G/AG/GEN/138  
 
15 November 2016  
(16-6272) Page: 1/9 
Committee on Agriculture    
 
ARTICLE 18.6 - REVIEW IN THE COMMIT TEE ON AGRICULTURE  
This document presents an overview of the questions raised by Members under Article 18.6 of the 
Agreement on Agriculture. Article 18.6 provides Members with the opportunity to raise any matter 
relevant to the implementation of commitments under the reform programme as set out in the 
Agreement on Agriculture. This document summarizes all the matters raised during the period 
between 1995 and 20161, including information on Members who raised, and responded  to, 
questions, the subject of questions and product coverage of questions. In preparing this report, 
the Secretariat used data extracted from the AG -IMS which includes questions and responses 
provided during the review process of the Committee on Agricult ure.2 
 
This note is divided into two sections:  
 
1. General overview and;  
2. Questions raised in 2016.  
 
1  GENERAL OVERVIEW  
1.1.   In the period between 1995 and  2016, there were a total of 779  questions raised under 
Article  18.6. Chart 1 indicates the number of questions  raised each year, including repeated 
questions from previous meetings for which there had been no response. In the first year of the 
Committee, Members raised nine questions. However in the following years, there was a 
substantial increase in the number o f questions raised. In 2010 there was a decline, with only 
eight questions brought before the Committee. There was also a decline in questions in 2013 when 
only 35 questions were rais ed. In 2016, Members posed 146  questions in the Committee, the 
highest nu mber of questions in one year to date.  
                                                
1 Data on questions to be updated based on November 2016 Committee meeting.  
2 Database available at: http://agims.wto.org/ . G/AG/GEN/138  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Chart 1: Questions by year, 1995 -2016  
93043
28
1422
172527 27
1316242231
83355
3583
71119
020406080100120140
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016NUMBER
 
 
1.2.  The majority of questions relat ed to market access issues (304) , followed by domestic 
support (254) and export competition (188 ). Questions regarding export restrictions const ituted a 
relatively small part, as only 14  were raised. Seven questions were classified jointly as export 
competition and domestic support. In addition seven questions were classified as belonging both to 
the market access and export competition. One issue  was presented as a general statement, and 
was therefore not counted as a question.  
Chart 2: Questions by pillar, 1995 -2016  
 
 
1.3.  The majority of questions in the period of 1995 to 2016 were raised by developed country 
Members. Whi le developing country Members have submitted more than one hundred questions 
since 1995, only eight developing country Members actively participated in submitting these 
questions. The mixed group, signifying various groups of developed and developing count ry 
Members, presented six questions. In terms of responses to questions, the majority of questions 
G/AG/GEN/138  
 
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  were directed at developing economies, while close to 40% of the questions were directed to 
developed countries. Thirteen of the issues were either general q uestions without a specific 
respondent identified or statements for the Membership's information.  
Chart 3 – Participation by Members , 1995 -2016  
664
313
109450
0 3 6 0 013
0100200300400500600700
Question ResponseNUMBERDeveloped Developing LDC Mixed Group No country identified
 
 
1.4.  Chart 4 presents the breakdown of questions raised by Members each year. The dark blue 
represents developed c ountry Members, while light blue indicates the questions asked by 
developing country Members.  
Chart 4 - Questions raised by WTO Members by year  
92738
2414211220 20 2313 1424
11 1582849
3471 67122
33
31
55 7 4
2 111356
112
424
020406080100120140160NUMBER Developed Developing
 
 G/AG/GEN/138  
 
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  1.5.  In some instances questions posed in the context of Article 18.6 focused on specific product 
categories. As se en on Chart 5, over the period 1995 -2016, questions were concentrated on three 
product categories, as identified by the Secretariat: cerea ls, dairy and meat products (171, 16 8 
and 103 questions, respectively). Cotto n and sugar were the focus of 32  and 60 q uestions 
respectively. With respect to the count of specific questions relating to product categories, 
questions posed in the context of the Article 18.6 Review often related to more than one HS 
Chapter, thus the total number of questions reflected in Char t 5 is higher than the total number of 
questions asked over the reporting period.3 
Chart 5 – Questions by product group  
 
