RESTRICTED  
  
G/MA/SPEC/57  
 
12 September  2017 
(17-4814) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Market Access    
 
DRAFT  
REPORT (201 7) OF THE COMMITTEE O N MARKET ACCESS   
1.  Since the last review1, the Committee on Market Access has held two formal meetings ( 2 May  
and 22 September 2017 ) and three  informal meetings ( 9 March, 23 June, and 
22 September  2017). The minutes  of the formal meeting s are contained  in documents G/MA/M/ 65 
and G/MA/M/ 66 (to be issued) .   
2.  At its meeting of 2 May 2017 , the Committee took note that the consultations in the Council for 
Trade in Goods concerning  the Chairpersons of the subsidiary bo dies remained ongoing, and 
agreed that, once the issue had been resolved, the Secretariat would send a fax with the proposed 
candidate and set a deadline for objections .  On 11 May 2017 , the Secretariat circulated a fax 
informing Members that Mr Ahmed El Libedy (Egypt)  had been nominated,  and on 12 May 2017  he 
was elected.  [At its meeting of 22 September 2017 , the Committee elected [ …] as 
Vice Chairperson ].  
1  WAIVERS  
3.  [At its formal meeting of 22 September 2017 , the Committee approved the extension of t he 
HS2002 "collective" waiver (G/C/W/ 741), the HS2007 "collective" waiver (G/C/W/ 742), the 
HS2012 "collective " waiver ( G/C/W/743), and the HS2017 "collective" waiver (G/C/W/744  and 
G/C/W/744 /Corr.1 ).  The Committee agreed to forward the draft waiver decisi ons to the General 
Council through the Council for Trade in Goods for appropriate action.]  
2  INTRODUCTION OF HARM ONIZED SYSTEM 1996 ( HS1996) CHANGES TO S CHEDULES 
OF CONCESSIONS  
4.  At its meetings in 2017, the Committee took note of the status of the HS1996  transposition work 
undertaken pursuant to the procedures contained in L/6905 and WT/L/756.   
3  INTRODUCTION OF HARM ONIZED SYSTEM 2002 ( HS2002) CHANGES TO S CHEDULES 
OF CONCESSIONS  
5.  At its meetings in 20 17, the Committee took note of the status of work concerning the 
introduction of HS2002 changes to schedules of concessions using the CTS database (WT/L/605 
and WT/L/ 807), as well as the outcomes of the informal dedicated sessions of the Committee 
during w hich the files containing the HS2002 changes of Members were examined.   
4  INTRODUCTION OF HARM ONIZED SYSTEM 2007 ( HS2007) CHANGES TO S CHEDULES 
OF CONCESSIONS  
6.  At its meetings in 2017, the Committee took note of the status of work concerning the 
introduct ion of HS2007 changes to schedules of concessions using the CTS database (WT/L/673 
and WT/L/ 830), as well as the outcomes of the informal dedicated sessions of the Committee 
during which the files containing the HS2007 changes of Members were examined.   
                                                
