WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/868 
11 November 2008 
 (08-5447) 
  
 
 
REPORT (2008) OF THE COMMITTEE ON IMPORT LICENSING 
TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS 
 
 
1. The Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures (hereinafter "the Agreement") which entered  
into force on 1 January 1995, establishes disciplines on users of import licensing systems with the 
principal objective of ensuring that the procedur es applied for granting import licences do not in 
themselves restrict trade.  It aims to simplify, clarify and minimize the administrative requirements necessary to obtain import licences. 
2. The Committee on Import Licensing was established to afford Members the opportunity of 
consulting on any matters relati ng to the operation of the Agreement or the furtherance of its 
objectives.  The Committee's Rules of Procedure, which were approved by the Council for Trade in 
Goods, are contained in document G/L/147.  
3. All Members of the WTO are ipso facto  members of the Committee.  Observer governments 
in the General Council of the WTO have Observe r status in the Committ ee. The International 
Monetary Fund, the World Bank and UNCTAD have regular Observer status in the Committee. 
4. The focus of this report is on the period si nce the Committee's last annual report (G/L/836), 
i.e. 9 October 2007 - 20 October 2008 (hereinafter "the review period").  During the review period, 
the Committee held two meetings on 28 April a nd 20 October 2008 (G/LIC/M/27 and G/LIC/M/28).  
At its meeting on 28 April 2008, the Committee took  note of the nomination of Mr. Marco J. Kassaja 
(Tanzania) as Chairperson of the Committee for the current year and elected him by acclamation.  At 
that meeting, the Committee elected as Vice-Chairp erson for the current year, Mrs. Anna Ashikali 
(Cyprus).  Pursuant to Committee's Rules of Procedur e, they took office at the end of that meeting. 
5. Pursuant to Articles 1.4(a) and/or 8.2(b) of  the Agreement and procedures agreed by the 
Committee, all Members are required to notify thei r laws, regulations and administrative procedures 
relevant to import licensing and submit copies of any relevant publications or  laws and regulations 
upon becoming a WTO Member.  Any subsequent changes to these laws, regulations and 
administrative procedures are also required to be notified.  Since the entry into force of the WTO 
Agreement, 96 Members
1 have notified the Committee of their legislation and/or publications under 
these provisions.  During the review period, th e Committee received nine notifications from the 
following eight Members: Albania; India; Macao, Ch ina; Saint Lucia; Singapore; Turkey;  the United 
States and Ukraine (see Graphic 1, first set of bloc ks).  These notifications may be found in document 
series G/LIC/N/1/-.  Copies of publications and le gislation submitted with these notifications are 
available for consultation in the Secretariat. 
6. The Committee also received, pursuant to para graphs 5.1-5.4 of Article  5, ten notifications 
relating to the institution of new import licensi ng procedures or changes in these procedures from 
eight Members: Argentina; Honduras; India; Mala ysia; Mauritius; Moldova; Singapore and the United 
States.  These notifications may be found in documen t series G/LIC/N/2/-.  Since the entry into force 
of the WTO Agreement 29 Members have s ubmitted notifications under these provisions 
                                                      
1 The European Communities and its Member States counted as one Member. G/L/868 
Page 2  
 
  (see Graphic 1, second set of blocks).  Article 5. 5 of the Agreement allows Members to submit 
reverse notifications, where a Member considers th at another Member has not notified the institution 
of a licensing procedure or changes in the procedur es.  However, no such reverse notifications have 
been received under this provision since th e entry into force of the Agreement. 
7.  Article 7.3 of the Agreement requires all Me mbers to provide replies to the Questionnaire on 
Import Licensing Procedures
2 by 30 September each year.  Since the entry into force of the WTO 
Agreement, 92 Members have made no tifications under this provision.   This includes replies to the 
Questionnaire from 11 Members in 1995,  22 Members in 1996, 25 Members in 1997, 26 Members in 1998, 20 Members in 1999, 32 Members in 2000, 23 Members in 2001, 41 Members in 2002, 25 Members in 2003, 21 Members in 2004, 19 Members in 2005, 46 Members in 2006; 37 Members 
in 2007 and 26 Members in 2008.  During the review  period, the Committee received 30 notifications 
from the following 28 Members:  Albania; Argentin a; Armenia; Canada; Costa Rica; Macao, China; 
European Communities; Guatemala; Honduras; Hong K ong, China; India; Jamaica; Japan; Lesotho; 
Madagascar; Malaysia; Mauritius; Morocco; Norway; Oman; Qatar; Saint Lucia; Singapore; Trinidad 
and Tobago; Turkey; Ukraine; the United States; and Zimbabwe (see Graphic 1, third set of blocks).  
These notifications may be found in document series G/LIC/N/3/-. 
 
