WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/C/W/641 
19 November 2010 
 (10-6219) 
Council for Trade in Goods  
  
 
DRAFT REPORT (2010) OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS 
 
 
 In accordance with the "Procedures for an Annual Overview of WTO Activities and for 
Reporting under the WTO" (WT/L/105), the Council for Trade in Goods is to report each year to the 
General Council on the activities in the Council as well as in the subsidiary bodies.  The reports are to 
be "factual in nature, containing an  indication of actions and decisions  taken, with cross references to 
reports of subordinate bodies and could follow the model of the GATT 1947 Council reports to the 
CONTRACTING PARTIES".  
 Since the CTG 2009 annual report (G/L/911) w as issued, the Council for Trade in Goods has 
met [four] times in formal session on the followi ng dates:  23 March 2010 (G/C/M/101);  21 May 
2010 (G/C/M/102; G/C/M/102/Rev.1 and G/C/M/102/Rev.1/Corr.1
1);  5 July 2010 (G/C/M/103 and 
Corr.12);  [and 30 November 2010 (G/C/M/104)].   
  The subject matters which were raised a nd/or acted upon in the Council are as follows: 
 
1. Election of Chairperson 
2. Appointment of officers 3. Matters of the Committee on Market Access  4. Waivers under Article IX of the WTO Agreement 
5. European Union enlargement 
6. Notification of regional trade agreements 7. Notifications:  
 
7.1 Status of notifications under the provisi ons of the Agreements in Annex 1A of the 
WTO Agreement 
 
7.2. Frequency of Notifications of State Trading Enterprises under Article XVII of GATT 
1994 and the Understanding on the Interpretati on of Article XVII of GATT 1994 (G/STR/7) 
8. Japan – Concerns regarding the Feed-in Tari ff (FIT) Programme of the Province of Ontario, 
Canada 
9. Chinese Taipei – Concerns regarding cer tain aspects of Canada's tariff regime 
10. Changes in Ecuador's tariff system  11. [The United States and the European Uni on - Import Licensing Measures and Procedures by 
Argentina] 
                                                     
 
1 In English only 
2 In English and French only G/C/W/641 
Page 2  
 
  12. European Union [and the United States] - Meas ures by Argentina Affecting Imports of Food 
Products  
13. Consideration of annual reports of subsidiary bodies 
1. Election of Chairperson for the Council for Trade in Goods   
 At its meeting of 23 March
 the Council elected H.E. Ambassador Anthony MARUPING  
(Lesotho)  as its Chairman for 2010.  
2. Appointment of Officers for the subsidiary bodies of the Council  
 At its meeting of 23 March , the Council agreed on the nominations of the following persons 
for election as Chairpersons of its subsidiary bodies for 2010:  
Committee on Market Access Daniel OWOKO (Kenya) 
Agriculture Valeria CSUKASI (Uruguay) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measur es Flavio SOARES DAMICO (Brazil) 
Technical Barriers to Trade Amit YADAV (India) TRIMs Hong ZHAO (China) 
Anti-Dumping Practices Adrian SERRA  (Argentina) 
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Robert FANG (Chinese Taipei) Safeguards  Tobias LORENTZSEN (Sweden) Import Licensing Anna ASHIKALI (Cyprus) Rules of Origin Jasmin QUAH-ZUBAIR (Singapore) 
Customs Valuation Tamás VATTAI (Hungary) 
State Trading Enterprises Doris JURADO (Colombia) Committee of Participants on the Expansion 
of Trade in Information Technology Products  Tomohiro KANEKO (Japan) 
 
 At the same meeting, the Council agreed to proceed on the understanding that as concerns 
Vice-Chairpersons, it would be for the subsidiary bodies  to decide if they needed a Vice-Chairperson in 
cases where the option existed under the respective Ag reement and/or rules of procedure, and for the 
respective Chairperson to hold  the necessary consultations. 
 
