WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/AG/S/17 
10 February 2005 
 (05-0533) 
Committee on Agriculture 
Special Session  
 
 
 
  
PAST NEGOTIATIONS AND CONSULTATIONS  
ON TROPICAL PRODUCTS 
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
 
  At the request of the Special Session of th e Committee on Agriculture, the Secretariat has 
attempted to retrace the history of discussions and negotiations with respect to tropical products.  The 
major part of this note is based on GATT doc uments and publications which report on the 
consultations and negotiations with respect to tr opical products since the late 1950s.  It should be 
noted that there is no agreed definition of what a "tropical product" is, nor has there ever been.  
Various products, mostly primary products, of inter est to developing countries, have been included in 
the discussions at one point or another (see list in  Annex 1) and an indicative list of seven product 
groups emerged over time (attached as  Annex 2).  The indicative list of  tropical products referred to in 
the Uruguay Round is provided in Annex 4.     
 
 
                                                     
 
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretaria t's own responsibility and is without prejudice to the 
positions of Members or their right s or obligations under the WTO. TN/AG/S/17 
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 LIST OF CONTENTS 
 
I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... ................3  
II. COMMI TTEE III .................................................................................................................. ..................3  
III. DILLON ROUND................................................................................................................... .................4  
IV. SPECIAL GROUP ON TRADE IN  TROPICAL PRODUCTS ..........................................................5  
V. KENNEDY ROUND .................................................................................................................. .............6  
FOLLOW -UP TO THE KENNEDY ROUND ......................................................................................................7  
VI. TOKYO ROUND.................................................................................................................... .................8  
VII. POST-TOKYO ROUND DISCUSSIONS AND THE 1982-1984 CONSULTATIONS.....................9  
VIII. THE URUGUAY ROUND.............................................................................................................. ......10  
A.  MID-TERM REVIEW ............................................................................................................................12  
B.  POST-MONTREAL /GENEVA ................................................................................................................13  
IX. POST URUGUAY DISCUSSIONS/DDA ............................................................................................13  
ANNEX 1........................................................................................................................ .....................................16  
INDICATIVE LIST OF TARIFF HEADINGS  AS PROVIDED IN ANNEX 1...............................................16  
OF COM.TD/W/310 (26 JUNE 1980) ................................................................................................. ........16  
ANNEX 2........................................................................................................................ .....................................17  
INDICATIVE LIST AS PROVIDED IN TABLE 1 OF  MTN.GNG/NG6/W/1  (20 FEBRUARY 1987) .........17  
Product Groups Covered by the 1982-1984 Consu ltations and Releva nt Docume nts ...............................................17  
ANNEX 3........................................................................................................................ .....................................18  
SUMMARY TABLE 1 REPRODUCED FROM ANNEX 2 OF COM.TD/W/310 (26 JUNE 1980) ..............18  
Pre- and Post-MTN (Tokyo Round) m.f.n. Tariff Averages1....................................................................................18  
of Industrial Countries and Relevant Impor t Statistics ......................................................................... .....................18  
ANNEX 4........................................................................................................................ .....................................19  
INDICATIVE LIST OF TROPICAL PRODUCT S USED IN THE URUGUAY ROUND .............................19  
ANNEX 5........................................................................................................................ .....................................20  
TECHNICA L NOTE................................................................................................................. ....................20  
Market Access and Export Subs idy Commitments  for the........................................................................... .............20  
Agricultural Tropical Produc ts Listed in  Annex 4............................................................................... ......................20   TN/AG/S/17 
 Page 3 
 
 
  
