WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/TPR/284 
15 November 2011 
 (11-5866) 
Trade Policy Review Body  
  
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM 
 
Report of the Trade Policy Review Body for 2011 
 
Chairperson:  H.E. Mr. Mario Matus (Chile) 
 
 1. This Report by the Trade Policy Review Body provides a brief assessment of the TPRM, and 
reports on the reviews of Members conducted in 201 1.  Tables are annexed showing the Members that 
will have been reviewed up to the end of 2011, the geographical coverage of the reviews conducted to 
date, as well as the proposed programme of reviews for 2012. 
Activities of the TPRM 
2. The TPRB is required to periodically review the trade policies and practices of all Members.  
By the end of 2011, the TPRB will have conducted 338  reviews since its formation, at 254 review 
meetings (Annex I).  The reviews have covered 141 of 153 Members, representing some 89% of 
world trade and 96% of the trade of Members.1  The trade policies and practices of one Member were 
reviewed for the first time in 2011.2 
3. The Trade Policy Review Body will have  conducted 14 reviews in 2011 (Annex II).3  The 
Secretariat's reports continue to be prepared in close consultation with the authorities of the Member 
under review. 
4. Procedures for the reviews conducted in 2011 have  run smoothly.  Responses to requests for 
documentation and questionnaires have normally been provi ded at or close to the requested dates.  In 
line with recent practice, the S ecretariat has attempted to reduce the burden on Members under review 
of providing responses by using, to the extent possible, alternative sources of documentation, 
including Members' official web-sites or other authen tic sites on the Internet.  It has not been possible 
to do this for all Members under review, and request s for documentation continue to be followed up 
with a detailed questionnaire when  sufficient information is not av ailable from alternative sources.  
Secretariat visits to capitals have continued to be productive, and comments provided on Secretariat 
drafts have been pertinent;  close contact with th e Member under review  is necessary to help ensure 
the factual accuracy and clarity of the do cumentation prepared for the Review.   
5. Efforts continue to be made to space meeti ngs of the TPRB as evenly as possible throughout 
the year and to avoid clashes with other meetings at the WTO so as to reduce pressure on Members. 
6. The Trade Policy Review programme for 2012 comprises 20 review meetings for 
26 Members (Annex III).  
                                                      
1 Members not reviewed at end 2011 are:  Cap Verde, Cuba, Guinea Bissau,  the Kingdom of Saudi 
Arabia, Kuwait, Macedonia, Mold ova, Myanmar, Nepal, Tonga,  Ukraine, and Viet Nam. 
2 Cambodia. 
3 Three reviews scheduled for 2011 had to be moved to January/February 2012 to make way in the 
calendar for MC8. WT/TPR/284 
Page 2  
 
  Coverage of least developed countries (LDCs) 
7. Of the 32 least developed Members of the WTO,  29 will have been reviewed by the end of 
2011.4 
8. Trade Policy Reviews of LDCs have increasingly performed a technical assistance function 
along with increasing understanding of the trade policy st ructure in place and its relationship with the 
WTO Agreements.  The reviews have helped to enhance understanding in these countries of the WTO 
Agreements, enabling better compliance and integra tion in the multilateral trading system;  in some 
cases, better interaction between government agenci es has been facilitated by the reviews.  The 
reports' wide coverage of Members' policies also enables Members to identify any shortcomings in 
policy, and specific areas where further technical ass istance may be required.  The Secretariat Report 
includes a section on technical assistance and aid -for-trade needs and priorities, as identified in 
cooperation with the Member concerned, prepared in  close collaboration with staff of the secretariat 
of the Enhanced Integrated Framework as well as the WTO's Development Division and Institute for 
Training and Technical Cooperation. 
9. When requested by the Member concerned, th e Secretariat organizes ex-post seminars to 
discuss the outcome of the trade policy review process with domestic stakeholde rs.  No seminars were 
conducted in 2011. 
Monitoring of trade and trade-related measures 
10. The TPRM requires Members, in between their re views, to provide information on significant 
trade policy changes.  The WTO Secretariat uses this  and other information to prepare reports by the 
Director-General on a regular basis on the trade and trade-related developments of Members and 
Observer Governments.  The reports are di scussed at informal meetings of the TPRB.5  The WTO 
Secretariat consults closely with delegations to ga ther complete, up-to-date and accurate information 
on their trade and trade-related measures, and h as received good cooperation.  The information is 
consolidated and presented in the Director-Gen eral's Annual Report on Developments in the 
International Trading Environment, as called for by paragraph G of Anne x 3.  The 2011 Annual 
Report will be discussed by the TPRB in December 2011. 
11. A symposium was held on 1 July 2011 for TPRB Members to discuss the Financial and 
Economic Crisis and the Role of the WTO. 
                                                      
4 The least developed countries reviewed since th e establishment of the M echanism are:  Angola, 
Bangladesh (three times), Benin (three times), Burkina Faso (three times), Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Gambia (twice), Republic of Guinea (three 
times), Haiti, Lesotho (three times), Madagascar (twi ce), Malawi (twice), Mald ives, Mali (three times), 
Mauritania (twice), Mozambique (twice) , Niger (twice), Rwanda, Senegal (three times), Sierra Leone, the 
Solomon Islands (twice), Tanzania (twice) , Togo (twice), Uganda (three time s), and Zambia (three times).     
5 An informal meeting of the TPRB was held on 21 June 2011 to discuss the trade monitoring report 
contained in document WT/TPR/OV/W/5.  WT/TPR/284 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Annex  I  
TRADE POLICY REVIEWS  
WTO Members reviewed, 1989-2011 
 
