WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/808 
4 December 2006 
 (06-5821) 
  
  
 
REPORT (2006) OF THE COUN CIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS  
 
  In accordance with the "Procedures for an Annual Overview of WTO Activities and for 
Reporting under the WTO" (WT/L/105), the Council for Trade in Goods is to report each year to the 
General Council on the activities in the Council as well as in the subsidiary bodies. The reports are to 
be "factual in nature, containing an  indication of actions and decisions  taken, with cross references to 
reports of subordinate bodies and could follow the model of the GATT 1947 Council reports to the 
CONTRACTING PARTIES".  
 Since the CTG 2005 annual report (G/L/763) w as issued, the Council for Trade in Goods has 
met four times in formal session on the following  dates:  10 March 2006 (minutes contained in 
document G/C/M/83 and Corr.1);  9 May 2006 (G/C/M/84 and Corr.1);  12 July 2006 (G/C/M/85);  and 20 November 2006 (G/C/M/86
1).   
  The subject matters which were raised a nd/or acted upon in the Council are as follows: 
 
1. Election of Chairperson 2. Appointment of officers 3. Matters of the Committee on Market Access  4. Waivers under Article IX of the WTO Agreement 
5. EC enlargement 
6. Review of the operation of the Agreemen t on Trade-Related Investment Measures under 
 Article 9 7. Regional trade agreements 8. Issues related to trade in textiles 9. Certain Colombian customs measures applied to  imports of Panama and other WTO Members  
10. European Communities Regulation EC 1558/2005 regarding the administration of the quota 
for corn and sorghum from Spain and corn from Portugal 
11. Notifications 12. Transitional Review under Paragraph 18 of the Protocol on the Accession of the People's 
Republic of China 
13. Consideration of annual reports of subsidiary bodies 
 
1. Election of Chairperson for the Council for Trade in Goods   
 At its meeting of 10 March
 the Council elected H.E. Ambassador Yonov Frederick Agah 
(Nigeria) as its Chairman for 2006.  
                                                      
1 To be issued. G/L/808 
Page 2  
 
  2. Appointment of Officers for the subsidiary bodies of the Council  
 At its meeting of 10 March
, the Council took note of the consensus on the following persons 
nominated for election as Chairpersons of its subsidiary bodies:  
Customs Valuation Diana REAICH (New Zealand) 
Agriculture Christian HÄBERLI (Switzerland)  
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Ju an Antonio DORANTES SANCHEZ (Mexico) 
Anti-Dumping Practices Victoria CAMPEANU (Romania)  
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Keiya IIDA (Japan) 
Safeguards Seung-ho KIM (Korea) 
Import Licensing Evelio ALVARADO ROMERO (Guatemala) 
Rules of Origin Vera THORSTENSEN (Brazil)  
Market Access Mohammad SAEED (Pakistan)  
Technical Barriers to Trade Margers KRAMS (Latvia)  
TRIMs Alexis MASSOT (France)  
State Trading Enterprises Benjamin KATJIPUKA (Namibia) 
Committee of Participants on the Expansion of 
Trade in Information Technology Products (ITA 
Committee)  
Martin POSPISIL (Czech Republic) 
 
 
 At the same meeting, the Council agreed to proceed on the understanding that as concerns 
Vice-Chairpersons, it would be for the subsidiary bodies  to decide if they needed a Vice-Chairperson in 
cases where the option existed under the respective Ag reement and/or rules of procedure, and for the 
respective Chairperson to hold  the necessary consultations. 
 3. Matters of the Committee on Market Access  
 
 At its meetings on 9 May
 and 20 November  the Council took note of the periodic reports (in 
documents G/MA/191 and G/MA/193) of the Commit tee on Market Access.  Also, at the 20 November  
meeting, the Committee considered  a draft procedure for the intr oduction of the Harmonized System 
2007 changes to schedules of concessions using th e Consolidated Tariff Schedules (CTS) database 
(G/C/W/565) .  It agreed on the procedure outlined therein a nd recommended that the draft procedure be 
forwarded to the General Council for adoption. 
 