I. INTRODUCTION 
1. Tropical products have been extensively discu ssed since early on in the multilateral trading 
system in view of their importance for the trad e of a number of exporting developing country 
Contracting Parties to the GATT.  The term "tr opical products" was probably not used as a generic 
term in GATT documents until around 1957.  Before that time, GATT C ontracting Parties  referred to 
particular products such as cocoa, coffee and tea,  which were discussed on a regular basis as "primary 
products" of interest to developing countries and in the context of commodity problems and their 
impact on international trade.  Soon, coffee, tea and cocoa products started to be referred to as 
"tropical beverages".   
II. COMMITTEE III 
2. In November 1958, the CONTRACTING PART IES decided to "initiate immediate 
consideration of a co-ordinated programme of action directed to a substantial advance towards the attainment of the objectives of th e General Agreement through the fu rther reduction of barriers to the 
expansion of international trade."  One of the prin cipal topics of the progr amme concerned  "other 
obstacles to the expansion of trad e, with particular reference to the importance of maintaining and 
expanding the export earnings of  the less developed countries".
2  With the aim of drawing up the lines of 
the action to be taken for the implementation of  the co-ordinated programme, a Committee was 
established with the following terms of reference: 
"To consider and report to the CONTRA CTING PARTIES regarding other measures 
for the expansion of trade, with partic ular reference to the importance of the 
maintenance and expans ion of export earnings of the le ss developed countries to the 
development and diversification of their economies." 3 
3. This Committee was called "Committee III".4  At its first meeting in March 1959, it drew up 
an initial work programme according to which devel oping countries "were to submit a list of primary 
and secondary products (including mi nerals and metals) a nd manufactured goods produced by them in 
which they have an actual or pot ential export trade."  The collecte d background material  and "any other 
relevant factors" would be studied to see what pr actical measures could be  taken "to reduce such 
obstacles to the maintenance and expansion of e xport earnings of less de veloped countries as are 
disclosed, and in order to examine the possible adva ntages to trade of less developed countries of 
reductions in revenue and in ternal fiscal charges...". 
4. In 1959 and 1961, Committee III studied in detail the barriers to trade in tropical products 
beside other commodities and, in its successive reports, drew atte ntion to the adverse effects on the 
exports of developing countries5 caused, in particular, by high custom s duties and internal fiscal charges 
on tropical products in importing countries.6 
5. The Committee also studied whether it would be  possible to channel expansion of existing 
industries or to start new industries by developing countries in directions where such countries would 
be economically efficient.  Furthermore, the Co mmittee examined measures that developing countries 
could take with, where appropriate, technical assistance and advice from other countries and 
                                                      
2 For many years, the terms "less developed countries" comprised all developing countries including least-
developed countries. 
3   See BISD 7th Supplement, pp. 27-29. 
4   Replaced in 1965 by the Committee on Trade and Development. 
5   Developing countries as used in this note includes least developed countries. 
6   See BISD 8th Supplement, pp.132-141;   9th Supplement, pp. 120-169;  a nd 10th Supplement, pp. 167 – 185, as 
referred to in SGTP/10. TN/AG/S/17 
Page 4  
 
 international organizations in order to (i) improve  their own production and marketing techniques, and 
(ii) examine their trade controls or other internal  measures, which might disc ourage exports of their 
products or imports from ot her developing countries.
7 
6. The Committee started its examination by looking at  the obstacles to the expansion of trade in 
eleven products of particular interest to devel oping countries, namely, vegetable oils and seeds;  
cocoa;  tobacco;  jute manufactures;  cotton manufactur es;  cotton;  tea;  timber;  coffee;  copper;  and 
lead.  It was understood that the examination of other pr oducts would be undertake n as soon as feasible.8  
At its September meeting,  the Committee appointed a Working Pa rty with the mandate of identifying 
and describing, on the basis of available material (s ubmitted by delegations and the Secretariat), the 
main obstacles to the expansion of  imports of the selected products exported by developing countries.  
The Working Party identified and described what at the time was considered to be  the main obstacles to 
the expansion of developing countries exports namely tariffs, revenue duties and internal fiscal charges, 
quantitative restrictions (including  import quotas), restrictive state- trading practices and certain other 
measures.9 
7. The Committee carried out a detailed examination of the possible detrimental effects on the 
export trade of developing countries of the measur es mentioned in paragraph 6 above.  The Committee 
found that for some of the products concerned, more than one of these main ob stacles to expansion of 
trade were present.10 
8. Committee III concluded inter alia  that further study was required, but, meanwhile, that the 
apparent obstacles and diffi culties noted "should be examined urgently  by contracting pa rties, especially 
industrialized countries, with a view  to taking action, where feasible, to afford rapid relief to less-
developed countries."  Some developi ng countries drew attention, in particular, to the total level of 
taxation on certain important primar y products, such as coffee and te a, which were subject to high 
revenue duties in certain develope d countries.  This, they consid ered, was a major restraint on 
consumption and import demand, and thus an obstacle to the development of the export earnings of 
developing countries exporting these products.  They we re of the opinion that a substantial contribution 
could be made by these developed countries throu gh the alleviation of these revenue duties, giving 
developing countries better  access to the markets of developed countries.  Developing countries thus 
urged the Committee to recommend to the CONTRA CTING PARTIES, in line with the Interpretative 
Note to Article 17 of the Havana Charter,11 that revenue duties and internal fiscal charges imposed on 
products of which there was no substa ntial domestic production be recogn ized as negotiable in the rules 
and procedures for the forthcoming tariff negotiations  ("Dillon Round").  They considered that these 
taxes were no less effective than customs duties in restraining imports and shoul d accordingly be subject 
to the same negotiating procedures, as had been  the practice before the 1956 negotiation rules. 
III. DILLON ROUND 
9. The Dillon Round (1959-1961) was the last of th e traditional GATT tariff negotiation rounds, 
providing a multilateral framework for a set of bilateral item-by-item tariff-only negotiations.  
Concessions granted in the negotiatio ns were extended to all contracting parties on an MFN basis.  
Preferential concessions could be gr anted to the extent of their confor mity with paragraph 2 of Article I 
                                                      
