INF/TE/IDP/W/6  
 
13 May 2022 
(22-3764) Page: 1/2 
 Original: English  
 
INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON PLASTIC S POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE 
PLASTICS TRADE (IDP)  
DRAFT COMMUNICATION TO THE WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANI ZATION (WCO) ON THE WORK OF 
THE IDP IN SUPPORT OF EFFORTS TO ADDRESS PLASTIC S POLLUTION  
The following draft communication, dated 13 May 2022, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegations of Australia, Barbados, China, Ecuador, Fiji and Morocco (IDP Coordinators ).  
 
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1. Formally launched during the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) 2020 "Trade 
and Environment Week", the IDP was born out of the recognition of the need for coordinated action 
to address the rising environmental, health, and economic costs of plastics pollution — amplified by 
the COVID -19 pand emic —and the importance of the trade dimension as a solution. 1  
2. Our dialogue, which is open to all WTO Members, aims to identify opportunities for enhanced 
trade cooperation within the rules and mechanisms of the WTO to support domestic, regional, and 
global efforts to reduce plastics pollution and transition to a more circular and environmentally 
sustainable global plastics economy while avoiding duplication of work. The dialogue is intended to 
complement discussions in the CTE and be part of broader WTO  deliberations to advance shared 
trade and environmental sustainability objectives.  
3. Following substantive discussions  – which included the invaluable contribution from relevant 
stakeholders, notably the WCO Secretariat2, a Ministerial Statement on Plastic Pollution and 
Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade was adopted dated 10 December 2021 
(WT/MIN(21)/8/Rev.2) . Currently supported by 70 co-sponsors, representing roughly 75% of 
plastics trade, the Ministerial Statement express es our shared unde rstandings on the topic and 
charts our work towards concrete, pragmatic, and effective outcomes by the 13th WTO Ministerial 
Conference . 
4. The Ministerial Statement reaffirms our commitment to strengthening the trade dimension of 
efforts to tackle plastics po llution through the  contribution of the  IDP. It lists a series of actions to 
be adopted , including sharing experience on data collection regarding trade flows and supply chains, 
strengthening cooperation with other international regulatory instruments and  processes and 
identifying environmentally sustainable trade policies and mechanisms. The statement stresses the 
need for strengthening technical assistance for vulnerable economies, including least-developing 
countries and small island developing states .  
5. In particular , paragraph 2 of the Ministerial Statement " emphasizes the importance of 
continuing to engage and support actions in other international processes, including … Identifying 
actions needed to improve gathering of data on trade flows and supply c hains, including by utilizing 
the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS Convention) of the World Customs 
Organization or other trade instruments or standards, such as UN/CEFACT, and the flow of 
information about the chemical and material c haracteristics of plastic products traded 
internationally."  
 
1 See the IDP initial communication WT/CTE/W/250/Rev.2.  
2 See the 2021 IDP Factual Report INF/TE/IDP/W/3 . INF/TE/IDP/W/6  
 
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  6. To implement the Ministerial Statement, a plan was adopted for 2022 (INF/TE/IDP/W/5), 
outlining the work to be carried out in four open plenary meetings in 2022 and additional 
intersessional work organized in three Workstreams covering, respectively: Crosscutting issue s; 
Promoting Trade to Tackle Plastic s Pollution; and Circularity and Reduction to Tackle Plastic s 
Pollution.  
7. As a result of our discussions so far, and with a view to continue to buil d on our positive and 
constructive relationship with the WCO, we have reached the following intermediary shared 
understandings:  
• The WTO Secretariat , within the framework of its regular work  and the rules and mechanisms 
of the WTO , should  continue to  closel y cooperate with the  WCO Secretariat and participate, 
as appropriate, in the relevant WCO  meetings  to which it is invited , in particular on  the topic 
of plastic s customs classification and implementation challenges and to share relevant 
insights from IDP work. In this context, the enhanced cooperation with the WCO Secretariat  
could include, inter alia : 
o Further cooperation  on data analytics on green customs and specific cha llenges 
related to plastics identification and implementation of related policy measures.  
o Explore opportunities for enhanced cooperation on relevant technical assistance 
activities . 
o Explore opportunities for joint wor k to further develop technical knowledg e and 
identification of gaps and opportunities to address plastics pollution . 
o Report back on developments of such cooperation relevant for our continued work.  
• Co-sponsors welcome the efforts by the WCO to improve the customs identification of 
plastics flow s, including during the current HS2027 revision process, and encourage the WCO 
and WTO Members to consider adaptations to customs nomenclature to help identify trade 
in different types of plastics that are relevant to support efforts to address plastics po llution . 
• Co-sponsors  stand ready to offer their support , as appropriate and requested, to WCO efforts 
to ensure the better identification and greater transparency of plastics  flows, across their 
life cycle, including flows of plastics embedded in internationally traded goods or associated 
with them (such as plastic packaging) , and waste, parings , and scrap of plastics , as well as 
the implementation of customs -relevant policies aimed to address plastics pollution. Such 
support could include, inter a lia: 
o The organization of joint symposia  or workshops with WCO  and other relevant 
stakeholders  that could support discussions and overcom e challenges related to the 
customs classification and identification of plastics flows (including the HS codes 
revision process) . 
o Collaborate with the WCO and other relevant stakeholders to identify relevant value 
chain actors and Trade -related Plastic Measures (TrPM s) that must be implemented 
by or affect the work of customs officials, as well as related challenges and 
opportunities . 
o Collaborate with the WCO and other relevant stakeholders to identify goods and 
services  customs officials would require to accurately , efficiently  and effectively  
identify plastics . This could include, for instance,  specialized composition labels , 
existing technologies  and machinery or testing materials . 
• Co-sponsors p ledge to continue to develop our collaboration with a view to  identifying  
customs implementation facilitation measures  aimed at ensuring more efficient and effective 
implementation of relevant TrPMs  and, as appropriate, adopting common approaches.  
 
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