WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/721 
7 December 2004 
 (04-5213) 
  
  
 
REPORT (2004) 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 2003 annual report (G/L/665) w as issued, the Council for Trade in Goods has 
met seven times in formal session on the following dates:  26 January 2004 (minutes contained in 
document G/C/M/72);  27 April 2004 (G/C/M/73 and Corr.1);  5 July 2004 (G/C/M/74);  
1 October 2004 (G/C/M/75
1);  and 25 November 2004 (G/C/M/781).  It also held dedicated sessions 
on textiles and clothing on:  25 October 2004 (G/C/M/761);  and 11 and 19 November 2004 
(G/C/M/771). 
 
 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. Periodic reports of the Market Access Committee 
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. Major Review of the Implementation of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) in the 
Third Stage of the Integration Process purs uant to Article 8.11 of the Agreement 
9. Post-ATC Adjustment-Related Issues 10. Transitional Review under Pa ragraph 18 of the Protocol on the Accession of the People's 
Republic of China 
11. Notifications 
12. Consideration of annual reports of subsidiary bodies  
1. Election of Chairperson for the Council for Trade in Goods 
 At its meeting of 27 April
, the Council elected H.E. Ambassador Alfredo Vicente Chiaradia 
(Argentina) as its Chairman for 2004.  Following Am bassador Chiaradia's departure from Geneva, at its 
meeting of 25 October , the Council elected H.E. Ambassador Choi  Hyuck (Republic of Korea) as his 
successor.  
                                                     
 
1 To be issued later. G/L/721 
Page 2  
 
 2. Appointment of Officers for the subsidiary bodies of the Council 
 At its meeting of 27 April
, the Council took note of the consensus on the following persons 
nominated for election as Chairpersons of its subsidiary bodies2: 
 Committee on Agriculture Mr. R. Lapperre (Netherlands) 
Committee on Anti-Dumping Mr. E. Fernández (Costa Rica) 
Committee on Customs Valuation Mr. R. Twyman (United Kingdom) Committee on Import Licensing Ms. V. Campeanu (Romania) Committee on Market Access Dr. M. Farahat (Egypt) Committee on Rules of Origin Ms. V. Thorstensen (Brazil) 
Committee on Safeguards Mr. H. Drouet (France) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Mr. G. Young (United States) Committee on Subsidies and Counterva iling Measures Mr. N. Hirose (Japan) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Mr. S. Dalela (India) Committee on Trade-Related Investment M easures Mr. S. Palayathan (Mauritius) 
Working Party on State Trading Enterprises Mr. R. Mosisili (Lesotho) 
  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. Periodic reports of the Market Access Committee  
 
 At its meetings on 27 April
 and 1 October , the Council took note of the periodic reports (in 
documents G/MA/153 and G/MA/154) of the Comm ittee on Market Access.  
 
4. Waivers under Article IX of the WTO Agreement  
 
(a) Introduction of Harmonized System 1996 changes into WTO Schedules of tariff concessions 
– Requests for a waiver (Israel – G/L/670, G/C/W/482, G/L/687, G/C/W/492;  Malaysia – 
G/L/676, G/C/W/485;  Panama – G/L/672, G/C/W/483;  Pakistan – G/L/673, G/C/W/484;  
Argentina – G/L/693, G/C/W/493)  
 At its meeting on 27 April , the Council considered request s from Israel, Malaysia, Panama 
and Pakistan for waivers in connection with the introduction 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. 
 
 At its meeting on 1 October , the Council considered requests from Israel and Argentina in 
connection with the introduction of HS96 changes to their Schedules of tariff concessions.  The 
Council approved the waiver requests and recomme nded that the draft decisions contained in 
G/C/W/492 and G/C/W/493 be forwarded to the General Council for adoption. 
 
                                                      
2 Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products (ITA):  
Mr. Frédéric Seppey (Canada).  G/L/721 
 Page 3 
 
 
 (b) Introduction of Harmonized System 2002 changes into WTO Schedules of tariff concessions 
– Requests for a waiver (G/C/W/477, G/C/W/500/Rev.1) 
At its meetings on 26 January  and 25 November , the CTG recommended that the draft waiver 
decisions contained in documents G/C/W/477 and G/C/W/500/Rev.1 be forwarded to the General 
Council for adoption. 
 At its meeting on 25 November , Albania introduced its request for a waiver as contained in 
document G/C/W/504. 
5. EC enlargement 
 
 At its meeting on 1 October , the Council agreed on the extension of the deadline set out in the 
communication from the EC (G/L/695) and agreed to refer 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 the TRIMs Agreement under Article 9 
  At its meetings on 26 January
, 27 April , 5 July , 1 October  and 25 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 agreed to  undertake informal consultations, and to inform 
the Council of the results of his c onsultations at an appropriate time .  
 (b) Pakistan's request for extension of th e transition period under the TRIMs Agreement 
  At its meetings on 26 January
, 27 April , 5 July  and 1 October , the Council had before it 
Pakistan's request for the extension of the tran sition period under the TRIMs Agreement in document 
G/C/W/478.  The Chairman said that he was prepared  to conduct informal cons ultations on this matter 
as soon as interested Members were ready to engage.    
 