7 See BISD 08th Supplement, pp. 132-135. 
8 L/1063, BISD 08th Supplement, pp. 135-141. 
9 Idem.  
10 For details, see L/1162,  BISD 09S, pp. 120-144. 
11 Havana Charter, ad Article 17:  
"An internal tax (other than a general tax uniformly a pplicable to a considerable number of products) which is 
applied to a product not produced domestically in substantial quantities shall be treated as a customs duty under Article 17 in  
any case in which a tariff concession on the product would not be of substantial value unless accompanied by a binding or a 
reduction of the tax."   TN/AG/S/17 
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 of the General Agreement, permitting the maintenance of margins of preference pre-dating the GATT.   
However, the Dillon Round did not provide for any rules or procedures applying only to developing 
countries.   
10. In the first few years of the GATT's existence, it was generally accepted that developing 
countries should neither be treated as separate nor as a ho mogeneous category and that the trade interests 
of these countries would differ with the problem under  examination.  However, with the publication of 
the "Haberler Report"12 in 1958, a new philosophy began slowly  to emerge.  The Tariff Negotiations 
Committee in the Dillon R ound dealt with the participation of deve loping countries as a separate item, 
Some participants indicated in this  connection that they would not re quire strict reciprocity from these 
countries.  However, even before the end of the Di llon Round, the limitations of the approach used in 
those negotiations were recognized.  Thus, at the Ministerial me eting held in November 1961, it was 
agreed that new initiatives should be taken, including, inter alia , a more flexible approach with respect 
to the reciprocity to be expected from developing countries, bearing in mind their degree of economic 
development.13 
11. The following year, Committee III examined progress with respect to the eleven products 
mentioned above (paragraph 6).  It noted, for instance , the gradual decrease in internal taxes on imports 
of coffee and cocoa in several developed countries but noted that much more needed to be done to 
expand trade.  Some countries also noted th e continued presence of  tariff escalation.  
12. The Ministerial meeting in November 1961 resulted in a decision by Ministers to take, inter 
alia, immediate steps to establish specific programmes fo r action, and, where feasible, target terminal 
dates for progressive reduction and elimination of barriers to the exports of developing countries, 
bearing in mind the view of most Ministers that the question of duty-free entry for tropical products 
should be given careful consideration.  It was c onsidered that Committee III was the appropriate body 
to carry out this work.14 
IV. SPECIAL GROUP ON TRADE IN TROPICAL PRODUCTS 
13. Following a recommendation by Committee III,15 the GATT Council established, in 
February 1962, a "Special Group on Trade in Tropical Products" with the following terms of 
reference:  
"Taking into account all factors bearing on present and future 
problems in international trade in tropical products (cocoa, coffee, tea, vegetable oilseeds and oils and tropical timber), to consider ways 
of overcoming difficulties confr onting less-developed countries 
exporting these products and to ma ke appropriate proposals bearing 
in mind, among other things, the Conclusions of the Ministerial meeting and the Decision of 7 December 1961."
16 
14. On the basis of its own discussions and the report of a Sub-Group17 established by it, the 
Special Group made two sets of recommendations for submission to Ministers, meeting in May 1963, 
namely (i) general recommendations which certain contracting parties could not subscribe to, and 
                                                      