GRAPHIC 1: NUMBER OF MEMBERS HAVING NOTIFIED  AND NUMBER OF 
NOTIFICATIONS SUBMITTED  DURI NG THE REVIEW PERIOD  2007-2008 
05101520253035
N/1 Notif. N/2  Notif. N/3  Notif.
No of Members  having
notified
No of Notifications
 
8. Written comments and questions from Members concerning the notifications submitted to the 
Committee and/or on import licensing procedures mainta ined by Members, and replies thereto, may 
be found in document series G/LIC/Q/-3.  During the review period, such comments and questions 
were submitted by: Australia to China (G/L IC/Q/CHN/22);  Canada to the United States 
                                                      
2 Annexed to document G/LIC/3. 
3 See understanding on Procedures for the Review of Notifications (G/LIC/4).  G/L/868 
 Page 3 
 
 
  (G/LIC/Q/USA/3);  China to Brazil (G/LIC/Q/BRA /5);  and, by the United States to Brazil 
(G/LIC/Q/BRA/4), to India (G/LIC/Q/IND/11), to  Indonesia (G/LIC/Q/IDN/9), to the Philippines 
(G/LIC/N/Q/PHL/2) and to Viet Nam (G/LIC/Q/VNM/1).  Responses were provided by:  Argentina to the United States (G/LIC/Q/ARG/5);  the United States to Canada (G/LIC/Q/USA/4) and by India 
to the United States (G/LIC/Q/IND/12).  
9. The Committee has provided a regular forum for the discussion of specific notifications 
submitted by Members.  As evident in the Annex to this report, there has been an improvement in the 
level of compliance with the mandatory notificati on requirements under Articles 1.4(a), 8.2(b) and 7.3 
and with the ad hoc notification requirement under Ar ticle 5;  but there stills  some important gaps.  
Members' compliance with the transparency oblig ations of the Agreement has been the main 
preoccupation of the Committee for some time now. 
 10. During the review period, some Members had subm itted, for the first time, notifications to the 
Committee under various Articles of the Agreement: (i ) under Articles 1.4 and 8.2:  Albania, Thailand 
and Ukraine;  (ii) under Article 5:  Honduras; Ma uritius and Moldova;  and (iii) under Article 7.3:  
Honduras; Lesotho and Ukraine.  Nevertheless, at its  meetings of 28 April a nd 20 October 2008, the 
Chair expressed continuing concern over the fail ure of many Members to submit the required 
notifications and once again urged Members who had not yet notified and had not updated their 
notifications or provided clarifications sought by other Members to do so as soon as possible.  11. At its meeting of 20 October 2008, the Committee conducted the Seventh Transitional 
Review, as appropriate to its ma ndate, of the implementation by Ch ina of the WTO Agreement and of 
the related provisions of its Protocol of Accession
4, as provided for in Paragraph 18 of the Protocol on 
the Accession of the People's Republic of China to  the WTO (G/LIC/M/28, paragraphs 3.1-3.7).  The 
report of the Committee to the Council for Trade in Goods on this review is contained in document 
G/LIC/19. 
 
