. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/LIC/Q/CHN/19 
16 October 2006 
 
 (06-4961) 
Committee on Import Licensing Original:   English 
  
 
TRANSITIONAL REVIEW MECHANISM 
PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH 18 OF THE PROTOCOL ON THE ACCESSION 
OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA  
 
Questions and Comments from AUSTRALIA to CHINA
 
 
  The following communication, dated 5 October 2006, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of Australia.  
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 Iron Ore
 
 1. Australia continues to maintain a strong inter est in the automatic import licensing procedures 
for iron ore in China and is closely monitoring th e impact of licensing requirements introduced in 
May 2005.  Australia will continue to assess th e consistency of these requirements with the WTO 
Agreement on Import Licensing and ot her relevant WTO Agreements.  
2. Australia submits the following question for advice from China: 
− In accordance with Article 5 of the Agreem ent on Import Licensing Procedures, can China 
provide an update of its plans to notify the Committee about import licenses for iron ore?  
 
3. In accordance with Paragraph 8 (a) of the Prot ocol of Accession of China, Australia would 
also appreciate advice on the following questions: 
− Can China advise when it will notify the or ganisations, including those organisations 
delegated such authority by the national author ities, that are responsible for authorising or 
approving imports of iron ore, whether th rough grant of licence or other approval? 
 
− Can China advise when it will notify the proce dures and criteria for obtaining import licences 
or other approvals for iron ore? 
 Copper Ore
 
 4. Australia is interested in the regulatory arra ngements for the importation of copper ore into 
China.  Australia understands that China intr oduced automatic import licensing requirements for 
copper ores on 1 January 2006 for statistical collection purposes. 
− Australia would appreciate advice of China’s plans to notify the Committee of the import 
licensing requirements for copper ore in accordan ce with Article 5 of the WTO Agreement on 
Import Licensing. 
 G/LIC/Q/CHN/19 
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  Other
 
 5. China advised during the Import Licensing Committee meeting on 21 June 2006 that 
submission of their 2005 QR notification which lists the products subject to import license 
administration and automatic import licensing administration had been delayed.   
− Is China able to advise when the 20 05 QR notification will be available? 
 
− Is China able to advise when the 20 06 QR notification will be available? 
 
6. Article 15 of Decree No.26 of the Minist ry of Commerce and the Customs General 
Administration, which entered into effect on 1 January 2005, advises that automatic licences will 
cease to be issued should China adopt temporary measures to prohibit the importation of goods or 
place a quantitative restriction on goods subject to automatic import licensing. 
− Can China advise whether temporary prohibitions and quantitative restrictions have been used 
for products subject to automatic import licensing? 
 
− If so, can China advise which products subject to automatic import licensing were affected 
and why the temporary prohibition or quan titative restrictions were put in place? 
 
7. Article 16 of Decree No.26 of the Minist ry of Commerce and the Customs General 
Administration, which entered into effect on 1 January 2005 details the procedures for returning 
unused automatic import licenses, including the need  to provide reasons for the automatic import 
license's lack of use. 
− Can China advise the purpose of requiring reasons for an automatic license’s lack of use and 
advise if there are any consequences if a li cense holder does not use their automatic import 
license? 
 
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