12 Trends in International Trade, October 1958. 
13 See MTN/W/8. 
14 For details, see BISD 10th Supplement, pp. 25-34. 
15 See L/1732, BISD 11th Supplement, p. 173. 
16 L/2001, BISD 12th Supplement, pp. 152 – 161. 
17 For the Sub-Group's terms of re ference, see L/1817, page 9. TN/AG/S/17 
Page 6  
 
 (ii) recommendations with respect to individual tropical products which certain contracting parties 
could not subscribe to fully either.
18   
15. In light of the findings of the Special Group on Trade in Tropical Products and those of 
Committee III, the Ministerial Meeting of th e CONTRACTING PARTIES, held in May 1963, 
considered an action programme which include d "duty-free entry for tropical products and 
progressive reduction of internal fi scal charges and revenue duties."19 
V. KENNEDY ROUND 
16. The Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) set up in the Kennedy Round of Multilateral Trade 
Negotiations (MTN) (1964 – 1967) met at Ministerial level in May 1964 and, for the first time, agreed 
to treat tropical products as a special sector in the negotiations.20  As a consequence, in March 1965 
the TNC transformed the Special Group on Trade in Tropical Products into a negotiating body with 
the mandate "to pursue further the question of trade in tropical products with a view to working out arrangements and procedures for treatment in the trade negotiations."   
17. The Group was not able to reach agreement on a common definition of the sector.  However, 
it agreed that it was not essential to have an agreed and recognized list of tropical products for the 
negotiations to begin, particularly as a number of pa rticipating countries had indicated clearly that, in 
tabling their offers, they would take into account tropical products included in the lists submitted by 
developing countries, "irrespective of whether or not these products figured on an indicative list of 
tropical products [drawn up by the secretariat]."
21  With regard to the timetable for negotiations, the 
Group decided to proceed on the basis of a partial agreement providing for submission of specific and 
concrete offers in respect of tropical products on th e same date as the offers on agricultural products 
in general.  The outcome of the Kennedy Round negotiations for developing countries was a number 
of MFN tariff reductions and elimin ations as well as bindings at ex isting rates by developed country 
participants.22 
18. In its report to the CONTRACTING PARTIES at  the end of the negotiations, the Committee 
on Trade and Developments stated inter alia23 "Although tariff concessions were granted by many 
contracting parties in respect of many tropical pr oducts, the objective of tax and duty-free entry was 
not achieved for all tropical products in the Kenne dy Round negotiations.  The most common reasons 
for maintaining duties and taxes on tropical products were the need to maintain preferential margins 
for certain preferential suppliers, the protection of domestic agriculture against competition from, or 
substitution by, imported tropical prod ucts, and fiscal considerations."24   
19. According to the calculations made by the GA TT Secretariat in the report of the Ad Hoc 
Group on the assessment of the Kennedy Round Results,25 established by the Committee on Trade and 
Development, total imports from developing countries into the markets of the six developed participants, excluding preferential sources, amount ed to approximately US$20,080 million in 1964.
26  
Excluding the figures for cereals, meat and dair y products and fuels, imports amounted to 
US$12,210 million.  Imports of tropical products amounted to US$4,041 million. 
                                                      
18 Those mentioned in the Special Group' s terms of reference plus bananas. 
19 BISD, 12th Supplement, page 37, as refe rred to in document SGTP/10. 
20 BISD 13th Supplement, pp. 109 – 112. 
21 Paragraph 46, MTN/W/8. 
22 See also BISD 15th Supplement, pp. 148-155. 
23 L/2912, BISD 15th Supplement, pp.139 -155.  (As not ed in footnote 4 above, the Committee on Trade and 
Development replaced Committee III in 1965.) 
24 L/2912, Section II, BISD 15th Supplement. 
25 L/2912, Annex 1, BISD 15th Supplement. 
26 European Economic Community, Ja pan, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United  States.  TN/AG/S/17 
 Page 7 
 
