WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/MA/W/46/Add.10/Rev.1 
5 July 2005 
 (05-2789) 
Negotiating Group on Market Access 
  
 
 
 
NON -TARIFF BARRIER NOTIFICATIONS  
 
Revision  
 
  
 
I.
 KOREA.......................................................................................................................... ..........  2  
 
  
 TN/MA/W/46/Add.10/Rev.1 
Page 2  
I. KOREA 
 The attached list is indicative and by no means represents a complete list of the NTBS  affecting our exporters. We reserve the  right to raise additional 
issues or submit further items in the course of negotiations.  
Maintaining 
Participant 
 
1 Products affected by 
the barrier 
 
2 Nature of the barrier 
 
 
3 Trade effects of the 
barrier 
 
4 Inventory category 
 
 
5 Relevant WTO 
Provisions 
 
6 Treatment 
of the 
barrier 
7 
 Majority of products 
such as textile and textile products, 
alcohol beverages, 
lubricants, hand-tools Excessively strict import 
licensing system to protect domestic industries
 - Excessive requirements for 
qualification as an importer  - Ambiguous standards for import licensing - The government or other designated agencies have an 
exclusive right over the whole 
imports or imports of certain products.  Additional time and 
expenses Potentially unfair 
competition Part II - H 
Import licensing Agreement on import 
licensing procedures d) 
 Majority of products Requirement for confirmation on 
the state of the export product by importing country's consular service in the exporting country  Additional time and 
expenses Part II - D 
Consular formalities and documentation GATT Article VIII  b) 
 Textiles, footwears A special Certificate of Origin is 
required in addition to the general one  Additional time and 
expenses Part II - F 
Rules of origin GATT Article VIIII
Agreement on Rules of Origin d) 
 Automobiles  Unduly high cost for tests for 
imported automobiles of small quantities (under 2,000 units per 
annum) Excessive costs Part III - C 
Testing and certification 
arrangements Agreement on TBT d)  
  TN/MA/W/46/Add.10/Rev.1
 Page 3Maintaining 
Participant 
 
1 Products affected by 
the barrier 
 
2 Nature of the barrier 
 
 
3 Trade effects of the 
barrier 
 
4 Inventory category 
 
 
5 Relevant WTO 
Provisions 
 
6 Treatment 
of the 
barrier 
7 
 Cosmetics Unduly high costs, delay for 
trademark inspection - Even in cases where trademark 
inspection can be conducted with 
documents submitted for the sanitary test, the same documents should be handed in for trademark inspection. Additional time and 
expenses Delay in market access Part III - C 
Testing and certification 
arrangements Agreement on TBT d) 
 Food containers 
made from polyethylene and 
polypropylene Membership in a relevant 
association is required to receive the sanitary certification, and the 
membership fees are expensive. Additional time and 
expenses Market access prevention 
effect Part III - C 
Testing and certification 
arrangements Agreement on TBT d) 
 Food products Requirement for packaging in the 
local language of the importing 
country on imported food products   Additional time and 
expenses Part V-K 
Requirements 
concerning marking, labelling and packaging Agreement on TBT d) 
 Textiles Mandatory requirement for 
indication of origin on both sides of textiles which are over  30 meters in length Additional time and 
expenses Part V-
KRequirements concerning marking, labelling and packaging Agreement on TBT d) 
 Chemicals Risk assessment requires 
materials to be registered, 
assessed, approved by type and 
amount. In addition, companies are required to submit information on the materials.(This has not been introduced yet) The risk assessment 
requirements incur high 
costs. 
Trade restrictive effect Part III - B 
Technical 
regulations and 
standards Agreement on TBT d)  
 TN/MA/W/46/Add.10/Rev.1 
Page 4 Maintaining 
Participant 
 
