RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/MA/SPEC/32 
29 March 2006 
 (06-1433) 
Committee on Market Access  
 
 
DRAFT 
 
PERIODIC REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO THE 
COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS   
 
 1. The Committee met on 4 April 2006 and examined the following issues: 
 2. [The Committee took note of the factual in formation provided by Members who were 
requesting a waiver extension for the introduction of HS96 changes to their schedule. The information is 
summarized in the Annex to this report.] 
 
3.  [The Committee took note of the status of su bmissions of HS96 documentation as set out in 
document G/MA/TAR/2/Rev.37.]  4. [The Committee took note of the correlation tables between HS2002 and HS2007 submitted by 
the WCO (G/MA/W/76).] 
 
5. [With reference to the modalities and operation of the Integrated Data Base, the Committee 
examined the status of IDB submissions on the basis of the document G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.23. The 
Secretariat reported on the status of processing of  IDB submissions, use of IDB information,  the 
status of software development and technical assistance. ] 
 
6. [The Secretariat reported on the status of work  with respect to the introduction of HS2002 
changes to schedules of concessions using the C onsolidated Tariff Schedules (CTS) Database.] 
 8. [The Committee considered the request for access to the IDB and CTS database from the European Free Trade Association (G/MA/W/73) and the West African Economic and Monetary 
Union (G/MA/W/66).] 
 8. [The Committee took note of the status of notifications under the Decision on Notification 
Procedures for Quantitative Restrictions on the basis of a Secretariat document  
G/MA/NTM/QR/1/Add.10] 
9. [The Committee took note of the status of notifications under the Decision on Reverse 
Notification of Non-Tariff Measures on the basis of a Secretariat document G/MA/NTM/W/3/Rev.1] 
10. [Under other business, the Committee took note of: (1) a document by the Secretariat on tariff 
information available in the tariff library (G/M A/TAR/3/Rev.10); (2) a report on the follow-up work 
done to certify the approved tariff commitments de scribed in document JOB(05)/167 and Corr.1; and 
(3) the date of its next meeting.] 
11. [The Committee elected its Chairman for 2006.]  
 
 [The report will be completed in light of the discussions that will take place at the 
Committee meeting on 4 April  2006.]  
  G/MA/SPEC/32 
Page 2 
ANNEX  
 
FACTUAL INFORMATION RELATING TO A WAIVER REQUESTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF  
INTRODUCING HS 96 CHANGES TO A SCHEDULE OF CONCESSIONS 
 
Member Date of 
original 
waiver Date of submission of 
HS documentation N° of 
extensions 
and dates N° of Members 
with which 
Article XXVIII 
negotiations have 
been initiated N° of Members with 
which 
Article XXVIII 
negotiations have 
been concluded 
 Status of 
outstanding 
Article XXVIII 
negotiations Outlook for 
concluding the 
process Request for a waiver 
and draft decision 
1. Argentina 13.12.1995  G/SECRET/HS96/30  
(16.10.1996)  
G/SECRET/HS96/30/
Corr.1  (16.05.2000)
 Fifteen 18.07.1996 24.04.1997 
22.10.1997 
24.04.1998 14.10.1998 
15.06.1999 
04.11.1999 03.05.2000 
08.12.2000 
08.05.2001 13.05.2002 
15.10.2003 
24.07.2003 20.10.2004 27.07.2005 
 Four Three Information is still 
being exchanged with the EC with 
regard to a series of 
tariff headings.
 An extension is requested in order to complete the ongoing 
process with the EC. 
 Requested one year.  
G/L/769 G/C/W/547  
   G/MA/SPEC/32
 Page 3Member Date of 
original 
waiver Date of submission of 
HS documentation N° of 
extensions 
and dates N° of Members 
with which 
Article XXVIII 
negotiations have 
been initiated N° of Members with 
which 
Article XXVIII 
negotiations have 
been concluded 
 Status of 
outstanding 
Article XXVIII 
negotiations Outlook for 
concluding the 
process Request for a waiver 
and draft decision 
2. Panama 24.04.1998 G/SECRET/HS96/48 
(04.04.2001) 
 G/SECRET/HS96/48/
Add.1 
(18.03.2002)   
G/SECRET/HS96/48/
Rev.1 (4 June 2002) 
 
G/SECRET/HS96/48/Rev.1/Corr.1 
(26.02.03) 
  Ten: 
14.10.1998 
15.06.1999 04.11.1999 
03.05.2000 
08.12.2000 08.05.2001 13.05.2002 
24.07.2003 
17.05.2004 27.07.2005 
 
 None (Corrections 
were sought by 
the Members having made 
reservations.  
Currently, of the four, two Members have 
withdrawn their 
reservation.)    Panama is waiting for  
two delegations to 
confirm acceptance of the documents 
submitted to the 
Secretariat in order to formally conclude implementation of 
HS96 nomenclature 
changes.  Requested one year.  
G/L/768 
G/C/W/546 
 
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