Europe/Middle East Asia/Pacific Africa America 
Albania Australia (6) Angolab Argentina (3) 
Armenia Bangladeshb (3) Beninb,2 (3) Antigua and Barbuda2 (2) 
Austria1 Brunei Darussalam (2) Botswana2 (3) Barbados (2) 
Bahrain (2) Cambodiaa,b Burkina Fasob,2 (3) Belize (2) 
Bulgaria1 China (3) Burundib Bolivia (3) 
Croatia Fiji (2) Cameroon2 (3) Brazil (5) 
Cyprus1 Georgia Chadb Canada (9) 
Czech Republic1 (2) Hong Kong, China (6 ) Central African Republicb Chile (4) 
European Union (10) India (5) Congo, D.R.b Colombia (3) 
Finland1 Indonesia (5) Congo, Rep. of Costa Rica (3) 
Hungary1 (2) Japan (10) Côte d'Ivoire Dominica2 (2) 
Iceland (3) Korea, Rep. of  (5) Djiboutib Dominican Republic (3) 
Israel (3) Kyrgyz Republic Egypt (3) Ecuador (2) 
Liechtenstein2 (3) Macao, China (3)  Gabon2 (2) El Salvador (3) 
Norway (5) Malaysia (5) Gambia b (2) Guatemala (2) 
Poland1 (2) Maldivesb (2) Ghana (3) Grenada2 (2) 
Qatar Mongolia Guinea, Republic ofb  (3) Guyana (2) 
Romania1 (3) New Zealand (4) Kenya2 (3) Haitib 
Slovak Republic1 (2) Pakistan (3) Lesothob,2 (3) Honduras (2) 
Slovenia1 Papua New Guinea (2) Madagascarb (2) Jamaica (3)  
Sweden1 (2) Philippines (3) Malawib (2) Mexico (4) 
Switzerland2 (5) Singapore (5) Mali,2 (3) Nicaragua (2) 
Turkey (4) Solomon Islandsb (2) Mauritaniab (2) Panama 
United Arab Emirates Sri Lanka (3) Mauritius (3) Paraguay (3) 
Jordan Chinese Taipei (2) Morocco (4) Peru (3) 
Oman Thailand (6) Mozambiqueb (2) St.Kitts and Nevis2 (2) 
  N a m i b i a2 (3) St.Lucia2 (2) 
  N i g e rb,2 (2) St.Vincent & Grenadines2 (2) 
  Nigeria (4) Suriname 
  R w a n d ab Trinidad and Tobago (2) 
  S e n e g a lb,2 (3) United States (10) 
  S i e r r a  L e o n eb Uruguay (3) 
  South Africa2 (4) Venezuela (2) 
  Swaziland2 (3)  
  Tanzaniab,2 (2)  
  Togob (2)  
  Tunisia (2)  
  U g a n d ab,2 (3)  
  Z a m b i ab (3)  
  Z i m b a b w e  ( 2 )   
42 Members (60 reviews)  26 Member s (91 reviews) 40 Members (92 revi ews)  33 Members (95 reviews)  
( ) Number of reviews completed where this is greater than one. 
a First review in 2011. 
b Least developed Member. 
1 Now included in European Union (EU27). 
2 Joint review but counted as individual Members for statistical purposes from 2009. 
Reviews conducted at end- 2011   = 338 reviews at 254 review meetings 
WTO Members reviewed   = 141 out of 153 Members 
Least developed WTO Members reviewed   =     29 out of 32 
Share of world trade of WTO Members reviewed 
(excluding significant double counting and intra-EC trade) =  around 89% WT/TPR/284 
Page 4  
 
  Annex II 
Trade Policy Reviews conducted in 2011 
 
Membera Meeting date 
(scheduled) Review cycle (years) 
Jamaica (3) 18/01/2011 6 
Japan (10) 15/02/2011 2 
Australia (6) 05/04/2011 4 
Paraguay (3) 27/04/2011 6 
Canada (9) 20/06/2011 4 
Nigeria (4) 28/06/2011 6 
European Union (10) 06/07/2011 2 
India (5) 14/09/2011 4 
Guinea Conakry* (3) 28/09/2011 6 
Mauritania* (2) 28/09/2011 6 
Zimbabwe (2) 19/10/2011 6 
Cambodia* 01/11/2011 6 
Ecuador (2) 14/11/2011 6 
Thailand (6) 28/11/2011 4 
 
* Least developed country. 
a Figures in brackets indicate number of reviews. 
 
 
 
Annex III 
Proposed programme of reviews for 2012 
 
Two-year cycle China; United States 
Four-year cycle Korea, Rep. of; Norway; Singapore; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 
Turkey 
Six-year cycle Bangladesh*; Colombia; Côte d'Ivoire; EAC (Kenya, 
Tanzania*, Uganda*, Burundi*, Rwanda*); Guinea Bissau*; Iceland; Israel; Kuwait; Nepal*; Nicaragua; the Philippines; 
Trinidad and  Tobago; Togo*; United Arab Emirates; Uruguay 
 
* Least developed country. 
 
 
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