. /.  RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/REG161/M/2 
7 February 2006 
 
 (06-0504) 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements 
Forty-First Session Original:  English 
 
 
 
EXAMINATION OF THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN  
THE UNITED STATES AND SINGAPORE, GOODS AND SERVICES 
 
Note on the Meeting of 24 January 2006  
 
Chairman:  Mr. A. Egger (Switzerland) 
 
1. The meeting was convened in document WTO/AIR/2734. 
2. Under Agenda Item C.XI of its 41st Session, the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements 
(hereinafter CRTA or the Committee) took up the second round of examination of the Free Trade 
Agreement between the United States a nd Singapore, Goods and Services. 
3. The Chairman  noted that the proceedings of the first round of examination of both the Goods 
and Services Aspects of this Agreement, which took place in the 39th Session of the Committee in 
February 2005, could be found in document WT/REG 161/M/1.  Since then, the Parties had provided 
replies to questions put by delegations which had been circulated in document WT/REG161/5. 
4. The following items were discussed: 
 A. Item C.XI-A – Goods Aspects 
 B. Item  C.XI-B – Services Aspects  A. G
OODS ASPECTS  
5. Given that the Committee had already had a round of discussion under each of the headings 
of the Standard Format, document WT/REG161/3, the Chairman  proposed to open the floor for 
comments and questions by broad Section. 
6. Under Section I ("Background Informa tion"), the representative of Turkey  asked what were 
the current coverage rates for i ndustrial goods and agricultural products  both for imports into the US 
and imports into Singapore.  The representative of the United States  cast doubt on the relevance of 
this request, given that Singapore did not export agri cultural goods and said that she did not have data 
broken out for agricultural and industrial goods; sh e was however able to inform that duty-free 
coverage for the United States was 98 per cent of tari ff lines and 100 per cent for trade flows, and that 
for Singapore, it was 100 per cent both in terms of tariff lines and trade flows. 
7. Under Section II ("Trade Related Provisions"), the representative of Australia  asked if the fill 
rates for the preferential tariff-rate quotas remained zero, as the Parties had answered to a question 
posed at the previous meeting.  The representative of the United States  said that she understood that 
there had been no changes since 2004 but would respond in writing. 
 WT/REG161/M/2 
Page 2  
 
  8. The representative of th e European Communities
 noted that according to the Annex to the 
Agreement (Integrating Sourcing Initiative), direct sh ipment, rather than preferential rules of origin, 
was the only requirement to acquire "originating"  status under the FTA.  He asked whether that 
implied that any product coming from a third count ry entering the United States via Singapore would 
be granted preferential access.  He also requested the Parties to explain and to give a concrete 
example of what was their view on the "specific" relationship between the commercial availability of 
imports in the United States and the concept of origin applied to textiles produced in the FTA 
partners.  The representative of the United States  said that they would respond in writing to these 
questions. 
9. Under Section IV ("Other"), the repr esentative of the European Communities  noted that the 
Agreement did not include a specific section for ge ographical indications (GIs), unlike the TRIPs 
Agreement, but only referred to GIs protected thr ough trade marks.  He asked whether the Agreement 
prevented or limited in any way the rights of  the Parties for establishing or maintaining a sui generis  
system of GIs protection, and if the Parties actually provided for the co-existence of geographical indications and trade marks in certain cases.  He ad ded that his delegation w ould put this question in 
writing, to which the representative of the United States
 replied that they would answer in the same 
way. 
10. The Chairman  said that this round of examination of the goods aspects of the Free Trade 
Agreement between the United States and Singapore had allowed the Committee to clarify certain 
points though others remained.  He requested delega tions wishing to ask questions to forward them to 
the Secretariat by 17 February, and the Parties to s ubmit replies in writing by not later than 10 March.  
The Committee could consider the factual examin ation as complete.  Once the replies had been 
circulated to Members, any request for additional information could be dealt with without holding 
another round of formal examination and the Secr etariat could begin drafting the examination report 
for this Agreement.  It was so agreed . 
11. The Committee took note  of the comments made. 
B. SERVICES ASPECTS  
12. Given that the Committee had already had a round of discussion under each of the headings 
of the Standard Format, document WT/REG161/4, the Chairman  proposed to open the floor for 
comments and questions by broad Section. 
13. The Chairman  observed that the Committee seemed to have exhausted the factual inquiry and 
proposed that the Secretariat begin drafting the re port for this examination.  It was so agreed . 
14. The Committee took note  of the comments made. 
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