 
1.6.  Under the Article 18.6 Review process, multiple questions may be raised on a single issue. 
While tracking issues from one Committee to the next is not always possible, some issues raised in 
Committee meetings are obviously issues that have been raised previously. These issues may be 
repeated because responses had not been provided when the issue was initially raised, or they 
may be old issues that are the subject of new questions. Chart 6 illustrates the number of new and 
repeated issues raised in Committee meetings each year from 1995 to 2016.  
Chart 6 – New and repeated issues, Article 18.6 Review  
3 6 6 1 3 1 4 5 2 3 2 2 5 822 10 7 11 14 1272326
20
1117
121816 19
71318
1116
51713
1223 2051
010203040506070
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Repeated Issues New Issues
 
 
                                                
3 A more detailed description of the HS classification can be found here: http://www.foreign -
trade.com/reference/hscode.htm . 
G/AG/GEN/138  
 
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  2  QUESTIONS  RAISED IN 2016  
2.1.  Members raised a total of 146  questions in 2016.4 Some of these questions related to new 
issues, others were questions on issues that had been pr eviously raised  (See Annex 1). 58 fell 
within the Domestic Support pillar, 42 questions were as signed to the Market Access pillar, 28 to 
the Ex port Competition pillar and three  to the Export Restrictions pillar. Four questions were 
excluded from the graph that pertained both to Domestic Supp ort and Export Competition and 
eleven  questions classified as both Market Access and Export Competition. In 2016 the proportion 
of questions that focused on domestic support was greater than the proportion of domestic support 
questions calculated over the full time -period.  
Chart 7 – Questions by pillar, 2016  
 
 
2.2.  The majority of questions asked in 2016 came from developed countries (See chart 8). 
Developin g country Members raised 24 questions, which is more than in any other year. This 
illustrates that while developing country Members are l ess active than developed country Members 
in posing questions, their participation in the Review process within the Committee has increased 
over time.  
                                                
4 Data on questions to be upda ted based on November 2016 Committee meeting.  
G/AG/GEN/138  
 
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  Chart 8 –Participation  by Members , 2016  
 
 
 
_______________  
 
 
  G/AG/GEN/138  
 
- 7 - ANNEX 1  
ARTICLE  18.6 - REVIEW IN 2016  
Issue  Question by  Number of 
questions  AG-IMS ID numbers  
Costa Rica's compliance with AMS commitments  Canada, European Union, United 
States  31 81012, 80026, 79004, 78005, 77002, 77070, 76052, 75031, 
75059, 74023, 73002, 73037, 72005,  72050, 71030, 70008, 
69028, 69029, 68008, 68022, 67006, 67007, 66003, 66004, 
65002, 65003, 64002, 64003, 63008, 62007, 61004  
India's sugar export subsidies  Australia, Brazil, Colombia, 
European Union, Thailand  22 82024, 81025, 81062, 80011, 80037, 79023,  79047, 78016, 
78017, 77035, 77044, 76016, 76025, 76050, 75028, 74007, 
74055, 73036, 73055, 73067, 73068, 52005, 51001, 50003  
Brazil's domestic support programmes  United States  16 81008, 80024, 79001, 78002, 77066, 76039, 75023, 74021, 
73026, 72051, 71028 , 70007, 69027, 68007, 66002, 65011  
Turkey's destination of wheat flour sale  United States  11 81015, 80029, 79033, 78008, 77071, 76059, 75001, 75037, 
73042, 72057, 71034  
Canada's New Milk Ingredient Class  Australia, India, New Zealand, 
United States  10 82012, 82059, 82013, 82001, 81001, 81009, 81049, 81054, 
81055, 81056, 80003, 80005, 80006, 80025, 79035  
Canada's wine sale policy  Australia, European Union, New 
Zealand, United States  9 82057, 82002, 81003, 81011, 81024, 81046, 81047, 81097, 
80008, 80009, 80094, 80095, 79003  
Turkey's domestic support and export subsidies  Japan, European Union, New 
Zealand  9 80012, 80017, 80048, 79027, 78044, 77047, 75069, 74020, 
73056  
India's importation of apples  Chile, European Union, New 
Zealand, United States  8 82060,  81006, 80014, 79067, 78084, 78085, 78086, 78088  
Sri Lanka's increase in milk powder tariffs  Australia, New Zealand  8 82062, 81007, 81063, 80016, 78001, 78022, 70006, 69002  
European Union's agriculture policies  Australia, India, New Zealand  7 82027, 8202 8, 81005, 81058, 81060, 81061, 80010  
Canada's compositional standard for cheese  Australia, New Zealand  6 81002, 80004, 51003, 50001, 49002, 48010  
Canada's tariff -rate quota for cheese  New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, 
United States  6 81004, 81051, 81052,  80001, 80002, 80007, 77037, 77001, 
76023, 75026  
India's export assistance programmes  United States  4 81013, 80027, 79002, 78007  
India's new crop insurance scheme  Canada, European Union  4 82031,80068, 79024, 79051  
China's maize subsidies  European Union  3 79022, 78015, 77043  
U.S. purchase of cheese stock  Australia, Canada  3 82061, 82025, 81066  
Argentina's tax policies  Ukraine  2 80059, 82041   
  G/AG/GEN/138  
 