7. Regional Trade Agreements  
  At its meetings on 26 January
, 27 April , 5 July , 1 October  and 25 November , the Council 
adopted the terms of reference under which th e CRTA should examine the following Agreements: 
 (a) Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Chile  –  Notification from the parties to the Agreement  (WT/REG160/N/1, WT/REG160/1) 
 
(b) Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Singapore  –  Notification from the parties to the Agreement  (WT/REG161/N/1, WT/REG161/1)  (c) Closer Economic Partnership Arrangeme nt between China and Hong Kong, China 
 –  Notification from the parties to the Arrangement  (WT/REG162/N/1, WT/REG162/1) 
 
(d) Closer Economic Partnership Arrange ment between China and Macao, China 
 –  Notification from the parties to the Arrangement  (WT/REG163/N/1, WT/REG163/1)  (e) EC-Chile Interim Agreement 
 – Notification from the parties to the Agreement  (WT/REG164/N/1, WT/REG164/1, 
WT/REG164/2)  G/L/721 
Page 4  
 
  
(f) Free Trade Agreement between Chile and El Salvador  – Notification from the parties to the Agreement  (WT/REG165/N/1 and Corr.1, 
WT/REG165/1, WT/REG165/2) 
 
(g) Central European Free Trade Agreement – Accession of the Republic of Croatia 
 –  Notification from the parties to the Agreement  (WT/REG11/N/6, WT/REG11/12)  (h) Free Trade Agreement between Croatia and Albania  –  Notification from the parties to the Agreement  (WT/REG166/N/1, WT/REG166/1) 
 
(i) Free Trade Agreement between Albania and Bulgaria  –  Notification from the parties to the Agreement  (WT/REG167/N/1, WT/REG167/1)  (j) Free Trade Agreement between Albania and the United Nations Interim Administration 
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) 
 –  Notification from Albania  (WT/REG168/N/1, WT/REG168/1)  (k) Free Trade Agreement between the Republic of Korea and Chile  –  Notification from the parties (WT/REG169/N/1, WT/REG169/1)  
(l) Enlargement of the European Union 
 –  Notification from the European Communities (WT/REG170/N/1)  (m) Free Trade Agreement between Armenia and Ukraine  –  Notification from Armenia (WT/REG171/N/1, WT/REG171/1) 
 
(n) Free Trade Agreement between Armenia and Kazakhstan  –  Notification from Armenia (WT/REG172/N/1, WT/REG172/1)  (o) Free Trade Agreement between Armenia and Moldova  –  Notification from Armenia (WT/REG173/N/1, WT/REG173/1) 
 
(p) Free Trade Agreement between Armenia and the Russian Federation  –  Notification from Armenia (WT/REG174/N/1, WT/REG174/1)  (q) Free Trade Agreement between Armenia and Turkmenistan 
 –  Notification from Armenia (WT/REG175/N/1, WT/REG175/1) 
 (r) Protocol on Trade in the Southern African Development Community  –  Notification from Tanzania (WT/REG176/ N/1 and Rev.1, WT/REG176/1, WT/REG176/2) 
 (s) Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement between the European Community and Egypt 
 –  Notification from the parties to th e Agreement (WT/REG177/N/1, WT/REG177/1) 
 (t) Free Trade Agreement between Albania and Serbia-Montenegro  –  Notification from Albania (WT/REG178/N/1, WT/REG178/1)  8. Major Review of the Implementation of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing in the Third Stage of the Integration Process pursuant to Article 8.11 of the Agreement  
 
 At its meeting on 1 October
, the Council commenced with the Major Review of the 
Implementation of the Agreement on Textiles and Clot hing in the Third Stage of Integration.  The  G/L/721 
 Page 5 
 
 
 Council had before it the Comprehensive Report of the TMB to the CTG (G/L/683) and the 
Background Statistical Information with Respect to Trade in Textiles and Clothing (G/L/692).  
Twenty-one members of the International Textiles and Clothing Bureau (ITCB) circulated a communication contained in document G/C/W/495.  Dedicated sessions were held on 25 October
 and 
11 November , as well as several informal consultations . Informal consultations were held on 
25 October and 8 November on a specific topic.  At the meeting on 25 November , the Chairman 
reported on the results of the dedicated sessions  on 25 October and 11 November.  Following the 
Chairman's report, the CTG suspended considerati on of the item to allow for further discussions on 
the Draft Report with conclusions to finalize the Major Review process.  
 9. Post-ATC Adjustment-Related Issues 
 
 At its meeting on 1 October
, one Member introduced an "Initial Submission on Post-ATC 
Adjustment-related Issu es" (G/C/W/496).  This Initial Submis sion was co-sponsored by six other 
Members.  Three additional Members joined as co-sponsors (G/C/W/496/Rev.1).  In informal 
consultations on 26 October, another Member  introduced a second submission under the item 
"Contribution to the Debate on Post-ATC Relate d-Issues" (G/C/W/497).  The Chair consulted 
informally on this item on 26 October and 19 November.  At the CTG meeting on 25 November , the 
Chairman provided an oral report to the Council on the results of the consultations.  The Chairman 
will convene informal consultations at an appr opriate time.  The item will be discussed at a 
subsequent meeting of the CTG.  
 10. Transitional Review under paragraph 18 of th e Protocol on the Accession of the People's 
Republic of China  
 
At its meeting on 25 November
, the Council took note  of the reports of the CTG subsidiary 
bodies which had carried out their reviews and carried 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/722), together with the re ports of the subsidiary bodies, to the General 
Council.  
11. Notifications 
 
Status of notifications under the provisions of the Agreements in Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement 
 
 At its meeting on 5 July
, the Council took note of the latest revision of the status of 
notifications contained in document G/L/223/Rev. 11 and agreed that the G/L/223 series should be 
circulated once rather than twice a year.  
 
12. Consideration of annual reports of subsidiary bodies of the CTG  
 
 At its meeting on 25 November , the Council took note of the annu al reports of its subsidiary 
bodies. 
 
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