 
 20. The extent to which the imports of US$12,210 million were affected by tariff reductions 
negotiated during the Kennedy Round were as follows:  before the Kennedy Round, 
US$7,140 million (i.e. 58 per cent) imported into the six developed country markets mentioned in 
footnote 26 had been admitted duty free.  Another US$2,980 million of the imports were subject to 
reduced tariffs.   
21. As for tropical products prior to the Kennedy Round, US$2,070 million worth of imports 
entered duty free into those six markets and some US $1,971 million worth of products were subject to 
reduced rates.  As a result of the Kennedy Round, another US$125 million worth became duty free 
and a further US$167 million worth of imports had their duties reduced by 50 per cent or more.  The tariffs of US$685 million worth of products were re duced by less than 50 per cent.  The duties on 
tropical products valued at US$994 million were not reduced.
27 
 F OLLOW -UP TO THE KENNEDY ROUND  
22. Reviewing their work over the last two d ecades during their twenty-fourth session (1967),28 
the GATT CONTRACTING PARTIES agreed to reacti vate the Special Group on Trade in Tropical 
Products (see paragra ph 13 et seq. above) with the fo llowing terms of reference: 
"to examine problems affecting trade in tropical products, and to 
report on ways and means of overcoming those problems." 
The CONTRACTING PARTIES also agreed that the Special Gr oup should, "among other problems, 
study the incidence of internal charge s and revenue duties on tropical products."29 
 23. At its meeting at the beginning of 1968, the Group agreed that for the purpose of the 
preparatory work and in order to formulate proposals, attention should, to start with, be given to tea, 
coffee, cocoa, bananas, vegetable seeds and oils, and spices.  It was also agreed that governments 
should be invited to submit proposals on the nature and scope of its work after the conclusion of the 
UNCTAD session in New Delhi.
30 
24. Four Contracting Parties put forward proposals.31  The proposals submitted sought 
consideration by the Special Group of problems re lating to tariff and non-tariff barriers including 
fiscal charges and revenue duties, as well as problems  with respect to "the existence of certain 
preferential arrangements."  It was also suggested that the Special Group investigate the difficulties in 
marketing, the instability in prices and competition from synthetics.  It should also evaluate the effects 
of other barriers on trade and consumption as well as of their elimination. 
25. In July 1968, the Special Group requested the Secretariat to elaborate further the studies 
which it had already undertaken on problems relating to  tropical products, in particular with respect to 
the effects of revenue duties and internal charg es in developed countries on the trade in tropical 
products.  After the exchange of views at the mee ting in July, the consensus was that the Special 
Group on Trade in Tropical Products should continue to take responsibility for exploring ways and 
means of resolving problems in the trade in tropical  products.  Informal cons ultations should be held 
with interested countries, including non-GATT memb ers, with regard to the particular tropical 
                                                      
27 For more details, see L/2912, Annex 1, BISD 15th Supplement. 
28 It may be noted that the CONTRACTING PARTIES had discussed the possibility of introducing a Generalized 
System of Preferences and individual developed countries started to put in place such a system in the first few years of the 
1970s, although at least one country had alr eady started in the mid-1960s.  These preferences often provided for free entry of 
some tropical products. 
29 BISD 15th Supplement, page 71. 
30 SGTP/10. 
31 Brazil, Ceylon, Kenya and the United States. TN/AG/S/17 
Page 8  
 
