WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/MA/W/37/Add.4/Rev.1 
3 May 2007 
 (07-1838) 
Negotiating Group on Market Access Original:   English 
  
 
MARKET ACCESS FOR NON-AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS 
 
Trade liberalisation in the raw materials sector
 
 
Communication from the United Arab Emirates 
 
Revision  
   The following communication, dated 2 May 2007, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of the United Arab Emirates. 
 
_______________ 
 
1. Economic benefits 
1.1 As stated in previous communications fro m UAE since May 2003, and discussed in several 
bilateral and plurilaterial meetings, the proposed lib eralisation of raw materials responds to the Doha 
Mandate, especially paragraph16.  1.2 The sectoral proposal for the liberalisation of raw materials has the advantages of simplicity, clarity and flexibility and offers e qual potential of benefits for devel oping and industrialised countries. 
 
1.3 It is our hope that participating into the discussions on the raw materials sectoral proposal will not only mobilise most interested parties, but will also serve for all as an exercise showcasing the merits of the sectoral approach itself.  1.4 For this purpose we would like here to str ess the economic gains that could derive, in our 
view, from the sectoral liberalisation of raw materials, not only as an incentive for Members to engage 
proactively into the negotiation of this proposal, but also because we believe that the same vision 
could be used to illustrate the positive effects of sectoral liberalisation in other sectors: 
 1.5 Raw materials are the fuel of the world econom y.  Their liberalisation would contribute in 
many key sectors to achieving a fair level playing field and to widening the range of competitively 
priced products.  This would encourage competiti on, innovation, capital flows, investment, price 
stability and predictability (or at least reduction in  speculative price volatility), all this promoting 
healthier and more transparent markets, and jobs growth.  
1.6 Liberalised raw materials would also be tter respond to offer/demand cycles and regional 
economic dynamics.  Logistics could be also better managed in an open market.  Consumption would 
be stimulated.  Liberalised raw materials would also support the competitiven ess of semi-fabricating 
industries (raw materials can represent up to 50% of the cost of semi-finished products).  They would promote the growth of downstream and processi ng businesses in developing countries, thus 
decreasing their vulnerability to the price volatility and cycles of raw materials. TN/MA/W/37/Add.4/Rev.1 
Page 2  
 
  1.7 Raw materials, especially minerals and ores, represent also more than 50% of the revenues of 
many developing countries.  The consensus amo ng economists and industrialists is that trade 
liberalisation promotes worldwide economic growth , poverty alleviation, job creation, rising living 
standards, wider consumer choice and efficiency of the industries.  
1.8 Liberalised raw materials and primary pro ducts can powerfully contribute to economic 
growth through:  
• Increased exploration; development; netw orking and pooling of geological data and 
of exploitation technologies; allowing for a better management of mineral wealth.  
 
• Increased imports of capital goods, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). 
 
• Development of export oriented industries, especially in the downstream sector 
(minerals and metals processing industries for example). 
 
• Stimulation of the growth of the private sector. 
 
• Jobs creation, especially for nationals. 
 
• Development of inter-regional trade. 
 1.9 Taking into consideration the direction fro m Ministers at Hong Kong to “review proposals 
with a view to identifying those which could garner  sufficient participation to be realized”, the 
following proposal is made for the consideration of all Members.  
1.10 UAE suggests again the use of the questi onnaire that has been circulated among all the 
Members or any way Members may wish to use to communicate their views.  
2. Modalities 
(a) Product coverage 
2.1 It is proposed that both participation and pr oduct coverage be as wide as possible.  Some 
Members have already indicated their choice of tariff lines for inclusion in the proposal. 
 2.2 This proposal comprises raw materials from earth and from plant extraction (such as primary aluminium) which are used and processed by manufacturing industries.    
2.3 The indicative list below is presented as a b asis for discussion for the Members who have not 
yet expressed their interests, sensitivities and other specifications:  TN/MA/W/37/Add.4/Rev.1 
 Page 3 
 
 
   
Tariff 
Item 
Number 
(HS2002)  
POSSIBLE TARIFF LINE S FOR INCLUSION  
2501 SALT (INCLUDING TABLE SALT AND DENATURED SALT) AND PURE SODIUM 
CHLORIDE, WHETHER OR NOT IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OR CONTAINING ADDED 
ANTI-CAKING OR FREE-FLOWING AGENTS; SEA WATER. 
  
