WT/TPR/440  
 
21 November 2019  
(19-7950) Page: 1/6 
Trade Policy Review Body   
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM  
REPORT OF THE TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY F OR 201 9 
Chairperson: H.E. Ambassador  Manuel A.J. Teehankee  (Philippines ) 
1. This Report by the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) provides a brief asse ssment of its 
activities in 201 9. The annexed tables provide information on Members reviewed up to the end of 
2019, the geographical coverage of the reviews conducted to date, the programme of reviews for 
2020, and candidates for review in 20 21. 
Activities of the TPRB  
2. By the end of 201 9, the TPRB will have conducted 501 reviews since its inception in 1989 (up 
from 4 85 in 201 8) that took place  at a total of 389 review meetings (Annex I) , and cover ing 157 out 
of 164  Members.1 A total of 16 Members have been reviewed in 201 9 taking place at 12  review 
meetings (Annex  II). The 2019 programme included the reviews of six LDCs. Almost half  (7 out 
of 16) of the reviewed Members opted for the alternative timeline for the Q&A process.  2019 also 
marks the 30th anniversary of the Trade Policy Review Mechanism.2 
3. During the year, t he review process, from start to finish, ran smoothly. The Secretariat reports 
continue to be prepared in close consultation with the authorities of the Members under review , and 
are always delivered on time . Responses to requests for data, documentation and information have 
generally been provided w ithin the suggested deadlines. In preparing its reports, the Secretariat 
continue s its efforts to reduce the burden on Members under review by using, to the extent possible, 
other sources of documentation, including Members' official websites or other cred ible sources. 
Essential elements to the process are the responses by the authorities to draft reports , and visits to 
capitals by teams from the Secretariat.  
4. There were a few adjustments to the programme of reviews during the course of the year. 
Efforts co ntinue to be made to space TPRB meetings as evenly as possible throughout the year and , 
to the extent possible , to avoid clashes with other meetings at the WTO so as to reduce pressure on 
Members.  
5. According to the Amendment of Annex 3, the new cycle of re views was implemented as of 
2019.  The programme for 20 20 comprises 15 meetings , covering 19 Members (Annex  III). Annex  IV 
provides the list of Members that can be considered as candidates for review in 20 21.  
Coverage of LDCs  and follow -up to TPRB meetings  
6. TPRs of LDCs have been beneficial to them in terms of improving their understanding of , and 
encouraging their compliance with , WTO agreements . This thus helps them to further integrat e into 
the multilateral trading system. O f the 36 least -developed Members of the WTO, 33 will have been 
                                                
1 Members not yet reviewed by end -2019 are: Afghanistan; Cuba ( to be reviewed in 2021) ; 
Kazakhstan;  Liberia; Seychelles; Tajikistan (to be reviewed in 2020) ; and Yemen  (to be reviewed in 2021) . 
2 The WTO Secretariat is organizing a public Conference on 27 November 2019 to mark the 
30th anniversary of the TPRM.  WT/TPR/440  
 
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  reviewed by the end of 2019. The first TPR of the Lao People's Democratic Republic was held in 
November 2019. 
7. At the request of the Member concerned, the Secretariat organizes follow -up worksho ps to 
discuss the outcome of its TPR with domestic stakeholders . In addition to disseminating the 
results/outcomes of the Review, the Secretariat also works closely with the Member u nder review to 
plan a workshop which  reflect s its priorities and technical assistance needs, bas ed on the TPR report 
and the discussions at the TPRB  meeting . In 201 9, five national follow -up workshops , for Cambodia,  
Côte d'Ivoire , Ecuador,  Mexico, and Vanuatu  were conducted.   
Monitoring of trade and trade -related measures  
8. The TPRM  requires Members, in between their reviews, to provide information on significant 
trade policy changes. The Secretariat uses this and other information to prepare, on a regular basis, 
reports on the trade and trade -related developments of Members and Obse rver Governments. The 
information  is consolidated and presented in the Director -General's Overview of Developments in 
the International Trading Environment, as called for by paragraph G of Annex 3 of the Marrakesh 
Agreement. Cooperation and interest from M embers in the trade monitoring exercise remain very 
positive, as noted during the discussions for the Sixth Appraisal of the TPRM and in the regular 
meetings of the TPRB on trade monitoring. The Secretariat continues to reach out to all delegations 
with a view to improve the participation of all Members and Observers.  
9. The latest trade monitoring report covered measures taken during the period from 
mid-October 2018 to mid -May 2019.3 It provided information on the latest trends and dev elopments 
with respect to trade -restrictive measures as well as those facilitating trade. The report provided 
evidence that trade tensions continued, adding to the uncertainty surrounding international trade 
and the world economy. It revealed that , while f ewer measures were introduced during the review 
period , their scale rose significantly. The trade covered by the import -restrictive measures recorded 
by the latest report was estimated at USD 339.5  billion  and was the second -highest figure on record, 
after the USD 588.3 billion reported in the previous period.  Together , these two periods represented 
a dramatic spike in the trade coverage of import -restrictive measures. Most of the measures 
introduced over the previous period remained  in place,  and several s ignificant trade -restrictive 
measures, which fell outside of the review period, remained under consultation for potential later 
implementation. The report highlighted the continuing challenges in global trade. It called on WTO 
Members to follow through on their commitments to trade and to the rules -based international 
trading system. The report indicated that it is critical for WTO Members to work together to ease 
trade tensions and to improve and strengthen the WTO.  
 
