. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
G/MA/SPEC/52 
9 October 2012 
 (12-5487) 
Committee on Market Access  
 
 
DRAFT 
 
REPORT (2012) OF THE COMMITTEE ON MARKET ACCESS 
 
 1. Since the last review
1, the Committee on Market Access has held two formal meetings (26 
April and 16 October 2012) and three informal mee tings (19 March, 2 July and 17 September 2012).  
The minutes of the formal meetings are containe d in documents G/MA/M/ 55 and [G/MA/M/56].  In 
addition, two periodic reports giving an overvie w of the issues discussed  in the Committee are 
contained in documents G/MA/284 and [G/MA/285].  
2. At its meeting of 26 April, the Committee took note of the nomination of Mr. Bipin Menon  
(India) as Chairman of the Committee for the current  year and elected him by acclamation.  [At its 
meeting of 16 October, the Committee elected a Vice-Chairperson.]  
A. 
WAIVERS  
3. [At its meeting of 16 October, the Co mmittee approved the extension of the HS2002 
"collective" waiver (G/C/W/672), the HS2007 "c ollective" waiver (G/C/W/673) and the HS2012 
"collective waiver" (G/C/W/674).  The Committee agreed  to forward the draft waiver decisions to the 
Council for Trade in Goods for appropriate action.]  
B. I
NTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 1996  (HS1996)  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF 
 CONCESSIONS  
4. At its meetings in 2012, the Committee took note of the status of the HS1996 transposition 
work undertaken pursuant to the pr ocedures contained in L/6905 and WT /L/756.  [Furthermore, at its 
October meeting, the Comm ittee took note of the report by the Chairman concerning consultations he 
had held with Members who had still to co mplete their HS1996 transposition exercise.]  
 C. I
NTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2002  (HS2002)  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF 
CONCESSIONS  
5. At its meetings in 2012, the Committee t ook note of the status of work concerning the 
introduction of HS2002 changes to schedules of co ncessions using the CTS database (WT/L/605) as 
well as the outcomes of the informal dedicated sessions of the Committee during which the files 
containing the HS2002 changes of Members were examined.   
 
D. INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2007  (HS2007)  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF 
CONCESSIONS  
6. At its meeting in April, the Committee approved on an ad referendum  basis the document 
entitled "Transposition of Members'  CTS Files to the HS2007 Nomenc lature - Notes on Methodology" 
which included a new paragraph proposed by the Secr etariat at the meeting.  The document with the 
                                                      
1 G/L/967, dated 26 October 2011. G/MA/SPEC/52 
Page 2  
 
  new paragraph was considered appr oved and re-issued as G/MA/283 as  no comments were submitted by 
17 May.  [During its informal meeting in July, the Committee held a discuss ion on the subject of 
non-consensus correlated HS2007 lines based on a room doc ument prepared by the Secretariat.  At its 
meeting of October, the Committee took note of the status of work concerning the introduction of HS2007 changes to schedules of conces sions using the CTS database.]  
 
E. D
ECISION ON NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE S FOR QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS  
7. At its April meeting, the Committee approved the draft Decision on Notification Procedures 
for Quantitative Restrictions (G/MA/W/110) and agr eed to forward it to the Council for Trade in 
Goods for adoption2.    [At its informal meeting in July , the Committee took note of the practical 
guide for the preparation of the notification which ha d been prepared by the Secretariat and circulated 
as JOB/MA/101.  At its October meeting, the Committee examined the quantitative restriction 
notifications submitted by three Members. The Comm ittee also took note that additional notifications 
had been notified subsequently and would be examin ed at the next meeting of the Committee.]    
 F. 
DATABASES  
8. At its meetings in 2012, the Secretariat reported on the status of work concerning the 
Integrated Data Base (IDB) and the Consolidat ed Tariff Schedules (CTS) database. The reports 
provided information on inter alia  the use of information in the da tabases, the status of software 
development and technical assistance.  The Committee also took note of the document which reflected the status of submissions to the IDB (G /MA/IDB/2/Rev.35 and G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.36).  
G. 
DERESTRICTION OF THE NEGOTIATING MA TERIAL OF THE DILLON ROUND AND SOME 
 NEGOTIATING MATERIAL OF THE FOUR EARLIER GATT ROUNDS  
9. At its meeting in April, the Committee took  note of the current status of the process to 
derestrict certain bilateral negotiating documentati on relating to earlier GATT rounds of negotiations. 
[At its meeting in October, the Committee examin ed procedures which were being proposed for the 
derestriction of the negotiating material of the D illon Round and some negotiati ng material of the four 
earlier GATT rounds (JOB/MA/102).]   
H. U
KRAINE 'S ARTICLE XXVIII NOTIFICATION  
10. [The Committee took note of the statements ma de under the agenda item relating to Ukraine's 
Article XXVIII notification contained in G/SECRET/34.] 
 
I. OTHER ACTIVITIES  
11. At its meeting in April, the Committee took note of the Secretariat document entitled 
"Situation of Schedules of WTO Members" (G/M A/W/23/Rev.8) which compiled in one place the 
legal instruments relating to each Member's schedul e.  The Committee also took note of statement 
concerning tariff increases on textiles by Turkey.   
 
 The report will be completed in light of the discussions that will take place at the 
Committee meeting on 16 October 2012. 
 
__________ 
 
                                                      
2 The adopted decision was issued in document G/L/59/Rev.1.