WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/L/967 
26 October 2011 
 (11-5372) 
  
 
 
 
REPORT (2011) OF THE COMMITTEE ON MARKET ACCESS 
 
 1. Since the last review
1, the Committee on Market Access has held two formal meetings 
(12 May and 14 October 2011), two informal dedi cated sessions (27 May and 13 September 2011) 
and several consultations. The minutes of the fo rmal meetings are contained in documents 
G/MA/M/53 and G/MA/M/54.  In addition, two pe riodic reports giving an overview of the issues 
discussed in the Committee and provid ing factual information on any requests for waiver extensions 
related to the Harmonized System  1996 (HS96) changes are contai ned in documents G/MA/245 and 
G/MA/257. 
 
2. At its meeting of 12 May, the Committee took note of the nomination of Mr. Atilla Bastirmaci (Turkey) as Chairman of th e Committee for the current year and elected him by 
acclamation.  At its October meeting, the Committee agreed to elect a Vice-Chair at its next meeting in 2012.   A. 
WAIVERS  
3. At its meeting of 12 May, the Committee approved the waiver request from Argentina 
(G/L/956 and G/C/W/648) in connection with the introduction of HS96 changes to its schedule of 
concessions2. At its meeting of 14 October, the Comm ittee approved the extension of the HS2002 
"collective" waiver (G/C/W/653) and the extensi on of the HS2007 "collective" waiver (G/C/W/654). 
It also approved the HS2012 "collective" waiver  (G/C/W/655). The Committee agreed to forward the 
draft waiver decisions to the Council for Tr ade in Goods (CTG) for appropriate action3. 
 
B. INTRODUCTION OF HS96  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF  CONCESSIONS  
4. At its formal meetings in 2011, the Committee examined the s ituation related to the submission 
of HS96 documentation (G/MA/TAR/2/Re v.46, G/MA/TAR/2/Rev.46/Corr.1 and 
G/MA/TAR/2/Rev.47) pursuant to the procedures la id out in GATT document L/6905. It noted that 
Argentina had completed the procedures and now had HS96 documentation cer tified as WT/Let/763. 
There were no more Members under waiver for the purpose of implementing HS96 changes.  The 
Committee also took note of the report by the Chairman  on the status of work pursuant to the procedures 
leading to the verification and cert ification of HS96 changes relatin g to the schedules of 64 Members 
(WT/L/756). The Committee noted that only 3 out of th e 64 schedules remained uncertified under those 
procedures.  
                                                      
1 G/L/938, dated 4 November 2010. 
2 At the Council for Trade in Goods meeting on 26  May 2011 (G/C/M/107), Argentina requested that 
its waiver request and accompanying draft waiver decision should not be forwarded to the General Council if Argentina's HS1996 documentation was certified prior to the forthcoming General Council meeting scheduled 
for 27 July 2011.  The Certification of Modifications and Rectifications to Schedule  LXIV - Argentina, was 
made effective on 28 May 2011 (WT/Let/763). 
3 Revised versions of the HS2002 and HS2012 draft waiver decisions were issued in order to include 
Malaysia (in both) and Hong Kong, China and Korea (in the latter).  Subsequent to the October meeting, 
Costa Rica, Guatemala and Singapore also requested to be covered by the HS2012 draft waiver decision.  G/L/967 
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  C. I
NTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM (HS2002)  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF 
CONCESSIONS  
5.  At its meetings in 2011, the Committee took note of the reports provided by the Secretariat 
on the status of work concerning the introductio n of HS2002 changes to schedules of concessions 
using the CTS database (WT/L/605) as well as on the outcomes of the informal dedicated sessions of 
the Committee during which the files containing th e HS2002 changes of Members were examined.   
The Committee noted that 99 HS2002 files were certified  with the remainder at various stages of the 
review or certification process. The Committee furthe r noted that the amendment to those procedures 
contained in WT/L/807 had enabled significant progress to be made.   D. I
NTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2007  (HS2007)  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF 
CONCESSIONS  
6. At its meeting in May, the Committee agreed that  the Secretariat shoul d resume work on the 
HS2007 transposition exercise  pursuant to the procedures contained in document WT/L/673.  Some 
Members noted that the Harmonized System Committ ee at the World Customs Organization had not 
reached a consensus with respect to all the correlated  lines and that a discussion on how to address those 
lines in the context of this transp osition exercise was required.  Su ch a discussion was held during an 
informal consultation in June, and the Chairman reported on it at the Committee's October meeting.   At the October meeting and in light of a comment by a Member that additional discussion was warranted 
on the issue, the Committee agreed to further discuss the matter.    
7. Also during the June consultation on the non-c onsensus correlated tari ff lines, Members had 
considered the Secretariat document entitled "Transposition of Members' CTS Files to the HS 2007 Nomenclature - Notes on Methodology" (JOB(09)/24 and Addendum 1).  In light of comments made, 
corrections were introduced by the Secretariat to the document which was then circulated as 
JOB/MA/97 and put to the Committee for its considera tion at the October meeting.  At that meeting and 
in light of comments by a Member, the Committee agreed  to revert to the document at its next meeting.   
 8. At its May meeting, the Committee had also agreed that the Secretariat should prepare an amendment to the existing HS2007 transposition procedures along the lines of the amendment to the HS2002 procedures.  Such an amendment (JOB/MA/92/Rev.3)
4 was approved by the Committee at its 
October meeting.  The Committe e agreed to forward the document through the CTG to the General 
Council for adoption.   
  
E. INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2012  (HS2012)  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF 
CONCESSIONS  
9. At its meeting in May, the Committee t ook note of the HS 2007/2012 Correlation Tables 
(G/MA/W/105).  The Committee agreed that the Secr etariat should elaborate a procedure to introduce 
HS2012 changes to schedules of concessions using th e CTS database; such a procedure was to be 
based on the existing HS2002 and HS2007 procedures.  The Committee also agreed that the Secretariat should prepare a draft waiver decision relating to the HS2012 changes which should be based on the existing HS2002 and HS2007 draft waiver decisions. At its meeting in October, the 
Committee approved the procedure to introdu ce HS2012 changes to schedules of concessions 
(JOB/MA/98/Rev.1)
5 and agreed to forward the document through the CTG to the General Council 
for adoption.  The Committee also approved the "collective" waiver decision relating to the 
introduction of HS2012 changes (see paragraph 3).  
                                                      
4 The document was re-issued as G/MA/W/108.  
5 The document was re-issued as G/MA/W/109.  G/L/967 
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  F. IMPROVING THE TIMELINESS AND COMPLETENESS OF NOTIFICATIONS  
10. At the 12 May meeting, the Chairman reported on the consultations held on the subject of the 
Decision on Notification Procedures for Quantitative R estrictions (G/L/59).   At its meeting of 
14 October, in light of a comment by a Member th at it still had technical and procedural questions on 
the latest version of the draft decision (JOB/MA/71/ Rev.5), the Committee agreed to revert to this 
matter at its next meeting and to hold in formal consultations in the interim. 
 
G. DATABASES  
11. At its meetings in 2011, the Secretariat reported on the status of work concerning the 
Integrated Data Base (IDB) and the Consolidat ed Tariff Schedules (CTS) database. The reports 
provided information on inter alia  the use of information in the da tabases, the status of software 
development and technical assistance.  The Committee also took note of the document which reflected the status of submissions to the IDB (G/MA/ IDB/2/Rev.33, G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.33/Corr.1 and 
G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.34) and of the Secretariat efforts to enhance submissions to the IDB pursuant to the 
Committee decision of 13 July 2009 (G/MA/239). 
H. P
ARAGRAPH 18 OF THE PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION OF THE PEOPLE 'S REPUBLIC OF  
 CHINA – CHINA 'S TRANSITIONAL REVIEW MECHANISM  
12. At its meeting of 14 October, the Committ ee conducted the final transitional review under 
Paragraph 18 of the Protocol of Accession of the Peop le's Republic of China and agreed to forward its 
report in G/MA/258 to the CTG.  I. O
THER ACTIVITIES  
13. At its meeting in May, the Committee took note of the Secretariat document entitled 
"Situation of Schedules of WTO Members" (G/M A/W/23/Rev.7) which compiled in one place the 
legal instruments relating to each Member's schedule.   The Chairman also reported on the situation 
pertaining to the derestriction of certain bilate ral negotiating documentation relating to earlier GATT 
rounds of negotiations.  As of 12 May, the Committ ee noted that out of the 28 Members who had been 
contacted, 19 had provided written authorization to derestrict their negotiating material.  At its 
meeting in October, the Committee took note of st atements made regarding the increase by Brazil of 
the industrial product tax on imported cars.  
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