G/L/1386/Add.4  
 
31 May 2023 
(23-3688) Page: 1/1 
Council for Trade in Goods  Original: English  
 
ARTICLE  XXVIII:5 NEGOTIATIONS  
UNITED KINGDOM'S WITHDRAWAL FROM  THE EUROPEAN UNION  
Communication from the United Kingdom  
Addendum  
The following communication, dated 30 May 2023, is being circulated at the request of the  
Delegation of the United Kingdom.  
 
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On 24  July 2018 the United Kingdom's (UK) draft Schedule of concessions and commitments on 
goods was circulated for certification in document  G/MA/TAR/RS/570 under the Procedures for 
Modification and Re ctification of Schedules of Tariff Concessions. Subsequent addenda to that 
schedule were circulated in documents  G/MA/TAR/RS/570/Add.1, G/MA/TAR/RS/570/Add.2 and 
G/MA/TAR/RS/570/Add.3 (together Schedule  XIX-United Kingdom). In document  G/SECRET/44, the 
UK notified WTO  Members that it would enter into negotiations and consultations with the 
appropriate WTO  Members pursuant to Article  XXVIII of the GATT  1994 ("Modification of Schedules") 
with respect to its obligations concerning tariff rate quotas (TRQs).  
 
In connection with these ongoing negotiations and consultations under Article  XXVIII of GATT  1994, 
the UK refers to WTO  document  WT/GC/226. That communication highlighted that the UK remained 
fully committed to successfully conducting negotiations and consu ltations. Furthermore, that 
communication recognized the practical mechanisms available to WTO  Members to extend the 
timelines envisaged under Article  XXVIII:3 of GATT  1994, should that prove necessary. Members 
will be aware that pursuant to those mechanis ms, and as set out in communication  G/L/1386/Add.3, 
the timelines envisaged under Article  XXVIII:3 have already been extended on four  different 
occasions, the most recent of which extended negotiations until 1  July 2023.  
 
Ahead of this date, the UK would like to inform Members that it will extend the time -period set forth 
in Article  XXVIII:3 by a further six  months, i.e. until 1  January  2024, without prejudice to the 
question of whether there are any rights to withdraw concessions pursuant to Article  XXVIII:3(a) 
and (b). The UK therefore wishes to inform the Membership that the UK will not assert that the 
WTO Members who submitted a valid claim in this process are precluded from withdrawing 
substantially equivalent concessions under Article  XXVIII:3 o f GATT  1994 because this withdrawal 
occurs later than six  months after the UK's modification of its concessions, which occurred on 
1 January  2021, provided that the WTO  Member in question withdraws concessions no later than 
36 months after the UK's modific ation of concessions. The extended time -period will enable the UK 
and those Members that have signalled their satisfaction with the outcome of negotiations to finalise 
relevant administrative procedures under this process.  
 
The UK will further update Membe rs following the conclusion of relevant administrative procedures 
under Article  XXVIII of GATT  1994. The UK proposes that the WTO  Council for Trade in Goods takes 
note of this communication and of the extension of the deadline at its next meeting, as indic ated in 
this communication, until 1  January  2024.  
 
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