WT/COMTD/W/194  
 
21 February 2013  
(13-0939)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Trade and Development  Original: English  
 
 BETTER UTILIZATION OF THE MARKET ACCESS PROVIDED  
TO LDCS UNDER DUTY-FREE AND QUOTA-FREE 
COMMUNICATION FROM NEPAL, ON BEHALF OF THE LDC GROUP 
The following communication, dated 20 February 2013, is being circulated at the request 
of the delegation of Nepal, on behalf of the LDC Group. 
 
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1.  WTO Members recognize that integration of least-developed countries (LDCs) into the 
multilateral trading system requires meaningful and effective market access. At the Hong Kong 
Ministerial Conference in 2005, WTO Members agre ed to the duty-free and quota-free (DFQF) 
Decision, which could facilitate increased participation of LDCs in world trade. Given their narrow export base, and limited number of export produc ts, the LDCs have consistently called upon 
Members to implement the DFQF Decision in a wa y which will provide enhanced benefits through 
commercially meaningful market access to all LDCs  and will contribute to the expansion of LDC 
exports so as to allow them to use trade as a development tool. 
2.  The DFQF Decision of 2005 specifies that Members shall notify the implementation of the 
schemes adopted under this Decision annually to the Committee on Trade and Development 
(CTD). The CTD shall also annually review the steps taken to provide LDCs with DFQF market access and report to the General Council for appropriate action. Subsequent to the Hong Kong 
Ministerial Conference, the CTD agreed to make the review of DFQF market access for LDCs a 
standing agenda item. Since the launch of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), concrete progress has been made in providing DFQF market access to LDC products.  Today, most of WTO 
developed Members provide either full or nearly full DFQF market access to LDC products and thus 
meet the Hong Kong DFQF Decision.  In addition , a number of key developing country partners of 
LDCs grant a significant degree of DFQF market access to LDC products; some of them already 
met the target set for developed Members, despite enjoying flexibility in coverage and in phasing-
in DFQF commitments. The LDC Group takes this opportunity to gratefully acknowledge, once again, both developed and developing country Members for their generous schemes. 
3.  Seven years have elapsed since the adoption of the DFQF Decision. The Istanbul Programme of 
Action for the LDCs for the Decade 2011-2020 adopted at the Fourth United Nations Conference on 
LDCs noted that full realization of the Hong Kong  DFQF Decision has not been achieved and called 
for timely implementation of the Decision.  At MC-8, Ministers have urged for full implementation 
of the DFQF Decision.   
4.  Not all developed Members have met the requirements of the DFQF Decision. Most of WTO 
Members that have granted DFQF access in line with the Hong Kong DFQF Decision have done so, 
without waiting for the conclusion of the DDA.  The LDC Group commends their commitment to 
help LDCs enhance trade.   
5.  Full and complete information is not available on implementation of DFQF market access. This 
information is important as it would assist the LDCs in their policy decisions geared towards 
playing a more meaningful role in the multilateral trading system, including in identifying 
necessary supply-side support. Time is of essence if the DFQF Decision is to bring any tangible WT/COMTD/W/194 
 
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  benefits to the LDCs, in view of increased  competition and to some extent the erosion of 
preferences. This is why the LDC Group requests  developed country Members as well as those 
developing Member countries declaring themselves in a position to do so,  that have not already done so, to submit information on the latest line-by-line tariff treatment to LDC products at the 
next meeting of the CTD, including their plans for implementing the DFQF Decision. 
6.  The LDC Group looks forward to receiving this information. 
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