (ID 133)  30 October 2013 22 4 
3 India – Mandatory Certification for 
Steel Products (ID 224) 30 October 2013 13 5 
4 Brazil - Health Products (ID 233) 30 October 2013 11 6 
5 India - New Telecommunications 
related Rules (Department of Telecommunications, No. 842-
725/2005-VAS/Vol.III (3 December 
2009); No. 10-15/2009-AS-III/193 (18 March 2010); and Nos. 10-
15/2009-AS.III/Vol.II/(Pt.)/(25-29) 
(28 July 2010); Department of Telecommunications, No. 10-
15/2009-AS.III/Vol.II/(Pt.)/(30) (28 
July 2010) and accompanying template, "Security and Business Continuity Agreement") (ID 274) 30 October 2013 10 3 
6 Korea - KS C IEC61646:2007 
Standard for Thin-film Solar Panels 
(IMS ID 271)  30 October 2013 10 2 
7 China - Requirements for information 
security products, including, inter alia, the Office of State Commercial 
Cryptography Administration 
(OSCCA) 1999 Regulation on commercial encryption products and its on-going revision and the Multi-
Level Protection Scheme (MLPS)  
(ID 294)  30 October 2013 9 5 
8 China - Provisions for the 
Administration of Cosmetics 
Application Acceptance  
(ID 296)  30 October 2013 9 5 
                                               
25 Enter this 'item number' into the TBT IMS 'specific trade concern' search 
(http://tbtims.wto.org/web/pages/search/stc/Search.aspx ) to locate additional information on any STC. G/TBT/34 
 
- 23 - 
 
   Specific trade concerns Date last raised  Frequency Members 
9 France - Loi No. 2010-788:  The 
National Commitment for the Environment (Grenelle 2 Law)  (ID 306)  30 October 2013 8 7 
10 Peru - Draft Supreme Decree 
Approving the Regulations Governing 
the Labelling of Genetically Modified 
Foods (ID 320)  30 October 2013 6 7 
11 Russian Federation – Draft on 
Technical Regulation of Alcohol Drinks Safety (published on  24 
October) (ID 332)  30 October 2013 6 7 
12 Korea - Regulation on Registration 
and Evaluation of Chemical Material 
(ID 305)  30 October 2013 6 5 
13 European Union – Directive 
2009/28/CE, Renewable Energy 
Directive (EU - RED) (ID 307)  30 October 2013 6 4 
14 Indonesia - Technical Guidelines for 
the Implementation of the Adoption 
and Supervision of Indonesian 
National Standards for Obligatory 
Toy Safety(ID 328)  30 October 2013 6 2 
15 Kenya - Alcohol Labelling: The 
Alcoholic Drinks Control (Licensing) 
Regulations, 2010: Legal Notice No. 206: 2010 (ID 311)  30 October 2013 5 3 
16 China - Testing and certification 
requirements for medical devices  
(ID 143) 30 October 2013 5 3 
17 European Union - Draft 
Implementing Regulations amending 
Regulation (EC) No. 607/2009 laying down detailed rules for the 
application of Council Regulation 
(EC) No 479/2008 as regards protected designations of origin and 
geographical indications, traditional 
terms, labelling and presentation of certain wine sector products  (ID 345)  30 October 2013 4 6 
18 Israel - Warning regulations on 
alcoholic beverages (ID 364)  30 October 2013 4 4 
19 Brazil - Draft ANVISA Resolution on 
used, refurbished, rented and lent 
medical devices (ID 362)  30 October 2013 4 2 
20 India - Food Safety and Standards 
Regulation - Food labelling 
requirements (ID 298)  30 October 2013 4 2 
21 Mexico - Refusal of the National 
Water Commission to re-certify HDPE 
pipe products meeting quality/safety 
standards for piping set out in NOM 001 and NMX 241 (ID 330)  30 October 2013 4 1 
22 European Union - Tobacco products, 
nicotine containing products and 
herbal products for smoking. 
Packaging for retail sale of any of the 
aforementioned products (ID 377) 30 October 2013 3 13 G/TBT/34 
 