4. Waivers under Article IX of the WTO Agreement  
 (a) Introduction of Harmonized System 1996 changes into WTO Schedules of tariff concessions 
Requests for extensions of waiver (Argentina – G/C/W/547;  Panama – G/C/W/ 546) 
 At its meeting on 9 May
, the Council considered requests from Argentina and Panama for 
extensions of waivers in connection with the in troduction of HS96 changes to their Schedules of 
concessions.  The Council approved the waiver requ ests and recommended that the draft decisions 
contained in the cited G/C/W/- documents be forwarded to the General Council for adoption. 
 (b) Introduction of Harmonized System 2002 changes into WTO Schedules of tariff concessions  – Requests for a waiver (G/C/W/564)   At its meeting on 20 November
, the Council considered a collect ive request for a waiver in 
connection with the introduction of HS2002 chang es to the Schedules of concessions.  The Council  G/L/808 
 Page 3 
 
 
  approved the waiver request and recommended that  the draft decision contained in G/C/W/564 be 
forwarded to the General Council for adoption. 
 
(c) Introduction of Harmonized System 2007 chang es into WTO Schedules of tariff concessions 
 – Requests for a waiver (G/C/W/566) 
 
 At its meeting on 20 November , the Council considered a collect ive request for a waiver in 
connection with the introduction of HS 2007 chang es to the Schedules of concessions.  The Council 
approved the waiver request and recommended that  the draft decision contained in G/C/W/566 be 
forwarded to the General Council for adoption.  
 
(d) United States – Request for waiver for the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the 
Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, as amended and the ANDEAN Trade Promotion 
Act, as amended (G/C/W/508 and Add.1;   G/C/W/509 and Add.1;  G/C/W/510 and Add.1;  G/C/W/541;  G/C/W/542;  G/C/W/543) 
 
 At its meetings on 10 March
, the United States circulated for consideration draft waiver 
decisions for the three programmes.  The Council continued its consideration of these requests and 
their accompanying draft decisions at its meetings on 10 March , 9 May  and 20 November .     
 (e) Senegal – Request for an extension of the wa iver for continued use of minimum values for 
customs valuation purposes (G/C/W/523;  G/C/W/524;  G/C/W/551) 
  At its meeting on 10 March
 the Council considered a request from Senegal for an extension of 
its existing waiver allowing the use of minimum values for customs valuation purposes.  At its 
meeting on 9 May , the Council approved the waiver request and recommended that the draft decision 
contained in G/C/W/551 be forwarded to the General Council for adoption. 
 (f) European Communities – Request for an extensio n of Article XIII waiver for the tariff rate 
quota for bananas of ACP origin (G/C/W/529) 
  At its meetings on 10 March
, 9 May  and 12 July , the Council took note of the statements 
made agreed to revert to this matter at its next  meeting.  At its meeti ng on 20 November, the Council 
agreed that the Chairman would report on hi s own responsibility to the General Council on the 
discussions surrounding this request, and would request  that the General Council agree to allow it to 
continue to discuss the matter and to report back  to the General Council once this was completed. 
  
(g) European Communities – Request  for a waiver for the appli cation of the European Union 
Autonomous Preferential Treatment to the count ries of the Western Balkans (G/C/W/552;  
G/C/W/556) 
 At its meeting on 9 May , the Council considered a request from the European Communities  
for a waiver for the above programme.    At its meeting on 12 July , the Council approved the waiver 
request and recommended that the draft decision cont ained in G/C/W/556 be fo rwarded to the General 
Council for adoption.  
 (h) Canada - Request for an extension of the waiver for the CARIBBEAN Initiative (G/C/W/555;  
G/C/W/558)  
 At its meeting on 12 July
, the Council considered a request from Canada for an extension of 
its existing waiver for the above progr amme.  At its meeting on 20 November , the Council approved 
the waiver request and recommended that the draft decision contained in G/C/W/558 be forwarded to 
the General Council for adoption. G/L/808 
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(i) United States – Request for an extension of the waiver for the Kimberley Process 
Certification Scheme for R ough Diamonds (G/C/W/559/Rev.1 
  At its meeting on 12 July
, the Council took note of a statemen t from the United States that it 
intended to raise this matter at the Council's next meeting.  At its meeting on 20 November , the 
Council considered the draft decision contained in G/ C/W/559/Rev.1.  It approved the waiver request 
and recommended that the draft decision be fo rwarded to the General Council for adoption. 
 
(j) Cuba – Request for an extension of the waiver concerning GATT Article XV:6 (G/C/W/562) 
 At its meeting on 20 November,  the Council considered a request from Cuba for an extension of 
its existing waiver concerning GATT Article XV:6.  It approved the waiver request and recommended that the draft decision be forwarde d to the General Council for adoption.
 