 products selected for priority consideration in orde r that appropriate action might be pursued in the 
Group.
32 
26. Consequently, at the end of 1968, the C ONTRACTING PARTIES requested the Group on 
Trade in Tropical Products "to continue its task of exploring ways and means of resolving problems in 
the trade in tropical products on a commodity-by-comm odity basis, taking into account the work done 
in other international bodies."33 
VI. TOKYO ROUND 
27. The 1973 Tokyo Declaration which starte d the Tokyo Round of Multilateral Trade 
Negotiations (1973 – 1979), provided that tropical products were to be treated as a "special and 
priority sector".  The negotiations were to c over tariffs, non-tariff barriers and other measures 
affecting trade in primary tropical products or at any stage of processing.  Negotiations on these 
products got under way earlier than those on other products, following the preparatory work carried 
out by GATT's Trade and Development Committe e and its Special Group on Trade in Tropical 
Products.  The preparatory work also included examination of possible negotiation techniques. 
28. As in the Kennedy Round, the negotiations were  carried out without any prior definition of 
tropical products:  it was considered to be counte r-productive to prejudge the scope of the negotiation 
on tropical products, given the fact that, on the one hand, the exports of many developing countries were more diversified and that, on the other ha nd, the economic and trade situation in individual 
developed-country markets varied according to products.
34  
29. Agreement on specific aims was made difficult,  if not impossible, by the differences in 
positions and interests between developing countries themselves, particularly in the context of 
preferences.  Divergent views on preferences also  existed between the developed countries.  In 
addition, a number of problems regarding several tr opical products were raised, for instance, certain 
vegetable oils and oilseeds could replace and/or compete with, temperate-zone products. Others – 
such as rice, sugar and tobacco – were produced  in both developed and developing countries.  
Concerns of this kind had already discouraged a better result in the Kennedy Round and would turn 
out to be significant also in the Tokyo Round.  The question of an adequate negotiating basis 
involving interpretation of paragr aph 5 of the Tokyo Declaration35 as regards reciprocity and 
developing countries had an influence on the conduct of negotiations in the field of tropical products 
as well.36 
30. Consequently, requests submitted by devel oping countries in the tropical products 
negotiations covered a wide range  of products.  In response to these requests, developed-country 
participants submitted offers on items which they considered as being tropical products or as being 
appropriate for the tropica l products negotiations. 
31. The negotiations on tropical produc ts were conducted in two st ages and carried out without 
prejudice to the definition of tropical products.  The first stage was taking place from 1975 to 1977 within the framework of the negotiating group on "T ropical Products" set up in February 1975.  Under 
                                                     
 
32 SGTP/10. 
33 L/3155, BISD 16th Supplement, page 4. 
34 See MTN.GNG/NG6/W/1. 
35 This paragraph of the Declaration indicates, inter alia,  that the "negotiations shall be conducted on the basis of 
the principles of mutual advantage, mutual commitment and ove rall reciprocity...".  However, it also indicates that the 
developed countries "do not expect the de veloping countries ... to make contributi ons which are inconsistent with their 
individual development, fi nancial and trade needs." 
36 The Tokyo Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, Re port by the Director-General of GATT, Geneva, 
April 1979, pp. 37 et seq.  TN/AG/S/17 
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 the procedures for negotiations on tropical products,37 developing countries submitted requests for 
concessions on tariffs and non-tariff measures in the second part of 1975.  In the first part of the 
following year, the eleven countries to which such  requests had been addressed put forward their 
initial offers, followed by a series of bilateral a nd plurilateral consultati ons/negotiations.  These 
consultations were chiefly meant to improve the offe rs and to seek early implementation of any results 
attained.  The outcome of the first stage of th e negotiations included a number of MFN tariff 
reductions, GSP improvements and so me actions on non-tariff measures offered by developed country 
participants.  These concessions and contributions  were implemented on an autonomous basis by 
some countries in 1976 and by others in the early months of 1977, i.e., prior to the conclusion of the Tokyo Round.
38 
32. Within the framework of the negotiating gro ups on "Agricultural Products" and on "Non-
Tariff Measures", procedures were agreed in July 1977 for the submission of requests and offers on 
agricultural products and on non-tariff measures.  Requests by developing countries in the tropical 
products negotiations, which were s till pending or which in the view of  the requesting country had not 
been fully satisfied, were considered to have  been re-submitted under these procedures if the 
developing countries concerned so indicated.  The negotiating group on "Tropical Products" 
continued to meet from time to time, however, to re view developments in these areas with respect to 
products originally subject to requests in the framework of that Group.  At the beginning of 1978, tariff negotiations on industrial products also got under way.  Additional offers in response to requests 
by developing countries were included in the fi nal package of results arising from the Tokyo Round.
39  
Globally, trade was liberalized on nearly 3,000 tari ff lines of tropical products (tariff concessions and 
GSP contributions), duties being significantly reduced on coffee, tea and cocoa among others.40   
VII. POST-TOKYO ROUND DISCUSSIONS AND THE 1982-1984 CONSULTATIONS 
33. Some delegations, in discussing the post-Toky o Round work programme in the Committee on 
Trade and Development, referred to the need to el aborate a more precise list of tropical products on 
which future work on trade liberalization c ould be founded.  In this connection, an indicative  list was 
provided by the Secretariat, consis ting initially of six product groups.41  This list included those items 
which had been taken up for consideration by the Sp ecial Group on Trade in Tropical Products before 
the Tokyo Round, as well as those items which were  subject to examination and discussion at the 
preparatory stage of the Tokyo Round.  At a mee ting of the Committee in 1980, delegations of some 
developing countries proposed that the possibility of making additions or changes to the list be left 
open.42 
34. In March 1982, a series of consultations were held by the Committee on Trade and 
Development on the six broad product groups in the indicative list.  Fifty countries (counting the EEC 
as one) took part in these consultations.  At the 1982 Ministerial meeting of GATT, a decision was 
taken to "carry out, on the basis of the work  programme pursued by the Committee on Trade and 
Development, consultations and a ppropriate negotiations aimed at fu rther liberalization of trade in 
tropical products, including in their processed and semi-processed forms."  As a result, in 
November 1983 and May 1984, two more rounds of  consultations took place on tropical products. 
35. These consultations were based initially on the six broad product groups covered by the 1982 
consultations.  Developing countries identified diffi culties encountered by these products with respect 
                                                      