- 24 - 
 
   Specific trade concerns Date last raised  Frequency Members 
23 Chile - Proposed amendment to the 
Food Health Regulations, Supreme Decree No. 977/96 (ID 370) 30 October 2013 3 12 
24 New Zealand - Proposal to introduce 
plain packaging of tobacco products 
in New Zealand (ID 361)  30 October 2013 3 10 
25 India - Electronics and Information 
Technology Goods (Requirements for 
Compulsory Registration) Order, 2012 (ID 367)  30 October 2013 3 6 
26 Ireland - Proposal to introduce 
standardised/plain packaging of 
tobacco products in Ireland (ID 380)  30 October 2013 2 9 
27 Peru — Act to Promote Healthy 
Eating Among Children and 
Adolescents (ID 383)  30 October 2013 2 7 
28 Indonesia - Ministry of Trade 
Regulation 82/M-DAG/PER/12/2012 
on imported cell phones, handheld 
and tablet computers (ID 388)  30 October 2013 2 3 
29 Indonesia - Ministry of Health 
Regulation 30/2013 on the inclusion 
of sugar, salt and fat content information, as well as health 
messages on the label of processed 
foods (ID 389)  30 October 2013 2 3 
30 European Union - Proposal for a 
Regulation on Fluorinated 
Greenhouse Gases (ID 391)  30 October 2013 2 3 
31 European Union - Revised Proposal 
for the Categorization of Compounds 
as Endocrine Disruptors of 19 
February 2013 by DG Environment (ID 393)  30 October 2013 2 2 
32 China - China Food and Drug 
Administration (CFDA) EMC 
Enforcement Notice for medical 
devices of 19 December 2012 (ID 
387)  30 October 2013 2 2 
33 Peru - Implementing Regulations of 
14 November 2012 for Moratorium 
on Planting Genetically Engineered 
Crops (ID 392)  30 October 2013 2 1 
34 Russia - Safety of light industry 
products (ID 390)  30 October 2013 2 1 
35 European Union - Transformation of 
still wine into sparkling wine EC 
Regulation 479/2008 of 29 April 
2008 (ID 381)  30 October 2013 2 1 
36 European Union - Implementing 
Regulation (EU) No 481/2012 laying 
down rules for the management of a 
tariff quota for high-quality beef  
(ID 382)  30 October 2013 2 1 G/TBT/34 
 
- 25 - 
 
   Specific trade concerns Date last raised  Frequency Members 
37 Turkey - Draft Communiqué on 
Warning Messages Placed on Containers of Alcoholic Beverages; and, Draft Regulation Amending the 
Regulation on Procedures and 
Principles Concerning Domestic and Foreign Trading of Alcohol and 
Alcoholic Beverages (ID 407)  30 October 2013 1 4 
38 Ecuador - Resolution No. SENAE-
DGN-2013-0300-RE relating to post 
entry control of imported alcoholic 
beverages (ID 394)  30 October 2013 1 3 
39 Ecuador - Resolution establishing the 
"General conformity assessment 
framework for Ecuador" and the 
"Handbook of procedures to be observed prior to all stages of the 
customs clearance, marketing and 
market surveillance of manufactured, imported and marketed goods subject to Ecuadorian technical 
regulations (ID 398)  30 October 2013 1 3 
40 United States — EPA Palm Oil 
Biofuels Regulatory Program  
(ID 408)  30 October 2013 1 2 
41 United Arab Emirates - Control 
Regulation for Halal Products - Part I 
- Halal Food (ID 402)  30 October 2013 1 2 
42 China - Regulations of the China 
Food and Drug Administration on 
Legislative Procedures (Exposure 
Draft) (ID 404)  30 October 2013 1 2 
43 European Union – Fuel Quality 
Directive (ID 405)  30 October 2013 1 2 
44 Mexico - Draft Mexican Official 
Standard PROY-NOM-032-ENER-
2013: Maximum electrical power 
limits for equipment and appliances 
requiring standby power. Test 
methods and labelling (ID 406)  30 October 2013 1 1 
45 Chile - Safety for Printers and Energy 
Efficiency for Printers (ID 403)  30 October 2013 1 1 
46 Russian Federation – Measure 
affecting import of Ukrainian 
confectionary products (ID 399) 30 October 2013 1 1 
47 Indonesia - Mandatory Indonesia 
National Standard (SNI) for Glazed 
Ceramic (ID 400)  30 October 2013 1 1 
48 Thailand - Draft Thai Industrial 
Standard for Ceramic Tiles (TIS 
2508-2555) (ID 401)  30 October 2013 1 1 
49 Italy - Testing requirement on import 
of steel cutlery products (ID 395) 30 October 2013 1 1 
50 European Union - Draft Commission 
Regulation implementing Directive 
2009/125/EC of the European 
Parliament and of the Council with 
regard to ecodesign requirements for 
vacuum cleaners (ID 396) 30 October 2013 1 1 G/TBT/34 
 