1 G/L/11 54, dated 19 October 2016 . G/MA/SPEC/57  
 
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  5  INTRODUCTION OF HARMO NIZED SYSTEM 2012 (H S2012) CHANGES TO SC HEDULES 
OF CONCESSIONS  
7.  At its meetings in 2017, the Committee took note of the status of work concerning the 
introduction of HS2012 changes to schedules of concessions using the CTS database ( WT/L/831), 
as well as the outcomes of the informal dedicated sessions of the Committee during which the files 
containing the HS2012 changes of Members were examined.  At its 2 May meeting, the Committee 
agreed to amend "Simplification 2" in the “Notes on M ethodology” for this transposition 
(G/MA/330/Add.1) . 
6  INTRODUCTION OF HARM ONIZED SYSTEM 2017 ( HS2017) CHANGES TO S CHEDULES 
OF CONCESSIONS  
8.  At its meetings of 2 May , the Committee took note that the Secretariat had prepared the HS2017 
reference nomenclature and correlation tables in a standardized format, and that they had been 
made available for download on the IDB File Exchange Facility .   
7  DECISION ON NOTIFICA TION PROCEDURES FOR QUANTITATIVE RESTRIC TIONS   
("QR DECISION")  
9.  At its meetings in 2017, the Committee examined one new QR notification  for the period 
2014-2016 that was submitted by Mauritius, as well as 11 new QR notifications for the period 
2016-2018 submitted by  Australia, Canada, the European Union,  Japan, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, 
Nicaragua, Singapore, Switzerland, the United States, and Uruguay. The Committee also continued 
reviewing  notifications previously submitted by other Members . 
10.  At its meeting  of 2 May 2017, the Committee took note of a report by the Secretariat entitled 
"Quantitative Restrictions: Factual Information on Notifications Received" and discussed how to 
improve the number and quality of these notifications. At its formal meeting of 
22 September  2017, the Committee examined the quantitative restriction notifications submitted 
by several Members  and took note of a report by the  Secretariat (G/MA/QR/ 5), which reflected the 
status of such notifications .  It also took note of a report on the consultations conducted by  the 
Chairman on the issue , [and … ].  
8  DATABASES  
11.  At its formal meetings in 201 7, the Secretariat reported on the status of work concerning the 
Integrated Data Base (IDB) and the Consolidated Tariff Schedules (CTS) database . The reports 
provided information on inter alia  the use of information in the databases, the status of software 
development and technical assistance.  The Committee also took note of the document s which 
reflected the status of submissions to the IDB (G/MA/IDB/2/Rev. 45 and G/MA/IDB/2/Rev. 46).  
9  DERESTRICTION OF NEG OTIATING MATERIAL OF  EARLIER GATT ROUNDS  
12. At its meeting of 2 May, the Committee agreed on procedures for the derestriction of 
addition al negotiating materials from previous multilateral rounds of negotiations (G/MA/334) .  At 
its formal meeting of 22 September, the Committee considered a draft "Decision for the 
Derestri ction of Additional Negotiating Materials " (G/MA/W/131), which had bee n elaborated 
pursuant to those procedures . [The Committee approved them and agreed to transmit them to the 
General Council  through the Council for Trade  in Goods for adoption ].  
10  OTHER ACTIVITIES  
13.  At its meeting of 2 May , the Committee took note of the  Secretariat document entitled 
"Situation of Schedules of WTO Members" (G/MA/W/23/Rev. 13 and G/MA/W/23/Rev.13/Corr.1 ), 
which lists all legal instruments relating to each Member's schedule.  It also took note of the 
Secretariat document entitled "Factual Report o n the Status of Renegotiations u nder Article XXVIII 
of the GATT 1994" (G/MA/W/123/Rev.1).  
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  14.  At its 2 May  and 22 September  meetings, t he Committee took note of the specific concerns  
raised by the following Members :   
 Canada, European Union, Jap an, Korea, Chinese Taipei, and the United States (India – 
Customs duties on telecommunication and other products; G /MA/W/120 and 
G/MA/W/128 ); 
 European Union (Angola – Consumption tax ; G/MA/W/129) ; 
 European Union, Japan,  Chinese Taipei,  and the United States (China - Customs duties 
on certain integrated circuits) ; 
 European Union (Argentina – Law on the auto -part s ector) ; 
 Japan ( China - Import tax on personal effects at the border ); 
 Switzerland ( Oman  – MFN customs duties  on cigarettes);  
 Switzerland (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Excise tax on energy drinks and carbonated soft 
drink products, G/MA/W/132) . 
 
15.  At its 2 May  meeting, the Committee took note of an action by the C anadian government to 
unilaterally  eliminate certain most-favoured -nation applied tariffs (G/MA/W/130).  
Note:  The draft report will be completed in light of the discussions that will take p lace at 
the Committee meeting of  22 September 2017.  
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