WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/928 
4 October 2010 
 (10-5020) 
  
  
 
REPORT (2010) OF THE COMMITTEE  
ON TRADE-RELATED INVESTMENT MEASURES 
 
 
I. GENERAL 
1. This report is submitted pursuant to Article  7.3 of the Agreement on Trade-Related 
Investment Measures ("TRIMs" Agreement), which requires the Committee on Trade-Related 
Investment Measures (the "Committee") to report annually to the Council for Trade in Goods.  The 
Report covers the period Oc tober 2009 – October 2010.
1 
2. The Committee met formally once in 2010.  Th is meeting was held on 1 October 2010 under 
the Chairpersonship of Dr. Octavia CERCHEZ (Roman ia).  The minutes of the formal meeting may 
be found in document G/TRIMS/M/30.  The meet ing was open to all Members, governments with 
observer status in the WTO and international intergovernmental organizations to which the 
Committee has accorded regular observer status (IMF, OECD, UN, UNCTAD and World Bank).  
Decisions on requests for observer status made by  several other international organizations are 
pending. 
II. NOTIFICATIONS 
3. Pursuant to Article 5.1 of the Agreement on TRIMs, Members were required to notify any 
trade-related investment measure ("TRIM") inconsiste nt with the Agreement within 90 days after the 
entry into force of the WTO Agreement.  Article 5.2 of the Agreement allows for transition periods 
for the elimination of measures notified under Arti cle 5.1 and which were in existence at least 
180 days preceding the entry into force of the WTO Agreement.  Pursuant to a decision adopted by 
the General Council in April 1995, governments el igible to become orig inal WTO Members that 
accepted the WTO Agreement after 1 January 1995 ha d a period of 90 days after the date of their 
acceptance of the WTO Agreement to make the notifica tions foreseen in Article 5.1, with the period 
for the elimination of TRIMs notified under Article 5. 1 being governed by reference to the date of 
entry into force of the WTO Agreement itself.2 
4. Annex 1 to this report contains a list of a ll notifications of measures under Article 5.1.3  In the 
case of some Members, notifications have been submitted later than the 90-day period foreseen. 
                                                      
1 The annual report for 2009 is contained in document G/L/900 of 21 October 2009. 
2 WT/L/64. 
3 Notifications under Article 5.1 circulated in 1995 have been derestricted since 28 May 1996.  
Pursuant to the General Council's Decision of 14 May 2002 (WT/L/452), documents containing notifications 
under Articles 5.1, 5.5 and 6.2 are issued unrestricted. G/L/928 
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  5. Some Members have notified to the Committee th at they do not apply any TRIM inconsistent 
with the Agreement.  Annex 2 to this report lists  all Members that have made such notifications. 
6. Article 6.2 provides for notification to the Secret ariat of publications in which information on 
TRIMs can be found.  Annex 3 lists the Members th at have submitted such notifications.  During the 
period covered by this report, notif ications were made by Burkina F aso and Turkey, while Croatia; the 
European Union; and Peru submitted updated notifi cations.  As agreed by the Committee at its 
meeting on 20 May 2009, the Secretariat has been circulating reminders every six months.
4  These 
reminders contain guidance for all Members to i ndicate what Article 6.2 and its related decision 
required and to request that any information submitte d should also contain, if possible, any websites 
where relevant information could be found.  The re minders also request all Members that had never 
notified such publications to do so without delay an d request all Members that had previously notified 
to constantly update their notifica tions, if appropriate, without delay.   The latest updated list of these 
notifications has been circulated in document G/TRIMS/N/2/Rev.20. 
7. The European Union urged Members to abide by this notification obligation and provide the 
information required by Article 6.2 of the TRIMs Ag reement. The European Union also requested the 
Chairperson and the Secretariat to continue to encourage Members in this respect.    
III. SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT PROPOSALS RELATED TO THE 
TRIMS AGREEMENT 
8. Pursuant to the Decision adopted by the General Council on 1 August 2004 (WT/L/579) and 
paragraph 37 of the Hong Kong Ministerial D eclaration (WT/MIN(05)/DEC), the TRIMs Committee 
continued its consideration of the Category II Sp ecial and Differential Treatment ("S&D") proposals 
which were referred to it by the Ch airperson of the General Council. 
9. The proposals were originally submitted by the African Group in document 
TN/CTD/W/3/Rev.2 and relate to Articles 4 and 5.3 of the TRIMs Agreement.  In April 2007, Kenya 
on behalf of the African Group submitted a revised version of the proposals, which deals more 
specifically with the concerns of the proponents.5  In June and October 2007, the Chairperson held 
informal discussions with interested delegations  on the revised proposals.  These were further 
discussed at the meeting of the Committee held on 1 November 2007 at which the representative of 
Kenya said that they were open to listen to any ne w ideas concerning its proposals, particularly with 
respect to the drafting, and that the African Group fe lt that it had gone as far as it could on this issue, 
unless there were other suggestions by other Member s.  No further revisions to the draft proposals 
have been received from the proponents since th en.  In accordance with paragraph 37 of the 
Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration, the Chairp erson of the TRIMs Committee submitted an oral 
report (18 December 2007)6 to the General Council on the work  undertaken by the Committee with 
respect to the S&D proposals. 
10. At the Committee meeting of 23 October 2008, the Chairperson said that he would be willing 
to continue his informal consultations on this issu e should Members so wish and would report back to 
the Committee and the General Council at an a ppropriate time on any further developments. 
11. At the Committee meeting of 16 October 2009, no delegation took the floor with respect to 
this issue and the Chairperson indicated that she ha d no further developments to report to the General 
Council in this respect.  The Chairperson reiterated her willingness to continue informal consultations 
                                                      