37 MTN/TP/1. 
38 For details see pp. 156 – 160 of the report mentioned in footnote 36. 
  39 Idem .  See also documents COM.TD/W/310 and Add.1. 
40 For details see pp. 156 – 160 of the report mentioned in footnote 36.  See also Annex 3 to this document. 
41 Tropical beverages; spices, flowers, plants, etc;  certain oilseeds, vegetable oils and oilcakes; tobacco, rice and 
tropical roots;  tropical fruits and nuts;  a nd tropical wood and rubber.  See MTN.GNG/NG6/W/1. 
42 MTN/GNG/NG6/W1. TN/AG/S/17 
Page 10  
 
 to, inter alia , tariffs, in particular tariff escalation, quan titative restrictions, internal taxes and other 
regulatory measures.   Developed countries were ge nerally of the view that these measures had been 
considerably reduced over the years.  Those restri ctions which remained were justified by such 
reasons as the need to take account of possible substitution between tropical products and competing 
temperate agricultural products, or to maintain pr eferences for associated c ountries and territories.  
Doubts were also expressed as to the trade effects of internal ta xes on such products as coffee and 
cocoa.  At the 1983 consultations, participants agreed  that jute and hard fibres could be included as a 
new seventh product group and that products of tropi cal plants and vegetable materials be included in 
the existing product sub-group covering plan ts, vegetable materials, lacs, etc. 
36. Between 1981 and 1984, the Secretariat provi ded detailed data on the commercial policy 
situation and trade flows for the seven product gr oups on the understanding that such information 
would be furnished without prejudice to the definiti on of tropical products or to the position of any 
delegation with regard to the treatment of issues in this area.   
37. During these rounds of consultations, an in-dep th examination of the problems affecting 
exports of developing countries at the specific product level was carried out.  Specific requests 
submitted by developing countries were also examin ed.  In response to the requests submitted to 
them, representatives of developed countries gave indications of recent trade liberalization measures 
taken in their respective countries.  They also presented their views on problems and issues raised by 
developing countries, and indicated possibilities for future action.  Document COM.TD/W/409 provides a summary of requests submitted in the 1 982-84 consultations and the trade liberalization 
measures taken.
43  These consultations added to the gene ral knowledge of specific trade barriers 
affecting the sector, but did not provide any answers.   
VIII.  THE URUGUAY ROUND 
38. In the Uruguay Round, tropical products were singled out as being of such importance to 
developing countries that they should be given "sp ecial attention", including with respect to the 
general rules on the timing of negotiations and entry in to force of the results.  Thus, the Punta del Este 
Declaration launching the Uruguay Round (1986), unde r the heading of "Subjects for Negotiation", 
specifically mentioned tropical products.  It provided: 
"Negotiations shall aim at the fullest liber alization of trade in tropical products, 
including in their processed and semi-processed  forms, and shall cover both tariff and 
all non-tariff measures affecting trade in these products.   
The CONTRACTING PARTIES recognise the importance of trade in tropical 
products to a large number of less deve loped contracting parties and agree that 
negotiations in this area shall receive special attention, including the timing of the negotiations and the implementation of the results as provided for in B(ii) of the Ministerial Declaration." 
39. The negotiations on tropical products got off to a quick start, as the previous several years of 
discussions had brought a deeper understanding of the issues at stake, of the specific trade measures 
that the negotiations should address, and of possible negotiating techniques, than in most other sectors 
of the Round.  From the outset, participants agr eed to engage in negotiations on the seven product 
groups covered in the above-mentioned consultatio ns, namely (i) tropical beverages (cocoa, coffee 
and tea), (ii) spices, flowers and plants, (iii) certain  oilseeds, vegetable oil and oilcakes (e.g. palm and 
coconut oil), (iv) tobacco, rice and tropical roots, (v ) tropical fruits and nuts (e.g. bananas, pineapples 
and peanuts, (vi) tropical wood and rubber, and (vii ) jute and hard fibres "on the understanding that 
                                                     