12. The Committee also conducted, at its mee ting of 20 October 2008, the Seventh Biennial 
Review of the implementation and operation of th e Agreement under Article 7.1.  The report was 
circulated in document G/LIC/18.  
                                                      
4 WT/L/432. G/L/868 
Page 4  
 
  ANNEX  
Notifications
1 
MEMBER2 N/13 DATE N/24 DATE N/35 DATE 
ALBANIA N/1/ALB/2 30.06.08 N/2/ ALB/1 22.02.02 N/ 3/ALB/2 02.01.08 
ANGOLA             
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA N/1/ATG/1 31.01. 02     N/3/ATG/2 30.01.02 
ARGENTINA N/1/ARG/2 22.01.98 N/2/ ARG/13 21.09.07 N/3/ARG/5 10.09.08 
ARMENIA N/1/ARM/4 24.09.07     N/3/ARM/5 21.09.07 
AUSTRALIA N/1/AUS/1/A.1 22.05.97 N/ 2/AUS/1 14.06.04 N/3/AUS/3 23.10.06 
BAHRAIN N/1/BHR/1 13.06.97     N/3/BHR/1 15.09.00 
BANGLADESH N/1/BGD/2 01.04.05     N/3/BGD/4 05.10.07 
BARBADOS N/1//BRB/1 04.10.96     N/3/BRB/4 27.09.07 
BELIZE             
BENIN N/1/BEN/1 10.02.97         
BOLIVIA N/1/BOL/1 16.06.97     N/3/BOL/3 29.06.00 
BOTSWANA             
BRAZIL N/1/BRA/3 18.10.06 N/2/BRA /3 18.10.06 N/3/BRA/6 08.10.07 
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM         N/3/BRN/1 10.04.97 
BURKINA FASO N/1/BFA/1 10.02.97     N/3/BFA/1/A.1 18.12.00 
BURUNDI N/1/BUR/1 27.04.01     N/3/BUR/2 07.11.01 
CAMBODIA             
CAMEROON N/1/CMR/1 18.09.01     N/3/CMR/2 05.09.07 
CANADA N/1/CAN/1 16.02.96     N/3/CAN/7 17.10.08 
CAPE VERDE             
CENTRAL AFRICAN REP.             
CHAD N/1/TCD/2 16.08.00     N/3/TCD/2 20.08.01 
CHILE N/1/CHL/1 31.07.06     N/3/CHL/3 28.09.07 
CHINA N/1/CHN/5 20.03.06     N/3/CHN/7 17.10.08 
COLOMBIA N/1/COL/2 08.10.07     N/3/COL/5 08.10.07 
CONGO             
COSTA RICA N/1/CRI/2 15.03.07 N/ 2/CRI/1 15.03.07 N/3/CRI/5 07.10.08 
                                                      
1 The title "Date" refers to the da te of issuance of the document. 
2 The European Communities and its Member States counted as one Member. 
3 Article 1.4(a) and/or Article 8.2(b) publications and/or legislation (date of latest communication). 
4 Article 5.1-5.4 – Ad hoc new import licensing procedures or changes (date of latest communication). 
5 Article 7.3 – Annual Replies to Questionnaire (date of latest communication).  G/L/868 
 Page 5 
 