4 Reminders for 2010 were circulated in documents G/TRIMS/W/73 and G/TRIMS/W /76. 
5 The latest revised version of the African Group's proposals was annexed to document 
G/TRIMS/M/29, and is reproduced in Annex 4 to this report. 
6 WT/GC/M/112, paragraph 142.  G/L/928 
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  on this issue should Members so wish and woul d report back to the Committee and the General 
Council at an appropriate time on any further deve lopments.  She invited Members requesting such 
consultations to contact her or the Secretariat in th is regard.  The Chairperson made an oral report to 
this effect to the General Council at its meeting held on 17 December 2009.7 
12. At the Committee meeting of 1 October 2010, no  delegation took the floor regarding this 
issue and the Chairperson indicated that she had no further developments to  report to the General 
Council in this respect.  The Chairperson reiterate d the willingness to continue informal consultations 
on this issue, should Members so wish, and indicated  that any further developments would be reported 
back to the Committee and the Ge neral Council at an appropriat e time.  She invited Members 
requesting such consultations to contact the Ch airperson or the Secretariat in this regard. 
IV. COMMUNICATIONS BY MEMBERS AND RELATED DISCUSSIONS 
13. Since the last Committee meeting in Oct ober 2009, a communication was received from 
Japan on 17 December 2010, entitle d "Questions from Japan on Indonesia's Regulations on 
Communication and Information regarding the Supp ly of the Universal Telecommunication Service 
Obligation and the Guidelines for Evaluation of th e Achievement of Domestic Component Level in 
Telecommunication Operations".8  Indonesia provided answers to Ja pan's questions in this respect.9  
Indonesia also provided answers10 to the questions posed by the European Union and the 
United States contained in the communication entitled "Certain Indonesian Laws and Draft 
Implementing Regulations on Mineral and Coal Mining".11 
14. At the Committee's regular meeting of  1 October 2010, the European Union and Japan placed 
the issue of certain new and proposed measures by Indonesia - addressing local content in investment 
in the telecommunications sector - on the agenda.  Both Members, supported by the United States, 
raised additional follow-up questions with respect to  this issue.  The European Union referred to its 
questions posed at the last Committee meeting in  October 2009, while Japan also posed additional 
written questions to Indonesia in th is regard prior to the meeting 12 and reiterated its concerns at the 
meeting.  Indonesia provided preliminary answer s at the meeting and indicated that Members' 
questions were already forwarded to Capital for more elaborate answers.   
15. At the same meeting, the issue of certain Indonesian laws and draft implementing regulations 
on mineral and coal mining was also placed on the ag enda at the request of the United States.  The 
United States, supported by Canada and the European  Union, posed additional questions to Indonesia 
pertaining to that issue.  Indonesia provided oral resp onses  to the questions posed and indicated that it 
would provide a written version of those answers in the future. 
V. OTHER BUSINESS  
16. The Chairperson informed the Committee of th e inquiry she received from the Chairman of 
the Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technol ogy concerning any discussion, submissions or 
other developments relating to trade and technology transfer which  took place in the Committee.  The 
Chairperson made available to the Committee the letter  she received in this regard as well as her letter 
responding to this request.  
                                                      