1 Products affected by 
the barrier 
 
2 Nature of the barrier 
 
 
3 Trade effects of the 
barrier 
 
4 Inventory category 
 
 
5 Relevant WTO 
Provisions 
 
6 Treatment 
of the 
barrier 
7 
 Fish Due to prohibition of special 
vehicles such as a live fish carrier as a result of the vehicles' 
technical requirements, products 
should be transhipped into other vehicles after customs clearance.  Additional time and 
expenses Part III - B 
Technical regulations and 
standards Agreement on TBT d) 
 Automobiles and 
parts Government support for auto 
industry  - Reduction of tariffs for manufacturers that have local production facilities when 
importing cars and parts thereof 
 - Tariff rebates in direct proportion to the amount of locally produced parts Unfair competition Part I - D 
Restrictive practices tolerated by governments TRIMs d) or a) 
 Majority of products Complex, unclear and 
inconsistent customs procedures - Ambiguous regulation on customs procedures, frequent 
amendment of rules and lack of 
prior notice of the amendment Unpredictability in trade Part II - G 
Customs formalities GATT Article VIII
GATT Article X b) 
 Majority of products Levying excessive fines in case 
of discovering errors in 
documentation for customs procedures (maximum around $20,000) Trade restrictive effect Part II - G 
Customs 
formalities GATT Article VIII b) 
 Majority of products Discriminatory, and excessive 
Merchandise Processing Fee and Harbour Maintenance Fee Unduly high cost   Part VI - B  
Surcharges,  port taxes, statistical taxes, etc. GATT Article VIII b)  
  TN/MA/W/46/Add.10/Rev.1
 Page 5Maintaining 
Participant 
 
1 Products affected by 
the barrier 
 
2 Nature of the barrier 
 
 
3 Trade effects of the 
barrier 
 
4 Inventory category 
 
 
5 Relevant WTO 
Provisions 
 
6 Treatment 
of the 
barrier 
7 
 Automobiles, used 
tires Prohibitions or restrictions on the 
importation and sale of used automobiles, and parts - 
Importation of automobiles is not 
allowed in case of no local production facilities. - Discriminatory restrictions on importation of the used cars and 
re-manufactured tires - 
Requirement for completion of customs clearance in the year of importation Market access 
preventionAdditional time and expenses Part V - 
BEmbargoes and other restrictions 
of similar effect GATT Article XI  a) 
 Majority of products Unreasonable customs valuation 
and arbitrary enforcement of the system, e.g. minimum import price system 
 - The certificate of price is 
required when the price of importing products is at or below an official price. - Customs deposit required with the amount of difference between 
the official quotation price and 
the actual import price if the actual import price is lower than the official quotation price. Additional time and 
expenses Part II - B 
Customs Valuation Part II - G 
Customs 
Formalities Agreement on 
implementation of Article VII of the GATT 1994 
GATT Article VIII d) or a) 
 Wood products Export ban and restrictions,
Export duties Restrictions to trade, and 
distortion of competition Part V - G 
Export restraints Part V - J Export taxes GATT Article XI, XX,  a)  
 TN/MA/W/46/Add.10/Rev.1 
Page 6 Maintaining 
Participant 
 
1 Products affected by 
the barrier 
 
2 Nature of the barrier 
 
 
3 Trade effects of the 
barrier 
 
4 Inventory category 
 
 
5 Relevant WTO 
Provisions 
 
6 Treatment 
of the 
barrier 
7 
 Automobiles Customs clearance only at 
designated ports - Some members require 
assembled auto and auto parts to 
clear customs only at designated ports Additional time and 
expenses Part I - D 
Restrictive practices tolerated 
by governments GATT Article V b) 
 Information 
technology products Inappropriateness and unstable 
customs classification, e.g. arbitrarily classifying converged IT products into dutiable categories Additional expenses and 
unpredictability of trade Part II - C 
Customs classification GATT Article X b) or a) 
 Majority of products  Multiple customs inspections - 
Imported goods are cleared by the federal customs office at the 
arrival port and then shipped to 
importers' warehouse. However, the state customs office checks the warehouse for an on-site inspection redundantly. Multiple customs 
inspections cause a delay in customs 
clearance.Unexpected 
delays make it impossible to maintain the optimal level of inventory, incurring additional costs  Part II - 
GCustoms formalities GATT Article VIII b) or a) 
 Telecommunication 
products, electrical and electronics 
products Excessively strict safety standard 
certification  - Mandatory certification for 
every shipment of import 
products/ models - All products must be checked whether the number of products is the same as reported.
 -  Labelling (attaching safety 
label) is allowed only in importing countries which issue safety label. An additional month for 
imports to reach consumers. 
Additional costs Part V - K 
Requirements concerning 
marking, labelling 
and packaging Agreement on TBT d) or a) 
 
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