 
  MEMBER2 N/13 DATE N/24 DATE N/35 DATE 
COTE D'IVOIRE N/1/CIV/1 08.02. 02     N/3/CIV/2 05.10.07 
CROATIA N/1/HRV/3 04.04.05     N/3/HRV/3 04.04.05 
CUBA N/1/CUB/1 24.01.96     N/3/CUB/2/A.1 15.09.04 
CONGO DEM. REP. OF  N/1/COD/1 19.10.06     N/3/COD/1 18.10.06 
DJIBOUTI             
DOMINICA N/1/DMA/1 22.02.01     N/3/DMA/2 06.12.06 
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC N/1/DOM/1 04. 05.04     N/3/DOM/2 04.05.04 
EC COMMISSION N/1/EEC/2/A.4 10.01.03 N/ 2/EEC/2 14.07.97 N/3/EEC/11/A.1 02.10.07 
ECUADOR N/1/ECU/2 15.06.06     N/3/ECU/2 20.12.02 
EGYPT              
EL SALVADOR N/1/SLV/1 03.02.04         
REP. OF THE FIJI ISLANDS N/1/FJ I/1 03.09.97     N/3/FJI/1 16.04.97 
FMR. YUGOSLAV REP. OF  
MACEDONIA N/1/MKD/1 29.10.04         
GABON N/1/GAB/2 13.03.02         
GAMBIA         N/3/GMB/2 27.09.07 
GEORGIA N/1/GEO/1 08.04.02     N/3/GEO/3 04.09.06 
GHANA N/1/GHA/1 21.04.04     N/3/GHA/3 21.04.04 
GRENADA N/1/GRD/1 10.04.02     N/3/GRD/2 25.09.07 
GUATEMALA N/1/GTM/2 28.01.00     N/3/GTM/4 09.11.07 
GUINEA BISSAU             
GUINEA, REP.OF             
GUYANA N/1/GUY/1 10.04.02     N/3/GUY/2 28.10.03 
HAITI N/1/HTI/2 27.10.06     N/3/HTI/4 21.09.07 
HONDURAS N/1/HND/1 03.12.96 N/2/ HND/3 12.11.07 N/3/HND/1 12.11.07 
HONG KONG, CHINA N/1/HKG/5 07.01.03 N/2/HKG/3 20.10.08 N/3/HKG/12 06.10.08 
ICELAND N/1/ISL/1 26.01.99     N/3/ISL/3 28.10.04 
INDIA N/1/IND/11 22.09.08 N/2/I ND/10 22.09.08 N/3/IND/10 22.09.08 
INDONESIA N/1/IDN/1 02.11.98 N/2/ IDN/1 22.04.03 N/3/IDN/3 27.11.06 
ISRAEL N/1/ISR/1 19.10.06 N/2/IS R/1 19.10.06 N/3/ISR/3 19.10.06 
JAMAICA N/1/JAM/1 11.07.96 N/2/ JAM/1 01.10.03 N/ 3/JAM/3 03.09.08 
JAPAN N/1/JPN/2/R.1 26.02.97 N/2/JPN/3 27.04. 01 N/3/JPN/6 25.03.08 
JORDAN N/1/JOR/2/A.1 03.09.03 N/ 2/JOR/2 10.06.05 N/ 3/JOR/1 11.12.00 
KENYA N/1/KEN/1 12.06.03     N/3/KEN/2/A.1 12.06.03 
G/L/868 
Page 6  
 
  MEMBER2 N/13 DATE N/24 DATE N/35 DATE 
KOREA, REP. OF N/1/KOR/3 14.04.98 N/2/KOR/1 12.01.07 N/3/KOR/6 27.09.07 
KUWAIT N/1/KWT/1 18.05.07         
KYRGYZ REPUBLIC N/1/KGZ/1 18. 01.00     N/3/KGZ/2 09.10.06 
LESOTHO         N/3/LSO/1 06.06.08 
LIECHTENSTEIN N/1/LIE/2 26.10.00 N/2/ LIE/2 26.10.00 N/3/LIE/4/A.1 14.04.03 
MACAO, CHINA N/1/MAC/3 10.12. 07     N/3/MAC/11 14.10.08 
MADAGASCAR N/1/MDG/2 25.04.00     N/3/MDG/3 15.09.08 
MALAWI N/1/MWI/1 13.10.99     N/3/MWI/2 03.10.06 
MALAYSIA     N/2/MYS/ 3 17.10.08 N/3/MYS/4 17.10.08 
MALDIVES         N/3/MDV/1 15.04.02 
MALI N/1/MLI/1 27.08.01     N/3/MLI/2 27.08.01 
MAURITANIA             
MAURITIUS N/1/MUS/2 11.05.07 N/2/ MUS/1 17.03.08 N/ 3/MUS/3 17.03.08 
MEXICO N/1/MEX/2 18.10.06     N/3/MEX/2 18.10.06 
MOLDOVA N/1/MDA/1 22.01.02 N/2/MDA/1 16.10.08
  N/3/MDA/1 08.02.02 
MONGOLIA N/1/MNG/ 1 27.04.01     N/3/MNG/1 12.06.03 
MOROCCO N/1/MAR/1/A.2 20.01. 05     N/3/MAR/7 17.10.08 
MOZAMBIQUE             
MYANMAR             
NAMIBIA N/1/NAM/1 29.10.02     N/3/NAM/4 29.10.02 
NEPAL             
NEW ZEALAND N/1/NZL/1 22.08.96     N/3/NZL/1/A.1 06.04.98 
NICARAGUA N/1/NIC/1 05.08.96         
NIGER N/1/NER/1 12.01.98         
NIGERIA N/1/NGA/1 18.02.98 N/2/ NGA/2 18.02.98 N/3/NGA/3 24.04.07 
NORWAY N/1/NOR/2 03.12.97     N/3/NOR/3 01.10.20
08 
OMAN N/1/OMN/1 20.02.01     N/3/OMN/3 17.04.08 
PAKISTAN N/1/PAK/1 29.05.96 N/2/PAK/1 29.05.96     
PANAMA N/1/PAN/2 16. 11.98 N/2/PAN/1 18.08. 98 N/3/PAN/2 04.03.04 
PAPUA NEW GUINEA     N/2/PNG/1 17.02.98     
PARAGUAY N/1/PRY/1 12.06.03         
PERU N/1/PER/2/R.1 31.05.05     N/3/PER/5 21.09.07 
PHILIPPINES N/1/PHL/1 14.04. 98     N/3/PHL/5 21.09.07 
 G/L/868 
 Page 7 
 