7 WT/GC/M/124, paragraph 52. 
8 G/TRIMS/W/71. 
9 G/TRIMS/W/75. 
10 G/TRIMS/W/74. 
11 G/TRIMS/W/70. 
12 G/TRIMS/W/78. G/L/928 
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  VI. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING 
17. The next Committee meeting w ill be held on 7 October 2011. 
VII. ELECTION OF OFFICERS 
18. At its meeting of 1 October 2010, the Comm ittee elected Mrs. Zhao HONG (China) as its 
Chairperson for the period 2010-2011. 
  G/L/928 
 Page 5 
 
 
  ANNEX 1 
 
Members that have Submitted Notifications under Article 5.1   
of the Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures  
 
 
Member  Document Symbol  Date of Communication  
Argentina G/TRIMS/N/1/ARG/1 30 March 1995 
Argentina G/TRIMS/N/1/ARG/1/Add.1 21 March 1997 
Barbados G/TRIMS/N/1/BRB/1 31 March 1995 
Bolivia1  G/TRIMS/N/1/BOL/1 24 June 1998 
Chile2  G/TRIMS/N/1/CHL/1 14 December 1995 
Colombia G/TRIMS/N/1/COL/1 31 March 1995 
Colombia G/TRIMS/N/1/COL/1/Add.1 4 June 1995 
Colombia3 G/TRIMS/N/1/COL/2 31 July 1995 
Colombia G/TRIMS/N/1/COL/2/Corr.1 30 September 1996 
Costa Rica4 G/TRIMS/N/1/CRI/1 30 March 1995 
Cuba5  G/TRIMS/N/1/CUB/1 18 July 1995 
Cyprus6  G/TRIMS/N/1/CYP/2 30 October 1995 
Dominican Republic G/TRIMS/N/1/DOM/1 26 April 1995 
Ecuador G/TRIMS/N/1/ECU/1 20 March 1996 
Egypt  G/TRIMS/N/1/EGY/1 29 September 1995 
India  G/TRIMS/N/1/IND/1 31 March 1995 
India  G/TRIMS/N/1/IND/1/Add.1 22 December 1995 
India  G/TRIMS/N/1/IND/1/Add.1/Corr.1 18 March 1996 
India  G/TRIMS/N/1/IND/1/Add.2 11 April 1996 
Indonesia G/TRIMS/N/1/IDN/1 23 May 1995 
Indonesia G/TRIMS/N/1/IDN/1/Add.1 28 October 1996 
Malaysia G/TRIMS/N/1/MYS/1 31 March 1995 
Malaysia G/TRIMS/N/1/MYS/1/Rev.1 14 March 1996 
Mexico  G/TRIMS/N/1/MEX/1 31 March 1995 
                                                      
1 Bolivia subsequently submitted a notification indicating that it does not apply any trade-related 
investment measures that are not in conformity  with the Agreement (G/TRIMS/N/1/BOL/1/Add.1). 
2 Chile subsequently submitted a notification indica ting that it has eliminated measures notified under 
Article 5.1 (G/TRIMS /N/1/CHL/1/Add.1). 
3 Colombia subsequently submitted a notification indicating that it had issued Decree No. 1473 of 
10 May 2004, whereby Decree No. 2439 of 1994 establis hing import control mechanisms for certain agricultural 
products had been repealed (G/TRIMS/N/1/COL/3).   
4 Costa Rica subsequently submitted a notification indicating that it intended to eliminate measures 
notified under Article 5.1 in advance of the expiry of the transition period (G /TRIMS/N/1/CRI/1/Add.1). 
5 Cuba subsequently informed the Committee that the measures notified by Cuba under Article 5.1 are 
no longer in force (G/TRIMS/M/3, paragraph 5). 
6 This notification superseded Cyprus' previous one  (G/TRIMS/N/1/CYP/1) of 29 June 1995; Cyprus 
subsequently submitted a notification indicating that it has eliminated measures notified under Article 5.1 
(G/TRIMS/N/1/CYP/2/Add.1). G/L/928 
Page 6  
 
