WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
G/MA/SPEC/49 
6 October 2011 
 (11-4862) 
Committee on Market Access  
 
 
 
DRAFT 
 
REPORT (2011) OF THE COMMITTEE ON MARKET ACCESS 
 
 
1. Since the last review1, 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 providing factual in formation on the requests for waiver extensions 
related to the Harmonized System  1996 (HS96) changes are contai ned in documents G/MA/245 and 
[G/MA/...].  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 meeting of 14 October, th e Committee elected (...) as the Vice-Chairperson.] 
 
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 th e introduction of HS1996 changes to its schedule2. 
[At its meeting of 14 October, the Committee a pproved the extension of the HS2002 "collective" 
waiver (G/C/W/653) and the extension of the HS 2007 "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 for appropriate action.] 
 
B. INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 1996  (HS1996)  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF 
 CONCESSIONS  
4. At its formal meetings in 2011, the Committee examined the s ituation related to the submission 
of HS1996 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 laid out in GATT document L/6905. It noted that 
Argentina had completed the procedures and that there were no more Memb ers under waiver for the 
purpose of implementing HS1996 cha nges.  The Committee also took note of the report by the 
Chairman on the status of work pursuant to the proce dures leading to the verification and certification of 
HS1996 changes relating to the schedules of 64 Me mbers (WT/L/756). The Committee further noted 
that only 3 out of 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). G/MA/SPEC/49 
Page 2  
 
  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 the HS2002 changes of Members were examined.  
The Committee further noted that the amendment to those procedures contained in WT/L/807 had 
enabled significant progress to be made in the certification process.   
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 Comm ittee at the World Customs Organization (WCO) 
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 exercise  was required. The Committee also agreed that the 
Secretariat should prepare an am endment to the existing HS2007 transposition procedures along the 
lines of the amendment to the HS2002 procedures.  [At its meeting of 14 October, the Chairman 
reported on the consultations he ha d held on how to address the corr elated tariff lines, on which no 
consensus had been reached in the WCO, in the context of this transposition exercise. The Committee also approved the amendment to the existing HS 2007 transposition procedures  (JOB/MA/92/Rev.3) and 
the methodological notes concerning the transp osition of Members' CTS files to the HS2007 
nomenclature (JOB/MA/97). ]  
E. 
INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2012  (HS2012)  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF 
CONCESSIONS  
7. At its meeting in May, the Committee took note of the Harmonized System 2007/2012 
Correlation Tables (G/MA/W/105).  The Committee agr eed that the Secretariat should elaborate a 
procedure to introduce HS2012 changes to schedules of concessions using the CTS database; such a 
procedure was to be based on the existing HS 2002 and HS2007 procedures.  The Committee also 
agreed that the Secretariat should prepare a draf t waiver decision relating to the HS2012 changes 
which should be based on the existing HS2002 and HS 2007 draft waiver decisions. [At its meeting in 
October, the Committee approved the procedure to introduce HS2012 changes to schedules of 
concessions (JOB/MA/98/Rev.1) and approved the "c ollective" waiver decision relating to the 
introduction of HS2012 changes (see also paragraph 3).]  
F. 
IMPROVING THE TIMELINESS AND COMPLETENESS OF NOTIFICATIONS  
8. At the 12 May meeting, the Chairman reporte d on the consultations held on this subject. [At 
its meeting of 14 October, the Committee approved the revised Decision on Notification Procedures 
for Quantitative Restrictions (JOB/MA/71/Rev.5) and forwarded it to the Council for Trade in Goods 
for adoption.]   
G. DATA
BASES  
9. 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/SPEC/49 
 Page 3 
 
 
  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. PARAGRAPH 18 OF THE PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION OF THE PEOPLE 'S REPUBLIC OF  
 CHINA – CHINA 'S TRANSITIONAL REVIEW MECHANISM  
10. [At its meeting of 14 October, the Co mmittee conducted the 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/..] to the Council for Trade in Goods.] 
 
I. OTHER ACTIVITIES  
11. 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.  
 
 The report will be completed in light of the discussions that will take place at the 
Committee meeting on 14 October 2011. 
 
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