2505 NATURAL SANDS OF ALL KINDS, WHETHER OR NOT COLOURED, OTHER THAN 
METAL BEARING SANDS OF CHAPTER 26. 
  
2515 MARBLE, TRAVERTINE, ECAUSSINE AND OTHER CALCAREOUS MONUMENTAL 
OR BUILDING STONE OF AN APPARENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF 2.5 OR MORE, AND 
ALABASTER, WHETHER OR NOT ROUGHLY TRIMMED OF MERELY CUT, BY 
SAWING OR OTHERWISE, INTO BLOCKS OF SLABS OF A RECTANGULAR SHAPE.  
  
2516 GRANITE PORPHYRY, BASALT, SANDSTONE AND OTHER MONUMENTAL OR 
BUILDING STONE, WHETHER OF NOT ROUGHLY TRIMMED OR MERELY CUT, BY SAWING OR OTHERWISE, INTO BLOCKS OR SABLS OF A RECTANGULAR 
(INCLUDING SQUARE) SHAPE 
  
2519 NATURAL MAGNESIUM CARBONATE (MAGNESITE); FUSED MAGNESIA; DEAD-
BURNED (SINTERED) MAGNESIA, WH ETHER OF NOT CONTAINING SMALL 
QUANTITIES OF OTHER OXIDES ADDED BEFORE SINTERING; OTHER MAGNESIUM OXIDE, WHETHER OR NOT PURE. 
  
2520 GYPSUM; ANHYDRITE; PLASTERS (CONSISTING OF CALCINED GYPSUM OR 
CALCIUM SULPHATE) WHETHER OR NOT COLOURED, WITH OR WITHOUT SMALL 
QUANTITIES OF ACCELERATORS OR RETARDERS. 
  
2523 PORTLAND CEMENT, ALUMINOUS CEMENT, SLAG CEMENT, SUPERSULPHATE 
CEMENT AND SIMILAR HYDRAULIC CEMENTS, WHETHER OR NOT COLOURED 
OR IN THE FORM OF CLINKERS.  
  
2530 MINERAL SUBSTANCES NOT ELSEWHERE SPECIFIED OR INCLUDED 
  
2601 IRON ORES AND CONCENTRATES, INCLUDING ROASTED IRON PYRITES: 
 - Iron ores and concentrates, other than roasted iron pyrites : 
2601.11  -- Non-agglomerated 
2601.12  -- Agglomerated 
  
2602.00 MANGANESE ORES AND CONCENTRATES, INCLUDING FERRUGINOUS 
MANGANESE ORES AND CONCENTRATES WITH A MANGANESE CONTENT OF 20% OR MORE, CALCULATED ON THE DRY WEIGHT.  
  
2603.00 COPPER ORES AND CONCENTRATES  
2604.00 NICKEL ORES AND CONCENTRATES 
2605.00 COBALT ORES AND CONCENTRATES 
2606.00 ALUMINIUM ORES AND CONCENTRATES 
2607.00 LEAD ORES AND CONCENTRATES 
2608.00 ZINC ORES AND CONCENTRATES 
2609.00 TIN ORES AND CONCENTRATES 
2610.00 CHROMIUM ORES AND CONCENTRATES 
2611.00 TUNGSTEN ORES AND CONCENTRATES 
2612.00 URANIUM OR THORIUM ORES AND CONCENTRATES 
2614.00 TITANIUM ORES AND CONCENTRATES TN/MA/W/37/Add.4/Rev.1 
Page 4  
 
  Tariff 
Item 
Number 
(HS2002)  
POSSIBLE TARIFF LINE S FOR INCLUSION  
2615.00 NIOBIUM, TANTALUM, VANADIUM OR ZIRCONIUM ORES AND CONCENTRATES 
2616.00 PRECIOUS METAL ORES AND CONCENTRATES 
2620.00 ASH AND RESIDUES (OTHER THAN FROM THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON OR 
STEEL), CONTAINING ARSENIC, METALS OR THEIR COMPOUNDS 
  