5. EC enlargement  
  At its meeting on 10 March
, the Council heard a statement from Colombia on its concerns 
with the EC enlargement.  At its meeting on 12 July , the Council agreed on the extension of the 
deadline set out in the communication from the EC (G/L /695/Add.3).  The Council also agreed that, in 
referring to the statement by the Chair of the General Council on 29 June 2005 (document 
WT/GC/M/96), the Council did not need to refe r the matter to the General Council for adoption.  
 
6. Review of the operation of the Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures under 
Article 9  
 
(a) Review of the operation of th e TRIMs Agreement under Article 9  
  At its meetings on 10 March
, 9 May , 12 July , and 20 November , the Council took note of the 
statements made regarding, inter alia , the submissions  by Brazil and India in documents  G/C/W/428 
and JOB(04)/93.  The Chairman reported that hi s consultations had prove d inconclusive, and the 
Council agreed to revert to the matter at a future meeting.    
(b) Pakistan's request for extension of th e transition period under the TRIMs Agreement  
  At its meeting on 10 March
, the Council took note of Pakistan 's statement that it wished to 
formally withdraw its request.    
 
7. Regional Trade Agreements  
 
 At its meetings on 10 March , 9 May , 12 July , and 20 November , the Council adopted the 
terms of reference under which the CRTA should examine the following Agreements: 
 
A. Free Trade Agreement Between Mexico and Nicaragua 
B. Closer Economic Partnership Agreemen t Between Thailand and New Zealand 
C. Free Trade Agreement Between the United States and Morocco 
D. Free Trade Agreement Between Turkey and Morocco 
E. Free Trade Agreement Between The Republic of Korea and Singapore  G/L/808 
 Page 5 
 
 
  F. Dominican Republic – Central America – United States Free Trade Agreement 
G. Free Trade Agreement Between El Salvador and Mexico 
H. Free Trade Agreement Between Honduras and Mexico 
 I. Free Trade Agreement Between Guatemala and Mexico 
 
J. Free Trade Agreement Between Jordan and Singapore   K. Economic Partnership Agreemen t Between Japan and Malaysia 
 
L. Free Trade Agreement Between the EFTA States and The Republic of Korea 
 M. Free Trade Agreement Between Costa Rica and Mexico  N. Free Trade Agreement Between the United States and The Kingdom of Bahrain  
 
O. Enlargement of the European Union   P. Association Agreement Between th e European Communities and Algeria  
 
8. Issues Related to Trade in Textiles  
  At its meeting on 10 March
, the Council continued its discussion of the proposal contained in 
document G/C/W/522.  The Council agreed that the Chai r would further consult on this matter.  At the 
meeting of 9 May, the Chairman reported on his in formal consultations.  The Council continued its 
discussions on the basis of the previous proposal as well as on a new proposal contained in document 
G/C/W/549.   At the 12 July  and 20 November  meetings, the Council continued its discussion on the 
basis of the proposals in the two documents. 
   
9. Certain Colombian customs measures app lied to imports of Panama and other WTO 
Members 
 
 At its meeting on 9 May , the Council took note of the concerns and questions circulated by 
Panama in document G/C/W/548 as well as statements  by several other Members concerned by these 
measures.  It agreed to revert to this matter at  its next meeting.  At its meeting on 12 July , the Council 
took note of the responses received from Colomb ia in document G/C/W/554, as well as statements 
from several Members.  It agreed to revert to this  matter at its next meeting.  At its meeting on 20 
November , the Council took note of the statem ents from Members on the matter. 
 
10. European Communities Regulation EC 1558/2005 regarding the administration of the 
quota for corn and sorghum from Spain and corn from Portugal 
 At its meeting on 12 July , the Council took note of a statement from a Member seeking 
replies to questions it had posed to the EC on this matter.   
 
11. Notifications  
  Status of notifications under the provisions of the Agreements in Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement 
 
 At its meeting on 10 March
, the Council took note of the latest revision of the status of 
notifications contained in document G/L/223/Rev.13.  G/L/808 
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12. Transitional Review under paragraph 18 of th e Protocol on the Accession of the People's 
Republic of China  
 
 At its meeting on 20 November
, the Council took note of the reports of the CTG subsidiary 
bodies which had carried out their reviews, and carri ed out the CTG-specific review with respect to 
the information requirements stipulated in Annex 1A of the Protocol of Accession.  The Council agreed to send the report (G/L/807), together with th e reports of the subsidiary bodies, to the General 
Council.  13. Consideration of annual reports of subsidiary bodies of the CTG  
 
 At its meeting on 20 November
, the Council took note of the annu al reports of its subsidiary 
bodies.  
 
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