10. The Director -General's 2019 Overview of  Developments in the International Trading 
Environment is scheduled to be discussed by the TPRB on 12 December 2019.   
 
                                                
3 An informal  meeting of the TPRB was held on 22 July 201 9 to discuss the trade monitoring report 
contained in document WT/TPR/OV/W/ 13. WT/TPR/440  
 
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  ANNEX I   
TRADE POLICY REVIEWS   
WTO Members reviewed, 1989 -2019 
Europe/Middle East  Asia/Pacific  Africa  America  
Albania (2)  Australia (7)  Angolaa (2) Antigua and Barbuda2 (3) 
Armenia (2)  Bangladesha (5) Benina, 2 (4) Argentina (4) 
Austria1 Brunei Darussalam (3) Botswana2 (4) Barbados (3)  
Bahrain, Kingdom of2 (3) Cambodiaa (2) Burkina Fasoa, 2 (4) Belize (3)  
Bulgaria1 China (7 ) Burundia, 2 (3) Bolivia, Plurinational  
State of (4)  
Croatia1 Fiji (3) Cabo Verde  (1) Brazil (7)  
Cyprus1 Hong Kong, China (8 ) Cameroon2 (4) Canada (1 1) 
Czech Republic1 (2) India (6)  Central African Republica, 2(2) Chile (5)  
European Union (13)  Indonesia (6)  Chada, 2 (2) Colombia (5)  
Finland1 Japan (13)  Congo, Dem ocratic  Republic 
of thea (2)  Costa Rica ( 5) 
Georgia (2)  Korea, Rep ublic of (7)  Congo, Rep ublic of 2 (2) Dominica2 (3) 
Hungary1 (2) Kyrgyz Republic (2)  Côte d'Ivoire (3)  Dominican Republic (4)  
Iceland (5)  Lao People's Democratic 
Republica (1) Djiboutia, 2 (2) Ecuador ( 3) 
Israel (5 ) Macao, China (4)  Egypt (4 ) El Salvador (4)  
Jordan (2) Malaysia (7 ) Eswatini2 (4) Grenada2 (3) 
Kuwait, the State of  (1) Maldives (3)  Gabon2 (3) Guatemala (3)  
Liechtenstein2 (5) Mongolia (2)  The Gambiaa (3) Guyana (3)  
Moldova, Rep ublic of (1) Myanmara (1) Ghana (4) Haitia (2) 
Montenegro (1)  Nepala (2) Guinea, Republic ofa (4) Honduras (3)  
North  Macedonia,  
Republic of (2)  New Zealand (5)  Guinea -Bissaua (2) Jamaica (4)  
Norway (7 ) Pakistan (4)  Kenya2 (5) Mexico (6)  
Oman2 (2) Papua New Guinea ( 3) Lesothoa, 2 (4) Nicaragua (3)  
Poland1 (2) Philippines (5 ) Madagascara (3) Panama (2)  
Qatar2 (2) Samoa (1)  Malawia (3) Peru ( 5) 
Romania1 (3) Singapore (7) Malia, 2 (4) St. Kitts and Nevis2 (3) 
Russian Federation (1) Solomon Islandsa (3) Mauritaniaa (3) 
St. Lucia2 (3) 
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of (2) Sri Lanka (4)  Mauritius2 (4) St. Vincent & Grenadines2 (3) 
Slovak Republic1 (2) Chinese Taipei (4 ) Morocco (5)
 Suriname ( 3) 
Slovenia1 Thailand (7)  Mozambiquea (3) Trinidad and Tobago ( 4) 
Sweden1 (2) Tonga (1)  Namibia2 (4) United States of America (14 ) 
Switzerland2 (7) Vanuatua (1) Nigera, 2 (3) Uruguay (5 ) 
Turkey (6)  Viet Nam (1)  Nigeria (5)  Venezuela, Bolivarian 
Republic of (2)  
Ukraine (1)   Rwandaa (3)  
United Arab Emirates (3)   Senegala, 2 (4)  
  Sierra Leonea (2)   
  South Africa2 (5)  
  Tanzaniaa, 2 (4)  
  Togoa (4)  
  Tunisia (3)   
  Ugandaa, 2 (5)  
  Zambiaa (4)  
  Zimbabwe (2)   
    