2701 COAL; BRIQUETTES, OVOIDS AND SI MILAR SOLID FUELS MANUFACTURED 
FROM COAL. 
  
2704 COKE AND SEMI-COKE OF COAL, OF LIGNITE OR OF PEAT, WHETHER OR NOT 
AGGLOMERATED; RETORT CARBON. 
  
2707 OILS AND OTHER PRODUCTS OF THE DISTILLATION OF HIGH TEMPERATURE 
COAL TAR; SIMILAR PRODUCTS IN WHICH THE WEIGHT OF THE AROMATIC 
CONSTITUENTS EXCEEDS THAT OF TH E NON-AROMATIC CONSTITUENTS.  
  
2708 PITCH AND PITCH COKE, OBTAINED FROM COAL TAR OF FROM OTHER MINERAL 
TARS. 
  
2709 PETROLEUM OILS AND OILS OBTAINED FROM BITUMINOUS MINERALS, CRUDE.  
  
2710 PETROLEUM OILS AND OILS OBTAINED FROM BITUMINOUS MINERALS, OTHER 
THAN CRUDE; PREPARATIONS NOT ELS EWHERE SPECIFIED OF INCLUDED, 
CONTAINING BY WEIGHT 70% OF MORE OF PETROLEUM OILS OR OILS 
OBTAINED FROM BITUMINOUS MINERALS , THESE OILS BEING THE BASIC.  
  
2711 PETROLEUM GASES AND OTHER GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS. 
  
2715.00 BITUMINOUS MIXTURE BASED ON NATURAL ASPHALT, ON NATURAL BITUMEN, 
ON PETROLEUM BITUMEN, ON MINERAL TAR OF MINERAL TAR PITCH (FOR 
EXAMPLE, BITUMINOUS MASTICS, CUT-BACKS) 
  
2818 ARTIFICIAL CORUNDUM, WHETHER OF NOT CHEMICALLY DEFINED; 
ALUMINIUM OXIDE; ALUMINIUM HYDROXIDE.  
  
2820 MANGANESE OXIDES. 
  
7101 PEARLS, NATURAL OF CULTURED, WHETHER OR NOT WORKED OF GRADED BUT 
NOT STRUNG, MOUNTED OR SET; PEARLS, NATURAL OR CULTURED, 
TEMPORARILY STRUNG FOR CONVENIENCE OF TRANSPORT. 
  
7102 DIAMONDS, WHETHER OR NOT WORKED, BUT NOT MOUNTED OR SET 
  
7203 FERROUS PRODUCTS OBTAINED BY DIRECT REDUCTION OF IRON ORE AND 
OTHER SPONGY FERROUS PRODUCTS, IN LUMPS, PELLETS OR SIMILAR FORMS; 
IRON HAVING A MINIMUM PURITY BY WE IGHT IN LUMPS, PELLETS OR SIMILAR 
FORMS 
  
7204 FERROUS WASTE AND SCRAP; REMELTING SCRAP INGOTS OF IRON OR STEEL 
 - WASTE AND SCRAP OF ALLOY STEEL: 
7204.21 -- OF STAINLESS STEEL 
7204.29 -- OTHER 
 - OTHER WASTE AND SCRAP 
7204.49 -- OTHER 
   TN/MA/W/37/Add.4/Rev.1 
 Page 5 
 
 
  Tariff 
Item 
Number 
(HS2002)  
POSSIBLE TARIFF LINE S FOR INCLUSION  
7401 COPPER MATTES; CEMENT COPPER (PRECIPITATED COPPER): 
7401.10 - Copper mattes  
7401.20 - Cement copper (precipitated copper)  
  
7402.00 UNREFINED COPPER; COPPERAN ODES FOR ELECTROLYTIC REFINING.   
  
7403 REFINED COPPER AND COPPER ALLOYS, UNWROUGHT: 
7403.1 Refined copper :  
7403.11 - Cathodes and sections of cathodes  
7403.12 - Wire-bars 
7403.13 - Billets 
7403.19 - Other 
7403.2 - Copper alloys: 
7403.21 - Copper-zinc base alloys (brass) 
7403.22 - Copper-tin base alloys (bronze) 
7403.23 - Copper-nickel base alloys (cupro-nickel) or copper-nickel-zinc base alloys (nickel silver) 
  