  Member
 Document Symbol  Date of Communication  
Mexico7 G/TRIMS/N/1/MEX/1/Rev.18 31 March 1995 
Nigeria9 G/TRIMS/N/1/NGA/1 17 July 1996 
Pakistan G/TRIMS/N/1/PAK/1 30 March 1995 
Peru  G/TRIMS/N/1/PER/1 3 March 1995 
Philippines G/TRIMS/N/1/PHL/1 31 March 1995 Poland
10 G/TRIMS/N/1/POL/1 28 September 1995 
Romania G/TRIMS/N/1/ROM/1 31 March 1995 
South Africa G/TRIMS/N/1/ZAF/1 19 April 1995 
Thailand G/TRIMS/N/1/THA/1 30  March 1995 
Uganda  G/TRIMS/N/1/UGA/1 17 June 1997 
Uruguay G/TRIMS/N/1/URY/1 31 March 1995 
Uruguay G/TRIMS/N/1/URY/1/Add.1 30 August 1995 
Venezuela G/TRIMS/N/1/VEN/1 31 March 1995 
                                                      
7 Mexico subsequently submitted a notification indicating that all provisions under the Automotive 
Decree had ceased to be operative as of 1 January 2004 (G/C/42). 
8 In English only. 
9 Nigeria subsequently submitted a notification indicating that the Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Act 
of 1989 has been repealed and replaced with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Decree 1995 
(G/TRIMS/N/1/NGA/1/Add.1). 
10 Poland subsequently submitted a notification in dicating that it has eliminated measures notified 
under Article 5.1 (G/TRIMS/N/1/POL/1/Add.1).  G/L/928 
 Page 7 
 
 
  ANNEX 2 
 
Notifications Indicating that No TRIMs Inconsistent with the Agreement  
on Trade-Related Investment Measures are Maintained  
 
 
Member  Document Symbol  Date of Communication  
Bolivia  G/TRIMS/N/1/BOL/1/Add.1 4 March 1999 
Costa Rica   G/TRIMS/N/1/CRI/1/Add.11 16 September 1999 
Cyprus   G/TRIMS/N/1/CYP/2/Add.1 26 May 2000 
El Salvador G/TRIMS/N/1/SLV/1 5 November 2003 
Haiti  G/TRIMS/N/1/HTI/1 27 February 1998 
Honduras G/TRIMS/N/1/HND/1 7 July 1995 
Israel  G/TRIMS/N/1/ISR/1 24 October 1996 
Jamaica  G/TRIMS/N/1/JAM/1 9 June 1998 
Jordan   G/TRIMS/N/1/JOR/1 22 May 2000 
Maldives  G/TRIMS/N/1/MLV/1 30 September 1999 
Mali  G/TRIMS/N/1/MLI/1 27 May 1997 
Mauritius G/TRIMS/N/1/MUS/1 27 March 1995 
New Zealand G/TRIMS/N/1/NZL/1 20 May 1999 
Nicaragua G/TRIMS/N/1/NIC/1 18 July 1996 
Oman  G/TRIMS/N/1/OMN/1 20 December 2000 
Saint Lucia G/TRIMS/N/1/LCA/1 14 February 1996 
Saudi Arabia G/TRIMS/N/1/SAU/1 3 October 2006 
Singapore G/TRIMS/N/1/SGP/1 9 October 1996 
Slovenia G/TRIMS/N/1/SVN/1 27 March 1995 
Sri Lanka  G/TRIMS/N/1/LKA/1 14 March 2000 
Switzerland G/TRIMS/N/1/CHE/1 8 August 1995 
Chinese  Taipei  G/TRIMS/N/1/TPKM/1 27 May 2002 
Trinidad & Tobago G/TRIMS/N/1/TTO/1 1 April 1996 
Zambia  G/TRIMS/N/1/ZMB/1 13 April 1995 
 
                                                      
1 A Corrigendum to the English version was issued in G/TRIMS/N/1/CRI/1/Add.1/Corr.1, dated 
26 October 1999. G/L/928 
Page 8  
 