- 26 - 
 
   Specific trade concerns Date last raised  Frequency Members 
51 Indonesia - Regulation number 
84/Permentan/PD.140/2013, on halal food (ID 397) 30 October 2013 1 1 
52 Colombia – Commercial Truck Diesel 
Emissions Regulation (Resolution 
2604, 24 December 2009) (ID 318)  17 June 2013 6 3 
53 Viet Nam – Decree No 38 Detailing 
the Implementation of Some Articles 
of Food Safety Law (ID 356)  17 June 2013 4 6 
54 European Union – Directive 
2011/62/EU of the European 
Parliament and of the Council 
amending Directive 2001/83/EC on 
the Community code relating to 
medicinal products for human use, 
as regards the prevention of the 
entry into the legal supply chain of 
falsified medicinal products (ID 334)  17 June 2013 4 3 
55 Korea - Draft amendment of 
Ordinance and Regulation of Motor Vehicle Control Act (ID 376)  17 June 2013 2 1 
56 China - Innovative medical 
instruments and provisions for 
simplifying application materials for 
re-registration of medical 
instruments (ID 386)  17 June 2013 1 3 
57 US - Energy Conservation Program 
for Consumer Products: various 
products (ID 384)  17 June 2013 1 1 
58 US - Proposed Significant New Use 
Rules on Certain Chemical 
Substances (ID 385)  17 June 2013 1 1 
59 United States - Hazardous Materials: 
Transportation of Lithium Batteries 
(ID 262)  6 March 2013 10 5 
60 Turkey - New conformity assessment 
procedures for pharmaceuticals (ID 
264)  6 March 2013 10 3 
61 European Union - Directive 
2004/24/EC on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products (ID 265)  6 March 2013 9 3 
62 European Union - Issue with respect 
of honey containing pollen from 
genetically modified maize MON810, 
Ruling from ECJ (ID 322)  6 March 2013 3 7 
63 China – Draft Mobile Smart Terminal 
Administrative Measure, Ministry of 
Industry and Information Technology 
(MIIT), 10 April 2012 (ID 358)  6 March 2013 2 3 
64 European Union – Draft Commission 
Regulation implementing Directive 
2009/125/EC of the European 
Parliament and of the Council with 
regard to ecodesign requirements for 
directional lamps, light emitting 
diode lamps and related equipment 
(ID 365) 6 March 2013 2 1 
65 United Arab Emirates - Conformity 
Assessment Procedure for Automobile Tyres (ID 368)  6 March 2013 1 2 G/TBT/34 
 
- 27 - 
 
   Specific trade concerns Date last raised  Frequency Members 
66 Thailand - Certificate Requirement 
and Administrative Measure Relating 
to Importation of New Pneumatic 
Tyres of Rubber into the Kingdom of 
Thailand B.E. 2555 (2012) (ID 369)  6 March 2013 1 2 
67 Korea - Proposed SAR Values or EMF 
exposure in cell phones (ID 371)  6 March 2013 1 2 
68 Russia - Alcoholic Beverages Storage 
Technical Conditions Order Number 
59n (ID 372)  6 March 2013 1 1 
69 India - Proposed Amendment to 
2008 Hazardous Waste Law (ID 373)  6 March 2013 1 1 
70 Ukraine - Amendment to Law on 
Advertising, Law of Ukraine No. 
3778-VI of 16 March 2012 (ID 374)  6 March 2013 1 1 
71 Canada - Improved food inspection 
model: The Case for Change  
(ID 375)   6 March 2013 1 1 
72 Ecuador - Draft Technical Regulation 
of the Ecuadorian Standardization 
Institute (PRTE INEN) No. 080: 
"Labellin g of footwear" (ID 378)  6 March 2013 1 1 
73 Ecuador - Labelling of articles of 
apparel, household linen and clothing 
accessories (ID 379)  6 March 2013 1 1 
 
 
__________