 
  MEMBER2 N/13 DATE N/24 DATE N/35 DATE 
QATAR N/1/QAT/1 02.04.98     N/3/QAT/5 20.03.08 
RWANDA         N/3/RWA/1 20.07.06 
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS N/1/KNA/1 07.08.98         
ST. LUCIA N/1/LCA/3 10.07.08 N/2/LCA/2 17.10.02 N/3/LCA/5 29.09.20
08 
ST. VINCENT & GRENADINES             
SAUDI ARABIA         N/3/SAU/1 19.10.06 
SENEGAL N/1/SEN/ 1 23.10.02     N/3/SEN/2 23.10.02 
SIERRA LEONE             
SINGAPORE N/1/SGP/5 04.04.08 N/2/SGP/4 04.04. 08 N/3/SGP/6 10.09.08 
SOLOMON ISLANDS             
SOUTH AFRICA     N/2/ZA F/1 15.07.97 N/3/ZAF/4 17.09.02 
SRI LANKA N/1/LKA/1 20.05.03     N/3/LKA/1 27.05.03 
SURINAME N/1/SUR/1 15.12.03         
SWAZILAND N/1/SWZ/1 04.10.96         
SWITZERLAND N/1/CHE/2 26.09.00 N/2/CH E/2 26.09.00 N/3/CH E/4/A.1 14.04.03 
TAIPEI, CHINESE N/1/TPKM/6 20.12.04 N/ 2/TPKM/4 20.12.04 N/3/TPKM/2 30.07.04 
TANZANIA             
THAILAND N/1/THA/1 28.09.07     N/3/THA/1 22.03.07 
TOGO N/1/TGO/1 12.06.03     N/3/TGO/1 12.06.03 
TONGA             
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO N/1/TTO/1 10.11.98     N/3/TTO/7 19.07.07 
TUNISIA N/1/TUN/2 14.02.07     N/3/TUN/5 05.10.07 
TURKEY N/1/TUR/7 27.05.08     N/3/TUR/8 20.05.08 
UGANDA N/1/UGA/1 03.10.96     N/3/UGA/1/A.2 07.10.05 
UKRAINE N/1/UKR/1 03.09.08     N/3/UKR/1 01.10.08 
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES N/1/ARE/1 18.04.97     N/3/ARE/1 25.04.00 
UNITED STATES N/1/USA/4 17.03.08 N/ 2/USA/3 14.12.07 N/ 3/USA/5 29.02.08 
URUGUAY N/1/URY/3 25.09.01     N/3/URY/3 27.07.05 
VENEZUELA N/1/VEN/1 25.10.02 N/2/ VEN/5 20.05.03 N/ 3/VEN/1 27.05.02 
VIETNAM             
ZAMBIA N/1/ZMB/2 18.02.04     N/3/ZMB/2 18.02.04 
ZIMBABWE N/1/ZWE/2 28.09.98     N/3/ZWE/2 18.10.07 
TOTAL:  126 96   30   92   
__________