7403.29 - Other copper alloys (other than master alloys of heading 7405)  
  
7404.00 COPPER WASTE AND SCRAP 
  
7405.00 MASTRAL ALLOYS OF COPPER  
  
7406 COPPER POWDERS AND FLAKES:  
 
7406.10 -Powders of non-lamellar structure  
7406.20 -Powders of lamellar structure; flakes 
  
7501 NICKEL MATTES, NICKEL OXIDE SINTERS AND OTHER INTERMEDIATE 
PRODUCTS OF NICKEL METALLURGY. 
  
7502 UNWROUGHT NICKEL. 
  
7504 NICKEL POWDERS AND FLAKES 
  
7601 UNWROUGHT ALUMINIUM  
7601.10 Aluminium, not alloyed 
7601.20 Aluminium alloys 
  
7602.00 ALUMINIUM WASTE SCRAP  
  
7603 ALUMINIUM POWDERS AND FLAKES :  
7603.10 -powders of non-lamellar structure  
7603.20 -powders of lamellar structure 
  
7801 UNWROUGHT LEAD 
  
7901 UNWROUGHT ZINC 
  
8104 MAGNESIUM AND ARTICLES THERE 
OF, INCLUDING WASTE AND SCRAP:  
8104.1 -Unwrought magnesium :  
8104.11   - Containing at least 99.8% by weight of magnesium 
8104.19   - Other TN/MA/W/37/Add.4/Rev.1 
Page 6  
 
  Tariff 
Item 
Number 
(HS2002)  
POSSIBLE TARIFF LINE S FOR INCLUSION  
8104.20 -waste and scrap 
8104.30 -raspings, turnings and granules, gr aded according to size; powders  
  
8105 COBALT MATTES AND OTHER INTERMEDIATE PRODUCTS OF COBALT 
METALLURGY; COBALT AND ARTICLES THEREOF, INCLUDING WASTE AND 
SCRAP 
  
8111.00 MANGANESE AND ARTICLES THEREOF, INCLUDING WASTE AND SCRAP 
 
2.4 The ultimate decision on product coverage rests with the participants in the agreement and 
will be made by July 2007 or as otherwise agreed by Members.  
(b) Participation 
2.5 Participation will be based on a voluntary b asis. The Members who have already expressed an 
interest for this proposal but have not yet comm unicated their views and trade data, and Members 
wanting to join in the discussions on the raw ma terials proposal are encouraged to express their 
commitments and requests.  The participation of a ll important importers and exporters within this 
proposal is essential to its meaningfulness and for the success of the agreement.  Least developed 
countries will not be asked to participate but are welcome to do so, especially having in mind those 
for which exports of raw materials constitute a signi ficant share of their GDP.  To date interested 
Members have been considering the definition of “critical mass” as participation by Members 
representing 90% of world trade.  This definition is subject to agreement by Members participating in 
this agreement by July 2007 or  as otherwise agreed by Members. 
 (c) Implementation 
2.6 It is proposed that developed and developing countries implement their commitments as soon 
as possible.  The ultimate decision on implementati on dates will rest with the participants in the 
agreement and will be made by July 2007 or otherwise agreed by Members.  (d) Special and Differential Treatment 
2.7 All elements of Special and Differential Tr eatment (e.g. UAE Questionnaire) will be decided 
by the participants in the agreement by July 2007 or otherwise agreed by Members.  Several options 
have been discussed already, such as longer im plementation periods, zero for X, Limited Product 
Exemptions.  Other proposals for Special and Differe ntial Treatment provisions will be considered if 
put forward by participants.  3. Next Steps 
3.1 Participants are encouraged to communicat e their views, commitments, sensitivities, trade 
related data, remarks and proposals as soon as possible.  3.2 Participants should reach agreement on the details of the modalities by July 2007 or as 
otherwise agreed by Members. 
 
3.3 The results of this negotiation will be incor porated into each participating Member’s Schedule 
of commitments. 
__________