3. Matters of the Committee on Market Access  
 
 At its meetings on 21 May
 [and 30 November]  the Council took note of the periodic reports (in 
documents G/MA/242 [and G/MA/243]) of  the Committee on Market Access.  
 4. Waivers under Article IX of the WTO Agreement  
 
(a) Introduction of Harmonized System 1996 changes into WTO Schedules of Tariff Concessions  
- Request for Extension of Waiver (Argentina – G/C/W/632) 
At its meeting on 21 May
, the Council considered a request from Argentina for an extension 
of the waiver in connection with the introducti on of HS96 changes to Argentina's Schedule of 
Concessions.  The Council approved the waiver request and recommended that the draft decision contained in document G/C/W/632 be forwarded to the General Council for 
adoption. 
 
  G/C/W/641 
 Page 3 
 
 
  (b) Introduction of Harmonized System 2002 changes into WTO Schedules of Tariff  
 Concessions   – Requests for a waiver (G/C/W/637)  
[At its meeting on 30 November
, the Council considered a collective request for an extension 
of the waiver in connection with the introduction of HS2002 changes to the Schedules of 
Concessions.  The Council approved the waiver request and recommended that the draft decision contained in document G/C/W/637 be forwarded to the General Council for 
adoption.]  
 
(c) Introduction of Harmonized System 2007 cha nges into WTO Schedules of Tariff Concessions 
  – Requests for a waiver (G/C/W/638)  
[At its meeting on 30 November
, the Council considered a collec tive request for a waiver in 
connection with the introduction of HS 2007 ch anges to the Schedules of Concessions.  The 
Council approved the waiver request and recomme nded that the draft decision contained in 
document G/C/W/638 be forwarded to the General Council for adoption.]   
 (d) [European Union – Request for a Waiver on Additional Autonomous Trade Preferences 
granted by the European Union to Pakistan (G/C/W/640)   
 
 At its meeting on 30 November
, the Council considered a request  by the European Union for 
a waiver on additional autonomous preferences granted by the EU to Pakistan.  The Council [      
] the waiver request and [    ] that [   ].]  
 
5. European Union enlargement:  Proce dures under Article XXVIII:3 of GATT 1994 
(G/L/695/Add.11;  G/L/695/Add.12;  G/L/821/Add.6;  G/L/821/Add.7) 
 
 At its meetings on 21 May  [and 30 November ], the Council agreed on the extension of the 
deadlines set out in the comm unications from the EU (G/L/695/Add.11; G/L/821/Add.6 [and 
G/L/695/Add.12;  G/L/821/Add.7, respectively]).   
 
6. Notification of Regional Trade Agreements   
 At its meetings on 23 March
, 21 May , 5 July  and [30 November ,] the Council was informed 
of the following notifications on regional trade agreements :   
 A. Free Trade Agreement between  ASEAN and Japan (WT/REG277/N/1) 
 B. Free Trade Agreement between  Panama and Honduras (WT/REG278/N/1)  C. Customs Union between the European Union and San Marino (WT/REG280/N/1) 
 D. Free Trade Agreement between Peru and China (WT/REG281/N/1) 
 E. Free Trade Agreement between Turkey and Montenegro (WT/REG282/N/1)  F. Free Trade Agreement between  Honduras - El Salvador and th e Separate Customs 
Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (WT/REG283/N/1) 
  G. Free Trade Agreement between  ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand 
(WT/REG284/N/1)  
 G/C/W/641 
Page 4  
 
   H. Free Trade Agreement on goods between  the European Union (EU) and Serbia 
(WT/REG285/N/1) 
  I. Free Trade Agreement on goods and services between  Korea and India 
(WT/REG286/N/1) 
 
 [J. Free Trade Agreement between the Republic of Korea and ASEAN 
(WT/REG287/N/1 - S/C/N/559) 
 
 K. Free Trade Agreement between Turkey and Serbia (WT/REG288/N/1)  
 L. Free Trade Treaty between Mexico a nd Colombia (WT/REG289/N/1 - S/C/N/563)] 
 