- 8 - Issue  Question by  Number of 
questions  AG-IMS ID numbers  
China's regional assistance programmes  Australia  2 81053, 82014  
European Union's dairy policies  Australia, New Zealand  2 79032, 78078  
Japan's MARUKIN Stabilization Programme  European Union  2 79025, 79052  
Moldova's poultry tariffs  United States  2 81014, 80028  
Russian Federation's measures affecting Ukrainian transit of agricultural 
products to Kazakhstan  Ukraine  2 80065, 79084  
Thailand's export of rice from government stocks  European Union  2 81031, 80045  
Turkey's domestic support policies  Canada  2 82056, 81064  
Turkey's fruit and vegetable export subsidies  European Union  2 80056, 79031  
Turkey's rice support  European Union  2 80052, 79029  
Turkey's subsidies aimed at incentivising the use of domestic dairy  New Zealand  2 82067, 81065  
Turkey's support scheme to certain agricultural sectors  European Union  2 80049, 79026  
U.S. New Cotton Ginning Cost Share programme  Brazil, India  2 81069, 80096  
U.S. Price Loss Coverage and Agriculture Risk Coverage programmes  India 2 82026, 81070,  
U.S. soybean programmes  Brazil  2 81098, 79095  
Zambia's public stocks and exports of maize  European Union  2 82030, 81033,  
Argentina's commodity and grain export policy  European Union  1 80031  
Argentina's support for dairy producers  European Union  1 80032  
Australia's Biosecurity Act of 2015  India 1 81045  
Australia's Farm Insurance Advice Scheme  India 1 79085  
Brazil's soft loans to suga r cane growers for cane planting  European Union  1 80033  
Canada's Growing Forward policy framework  India 1 81047  
Canada's Market price support for dairy products  New Zealand  1 82058  
Canada's STE notification on dairy products  New Zealand, United States  1 81010, 81096  
Canada's support for the ornamental horticulture industry  India 1 81048  
China's Agriculture Policy  Canada  1 79030  
China's decision to end corn floor price  European Union  1 80036  
China's environmental programmes  Australia  1 81050  
EU inter vention programmes  Australia  1 82023   
  G/AG/GEN/138  
 
- 9 - Issue  Question by  Number of 
questions  AG-IMS ID numbers  
European Union's export subsidies  Japan  1 80013  
France's amendment No. 367 to the proposed law on biodiversity  Indonesia  1 79066  
Greek coffee tax  Viet Nam  1 82003  
India's export restriction on sugar  European Union  1 82033  
India's export subsidies for onions  European Union  1 82032  
India's minimum support price for Kharif crops  United States  1 82005  
Japan's Act on price adjustment of sugar and starch  European Union  1 80042  
Malaysia's Table ES:2 notification  Europea n Union  1 81027  
Pakistan's export subsidy for sugar exports  European Union  1 81028  
Pakistan's increase on import duties on milk powder including whey  European Union  1 81030  
Peru's price band system  Brazil  1 79094  
Statement by the European Union on cons ultations under Article  5.7 European Union  1 79034  
Tanzania’s restriction on sugar imports  Thailand  1 81021  
Thailand's rice policies  United States  1 79005  
U.S. Farm Support Programmes  India 1 79086  
U.S. Global Food Security Act  India 1 81067  
U.S. incr ease in sugar TRQ  India 1 81068  
Viet Nam's increase of excise duties for wine and spirits  European Union  1 81032  
 
 
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