. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/W/149/Add.5 
24 November 2008 
 (08-5725) 
Committee on Trade and Development Original:   English 
  
 
DUTY-FREE, QUOTA-FREE MARKET ACCESS  
FOR THE LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 
 
Communication from the United States 
 
 
Addendum  
  
 The following communication, dated 20 November 2008, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of the United States. 
 
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 1. In previous submissions to the Committ ee on Trade and Development (CTD), the 
United States provided information on the procedural  steps the United States is taking to implement 
the decision contained in the Hong Kong Minister ial Declaration (WT/MIN(05)/DEC) on duty-free, 
quota-free market access (DFQF).   
2. The United States remains fully committed to  implementing the decision on DFQF to 
Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) on the terms agreed by Ministers in Hong Kong, together with the 
results of an agreement on the overall negotiati ons under the Doha Devel opment Agenda (DDA).  
Successful completion of the DDA is therefore a prerequisite for US implementation of the DFQF 
initiative.  The United States is also fully committed to implement this decision in a manner that will 
result in meaningful opportunities for products of LDCs.   
3. An overview of the implementation process under US law explained that while the 
United States already provides extensive duty-free tr eatment to the products of LDCs, new statutory 
authority will be needed to grant the benefits outlin ed in the Ministerial Decision.  This overview and 
the steps required for the United States to devel op the necessary legislation to implement DFQF are 
outlined in document WT/COMTD/W/149.   
4. The United States continues to evaluate the eff ect on current preference programmes, such as 
the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Caribbean Basin Initiative, of implementing the 
Hong Kong Decision on DFQF.  We are also continuing the consultation process with interested 
Parties to develop the legislation to implement the Hong Kong Decision to provide DFQF, including 
through legally-established c onsultation mechanisms.   
5. Interested WTO Members were offered the oppor tunity to participate in our consultative 
process in 2007, as addressed in documents WT/COMTD/W/149/Add.1 and Add.3.  The 
United States shared information with WTO Members regarding our Federal Register
1 notices 
                                                      
1 The Federal Register is the offici al publication of the United States.  It is published every business 
day and contains Federal agency regulations, proposed rules, notices, Executive Orders, proclamations, and 
other Presidential documents.  It can be acces sed at http://www.gpoacce ss.gov/nara/index.html. WT/COMTD/W/149/Add.5 
Page 2  
 
  requesting comments from the public on US implem entation of the Hong Kong Decision to provide 
DFQF to LDCs.  The closing date for receipt of comments was 15 April 2007.   
6. The United States received nearly 80 submissions from the public in response to these Federal 
Register notices, as explained in document WT/COMTD/W/149/Add.4.  We appreciated the participation by WTO Members and their representa tives in this aspect of the formal consultation 
process.  The responses
2 are available to the public for viewing on the internet at the www.ustr.gov  
website.  The direct link is:   
http://www.ustr.gov/WTO/WTO_Federal _Register_Notices/Section_Index.html  
7. In document WT/COMTD/W/149/Add.2, the United States also informed WTO Members 
that the United States Trade Representative (USTR ) transmitted a letter to the United States 
International Trade Commission (USITC) requesti ng an investigation of the probable economic 
effects on US producers and consumers associated with implementation of the Hong Kong Decision 
to provide DFQF.  Internal consultations between  the USTR and the USITC are on-going with respect 
to the economic effects associated with implementation.     
8. The information that the United States has provide d to WTO Members is intended to facilitate 
discussion on DFQF and to ensure transparency w ith respect to the US process, recognizing the 
complexity of the issues involved.  We hope other WTO Members share our commitment to transparency, and look forward to understanding mo re fully the implementation plans of others, 
including those developing countries in a position to provide DFQF. 
9. We look forward to providing appropriate de tails to inform the review process in the 
Committee on Trade and Development as our domes tic process moves ahead toward implementing 
the DFQF decision made at Hong Kong.  We are al so fully committed to making progress in the other 
areas of the Doha Round negotiations.  We look to ot her WTO Members to join us in working toward 
a successful outcome of the DDA, to lock in the im portant decisions made in  Hong Kong, including in 
regard to DFQF market access for products from LDCs. 
 
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2 Those responses requesting confidential treatment ar e not on the website.  The "business confidential" 
information contained in these resp onses is currently under review.