. /.  RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/MA/SPEC/37 
8 October 2007 
 (07-4300) 
Committee on Market Access  
 
 
DRAFT 
 
REPORT (2007) OF THE COMMITTEE ON MARKET ACCESS 
 
 1. Since the last review
1, the Committee on Market Access has held two formal meetings 
(4 April 2007 and 15 October 2007), and three informal dedicated sessions of the Committee 
(19 January, 24 April and 30 July 2007). The minutes of the formal meetings are contained in documents G/MA/M/43 and [G/MA/M/44].  In additi on, two periodic reports giving an overview of 
the issues discussed in the Committee and providin g factual information on the requests for waivers 
and waiver extensions related to  the Harmonized System are contained in documents G/MA/195 and 
[G/MA/...]. 
 2. At its meeting of 4 April 2007, the Committee took note of the nomination of Dr. Mohammad Saeed (Pakistan) as Chairman of th e Committee for the current year and elected him 
by acclamation.  [At its meeting of 15 October 2007, the Committee elected  (...) as the Vice-Chair.]  A. I
NTRODUCTION OF HS96  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF CONCESSIONS  
3. At its formal meetings in 2007, the Committee examined the s ituation related to the submission 
of HS96 documentation set out in do cuments G/MA/TAR/2/Rev.39-40.  
 
B. INTRODUCTION OF HS2002  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF CONCESSIONS  
4.  At its meetings in 2007, the Secretaria t reported on the status of work concerning the 
introduction of HS2002 changes to schedules of co ncessions using the CTS database as well as on the 
outcomes of the informal dedicated sessions of the Committee in which the HS02 files of Members 
were examined.   The Chairman reported on his c onsultations with those Members who had not yet 
approved their HS02 files, but whose files had been approved by all other Members.  [At its meeting 
of 15 October 2007, the Committee considered the extension of the HS2002 "collective" waiver 
(G/C/W/585)]. 
 
C. INTRODUCTION OF HS2007  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF CONCESSIONS  
5. In 2007, the Committee took note of the reports  by the Secretariat on the status of work in 
incorporating HS2007 changes to schedules.  The Co mmittee also noted that Thailand, Mexico and 
Pakistan had requested to be part of the HS200 7 "collective" waiver decision and that their 
communications had been circulated as addenda to the original waiver decision continued in 
document WT/L/675. [At its meeting in October, the Committee considered the extension of the 
HS2007 "collective" waiver decision (G/C/W/..).]  
                                                     
 
1 G/L/748 (dated 18 October 2005). G/MA/SPEC/37 
Page 2  
 
  D. D
ATABASES  
6. With reference to the modalities and opera tion of the Integrated Data Base (IDB), the 
Committee, at its formal meetings in 2007, examined  the status of IDB submissions on the basis of 
documents G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.25-26.  The Secret ariat also reported on the status of IDB 
dissemination, use of IDB information, IDB technical assistance, status of submissions, and the status 
of software development (IDB reporting tools and inte rnet analysis facility). In this regard, at its 
meeting of 4 April, the Members were informed that the IDB and CTS data had been used, for inter 
alia the calculation of AVEs, responding to requests arising from the negotiations, and for the 
preparation of the World Tariff Profiles which ha d been co-produced with the ITC and UNCTAD.  
The Secretariat also reported on the work undertaken on the Consolidated Tariff Schedules Database.     
 
7. In 2007, the Committee consid ered the request for access to the IDB and CTS database from 
the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (G/MA/W/86), International Coffee Organization (ICO) (G/MA/W/87) and  the Southe rn African Customs Union (SACU) (G/MA/W/88). 
 E. P
ARAGRAPH 18 OF THE PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION OF THE PEOPLE 'S REPUBLIC OF  
 CHINA – CHINA 'S TRANSITIONAL REVIEW MECHANISM  
8. The review took place at the meeting of 15 October 2007.  Questions and/or comments were 
circulated by the European Communities (G/MA/W/ 91), Japan (G/MA/W/90) and the United States 
(G/MA/W/89). [The Committee completed its review a nd agreed to forward its report in [G/MA/...] to 
the Council for Trade in Goods.] 
 
F. OTHER ACTIVITIES  
9. The Committee noted the Secretariat documen t which provided details on the most recent 
information available in the tariff library and the website addresses where more recent national tariffs 
could be found (G/MA/TAR/3/Rev.11).   [The Co mmittee also took note of the Secretariat document 
entitled "Situation of Schedules of WTO Members" (G/MA/W/23/Rev.4).] 
 
 The report will be completed in light of the discussions that will take place at the 
Committee meeting on 15 October 2007. 
  
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