7.  Notifications: 
 
 7.1 Status of notifications under the provis ions of the Agreements in Annex 1A of 
the WTO Agreement  
 
 At its meeting on 23 March
, the Council took note of the latest revision of the status of 
notifications contained in document G/L/223/Rev.17.  
  7.2 Frequency of Notifications of State Trading Enterprises under Article XVII of 
GATT 1994 and the Understanding on the Interpretation of Article XVII of GATT 1994 (G/STR/7)  
 
 At its meeting on 5 July
, the Council took note of the Working Party Chairperson's statement 
and approved the recommendation of the Working Part y on the Frequency of Notifications of State 
Trading Enterprises contained in document G/STR/7.  
 
8. Japan - Concerns regarding the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) Programme of the Province of 
Ontario, Canada  
  At its meetings on 21 May
 and 5 July , the Council took note of the statements made by Japan, 
the United States, the European Union and Canada3 regarding the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) Program of the 
Province of Ontario (Canada), established in May 2009 through the enactment of the Green Energy 
Act, 2009.    
 9. Chinese Taipei – Concerns regarding certain aspects of Canada's tariff regime  
 
 At its meeting on 21 May
, the Council took note of the statements made by Chinese Taipei 
and Canada relating to Canada's tariff regime applied to Chinese Taipei's products when these 
competed with products from other countries with comparable economic development.  
 10. Changes in Ecuador's tariff system  
 
 10.1 European Union - Changes under Decreto Ejecutivo 372 
 
 At its meeting on 5 July
 the Council took note of the statements made by the European Union, 
the United States, Japan, Canada, China and Ec uador on Executive Decree 372, adopted by Ecuador 
on 28 May 2010, which had changed the tariff structure for a number of products from an ad valorem  
                                                      
3 See also documents G/C/W/635 and G/SCM/Q2/CAN/44 containing the responses by Canada to the 
questions posed by Japan.  G/C/W/641 
 Page 5 
 
 
  system to a system based on both, specific duties and ad valorem  duties and which affected a large 
number of products mostly clothing, linen, textiles and footwear.  
  [ 10.2 Questions from the United States, th e European Union, Canada,  Japan and 
Panama (G/C/W/639) - Ecuador Mixed Tariffs  
 
 At its meeting on 30 November
 the Council considered the questions in document G/C/W/639 
posed to Ecuador by the United States, the European Union, Canada, Japan and Panama on the changes it had introduced, in Presidential Decrees 367 and 372, which had changed the tariff structure 
for a number of products from an ad valorem  system to a mixed system based on both, specific duties 
and ad valorem  duties.  The Council also took note of the statements made by [    ,      ,     ,     and    ].] 
  
[11. The United States and the European Union - Import Licensing Measures and Procedures by Argentina  
  At its meeting on 30 November
 the Council took note of the statements made by the United 
States, the European Union [   ,    ,     and   ]  on the import licensing measures and procedures adopted 
by Argentina.]  
12. European Union [and the United States] - Measures by Argentina affecting imports of 
food products  
  
 At its meetings on 5 July
 the Council took note of the statements made by the European 
Union, Canada, Colombia, Australia, Japan, Switzer land, Norway, the United States and Argentina on 
measures adopted by the latter, in Internal Note 232  from the State Secretary for Internal Trade to the 
Director of the National Food Institute (Instituto N acional de Alimentos – INAL), affecting import of 
food products.   
 
 [At its meeting on 30 November  the Council took note of the statement[s] made by the United 
States, [   ], [      ], [         ], and [     ] on the measures by Argentina affecting imports of food products].     13. Consideration of annual reports of subsidiary bodies of the CTG  
 
 [At its meeting on 30 November
, the Council took note of the annual reports of its subsidiary 
bodies.4] 
 
 
__________  
 
                                                      
4 See documents G/L/928; G/L/929; G/L/934; G/L/935; G/L/936; G/L/937; G/L/938, G/L/939; 
G/L/940; G/L/941; G/L/942; G/L/943;  and, G/L/944.