  ANNEX 3 
 
Members that have Submitted Notifications under Article 6.2 of
 
the Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures  
 
Albania Kyrgyz Republic 
Angola Liechtenstein 
Argentina Macao, China 
Armenia Madagascar 
Australia  Malaysia 
Bahrain Maldives 
Bolivia  Malí 
Brazil Mauritius 
Brunei Darussalam Mexico 
Burkina Faso Moldova 
Burundi Mongolia 
Cameroon Namibia 
Canada New Zealand 
Chad Nicaragua 
Chile Nigeria 
China Norway 
Colombia Oman 
Costa Rica Panama 
Croatia Paraguay 
Cuba Peru 
Dominica Philippines 
Dominican Republic Qatar 
Ecuador Saudi Arabia 
El Salvador Senegal 
European Union (including th e member States) Singapore 
Fiji Islands, Rep. of the South Africa 
Gabon Sri Lanka 
Georgia Suriname 
Ghana Switzerland 
Haiti Chinese Taipei 
Hong Kong, China Thailand 
Iceland Trinidad and Tobago 
India Tunisia 
Indonesia Turkey 
Israel Uganda 
Jamaica Ukraine 
Japan United States 
Jordan Uruguay 
Korea Venezuela, Bolivarian Rep. of 
Kuwait Zambia 
 Zimbabwe 
  G/L/928 
 Page 9 
 
 
  ANNEX 4 
 
April 2007 
 
S&D CATEGORY II PROPOSALS ON  
THE TRIMS AGREEMENT  
 
Revised proposal received from the delegation of  
Kenya on behalf of the African Group  
 
 
Proposal related to Article 4 of the TRIMs Agreement  
  Members shall interpret and apply Article 4 of the TRIMs Agreement in accordance with the 
balance-of-payments provisions referred to in Artic le 4 of the TRIMs Agreement, and in a manner 
that fully supports measures taken by developing and least-developed country Members to safeguard 
their external financial position, balance-of-payme nts and sufficiency of reserves, taking full account 
of paragraph 1.1 of the Ministerial Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns.
1  
  Members shall interpret and apply Article 4 of the TRIMs Agreement in accordance with the 
provisions of Article XVIII of GA TT 1994 referred to in Article 4 of the TRIMs Agreement, and in a 
manner that fully supports measures taken by de veloping and least-developed country Members to 
promote the establishment of a particular industr y, taking full account of paragraph 1.1 of the 
Ministerial Decision on Implementati on-Related Issues and Concerns.
2   
 
• In considering requests to apply TR IMs under Article XVIII of the GATT 1994, 
Members shall take into account any diffi culties encountered by  least-developed and 
developing countries in meeting the notif ication and consultation requirements 
contained in Article XVIII, paragraphs 14 to 19, and the WTO Secretariat shall 
accord them such technical assistance and support as they may need in order to 
prepare their notifications and to carry out those consultations. 
 
• In order to assist least-developed and other low-income developing  countries 
whose dependence on primary production is pa rticularly high and whose overall level 
of industrialisation is particularly low to accelerate their industrialisation process and to diversify the structure of their economi es in line with the objective recognized in 
Article XXXVI:5 of the GATT 1994 and its Ad Note, the phrase "free to deviate 
temporarily from the provisions of Article 2" that is contained in Article 4 of the TRIMs Agreement shall be understood to re fer, in the case of these countries, to a 
reasonable period of time sufficient to establish the particular industry in question on 
a competitive footing. 
                                                     
 
1 Paragraph 1.1 of the Ministerial Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns, adopted 
on 14 November 2001, "reaffirms that Article XVIII of  the GATT 1994 is a special and differential treatment 
provision for developing countries and that recourse to it should be less onerous than to Article XII of the GATT 1994". 
2 Ibid. G/L/928 
Page 10  
 
  Proposal related to Article 5.3 of the TRIMs Agreement
 
 
 Further to the Hong Kong Ministerial Decisi on in favour of least-developed countries on 
Special and Differential Treatment relating to the Agreement on Trade-Related Investment 
Measures3, other low-income developing countries that demonstrate difficulties in implementing 
the provisions of the TRIMs Agreement shall be provided with a new opportunity to notify TRIMs 
and to request transition periods to eliminate the measures.     With regard to requests made in this area by least-developed and other low-income 
developing country Members under Article IX of the WTO Ag reement, account shall be taken of 
their particular circumstances when setting the terms and conditions, incl uding time-frames, under 
which transition periods are granted.  
__________  
 
                                                     
 
3 WT/MIN(05)/DEC.