50 Members ( 93 reviews)  32 Members ( 135 reviews)  42 Members ( 134 reviews)  33 Members (13 9 reviews)  
The parentheses indicate t he number of reviews completed .  
a Least -developed Member.  
1 Now included in the European Union (EU -28). 
2 Joint review , but counted as individual Members for statistical purposes from 2009.  
Reviews conducted at end -2019  = 501 reviews at 389 TPRB meetings . 
WTO Members reviewed   = 157 out of 164 .  
Least-developed WTO Me mbers reviewed  = 33 out of 36 . WT/TPR/440  
 
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  ANNEX II  
Trade policy reviews conducte d in 201 9 
Member  Meeting date  Review cycle (years)  
Ecuadora (3) 5 and 7 March   7 
East African Community (EAC) – 
Burundib (3), Kenya  (5), Rwandab (3), 
Tanzaniab (4), and Ugandab (5) 20 and 22 March  7 
Bangladesha,b (5) 3 and 5 April  7 
Samoaa (1) 10 and 12 April  7 
Papua New Guinea  (3) 8 and 10 May  7 
Trinidad and Tobagoa (4) 22 and 24 May 7 
Canadaa (11) 12 and 14 June  5 
North Macedonia, Republic of  (2) 15 and 17 July 7 
Suriname  (3) 11 and 13 September  7 
Costa Ricaa (5) 18 and 20 September  7 
Perua (5) 22 and 24 October  7 
Lao People's Democratic Republicb (1) 18 and 20 November  7 
Note:  Figures in parentheses indicate the total number of reviews that will have been conducted by the 
end of 201 9. 
a Alternative timeline.  
b Least -developed Member . 
 
 
Total Members reviewed  in 2019 : 16 
Total LDCs: 6 
 
Europe/Middle East  Asia/Pacific  Africa  America  
North Macedonia  Bangladesha Burundia Canada  
 Lao PDRa  Kenya  Costa Rica  
 Papua New Guinea  Rwandaa Ecuador  
 Samoa  Tanzaniaa Peru 
  Ugandaa Suriname  
   Trinidad and Tobago  
a Least -developed Member . WT/TPR/440  
 
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  ANNEX III 
Programme of reviews for 20 20 
Member  Meeting dates 
(scheduled)  Review cycle 
(years)  
European Uniona 18 and 20 February  3 
Australiaa 11 and 13 March  5 
Japana 18 and 20 March  3 
Zimbabwe  25 and 27 March  7 
Tajikistan  22 and 24 April  7 
Macao, Chinaa 1 and 3 July  7 
Indiaa 15 and 17 September  5 
Nicaragua  22 and 24 September  7 
Myanmarb 12 and 14 October  7 
Thailanda 19 and 21 October  5 
CEMAC (Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Central 
African Rep ublicb, Chadb) 27 and 29 October  7 
Indonesia  2 and 4 November  7 
Kyrgyz Republic  9 and 11 November  7 
Argentinaa 1 and 3 December  7 
Viet Nama 9 and 11 December  5 
a Alternative timeline.  
b Least -developed Member . 
 
Total Members to be reviewed  in 2020 : 19 
Total LDCs:  3 
 
Europe/Middle East  Asia/Pacific  Africa  America  
European Union  Australia  Cameroon  Argentina  
 India Congo  Nicaragua  
 Indonesia  Gabon   
 Japan  Central African Republica  
 Kyrgyz Republic  Chada  
 Macao, China  Zimbabwe   
 Myanmara   
 Tajikistan    
 Thailand    
 Viet Nam    
a  Least -developed Member . WT/TPR/440  
 
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  ANNEX IV  
Members to be reviewed in 20 21 
(Due date in parentheses)  
Member  
Antigua and Barbuda  
Bahrain , Kingdom of  
China  
Cuba (2001)  
Djiboutia 
Dominica  
Ghana  
Grenada  
Korea, Republic of  
Kuwait , the State of  (2018) 
Mauritius  
Mongolia  
Oman  
Panama  
Qatar  
Russian Federation  
St Kitts and Nevis  
St Lucia  
St Vincent and Grenadines  
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of  
Singapore  
Tonga  
United Arab Emirates    
United States  
Venezuela, Bolivarian Rep ublic of (2008) 
Yemena 
a Least -developed  Member . 
 
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