 
43 For the product groups covered by the 1982-1984 consulta tions and the relevant do cuments, see Annex 2.  TN/AG/S/17 
 Page 11 
 
 
 this would not constitute a definition of tropical products, nor an exhaustiv e listing and that other 
products might be included" as negotiations proceeded.44  
40. The issues raised during the Uruguay Round with respect to tropical products included: 
(a) Obstacles to trade:  with reference to the mandate for "fullest liberalization of trade" 
in the area of tropical products, developing countries underlined the need to reduce or 
eliminate the remaining trade barriers to tropical products including tariff escalation, 
quantitative restrictions, internal taxes, and sanitary regulations. 
(b) Competing products : Some developed countries were re luctant to negotiate on items 
which competed with products from temperat e areas such as rice, tobacco and palm 
and coconut oil, preferring to see those products covered in the agriculture 
negotiation. 
(c) Multilateral "burden-sharing" :  Several industrial countries maintained that the main 
beneficiaries from developing countries had also to contribute, in accordance with 
their economic capacities, to the negotiations  by market-opening measures of their 
own. 
41. In mid-1987, developing countries started tabling lis ts of products for which they sought "the 
fullest liberalization of tariff and all non-tariff m easures affecting exports of these products, including 
in their semi-processed and processed forms" from deve loped countries.  It was suggested that tariff 
rates be harmonized and bound at the lowest preva iling levels.  Also, some developing countries 
suggested that existing preferential margins in fa vour of African countries be maintained.  Some 
initial offers followed from developed countries, envisaging, inter alia,  the abolition or reduction of 
tariffs on many unprocessed products, significant reduction on semi-processed products as well as 
cuts of up to 50 per cent for finished products.  It  was also envisaged to eliminate most quantitative 
restrictions and to eliminate or  reduce consumption taxes on coffee,  cocoa and tea.  Another offer 
called for the elimination of all support and pr otective measures affecting trade, connecting the 
proposal to those in the agriculture negotiations, while showing readiness to accept a faster timetable 
for implementation with respect to tropical products.   
42.  In January 1988, the Negotiating Group adopted  procedures for negotiations on the basis of 
the work done in the initial phase.  These provided a work-plan up to the end of the year, with the 
intention of achieving tangible results before the end of 1988 and their implementation at the earliest 
possible date.  In keeping with these procedures, participants put forward indicative lists further 
elaborating on general approaches, formulas and m easures and/or which cont ained product- and/or 
country-specific requests.  Two rounds of multilate ral consultations deali ng with all seven product 
groups were held between the e nd of May and beginning of July 1988, in the course of which 
participants, inter alia,  reviewed the tariff and non-tariff situ ation affecting each of the seven product 
groups.  They also provided indications as to their export interest.45    
43. During the discussions, several participants stress ed the need to ensure a reasonable degree of 
multilateral burden-sharing and a satisfactory level of reciprocity in the negotiations.  It was also 
underlined that the achievement of the "fullest liber alization" of trade in tropical products required a 
genuinely multilateral negotiating process including, inter alia , contributions by developing countries 
according to their economic possibilities.   
                                                      
44 MTN/GNG/13. 
45 Idem . TN/AG/S/17 
Page 12  
 
 44. Participants also referred to the provisions of  the Ministerial Declaration concerning special 
and differential treatment and r ecalled that developing countries were not expected to make 
contributions in the negotiations inconsistent with their individual development, financial and trade 
needs.  Given the importance of tropical products for the trade of developing countries as recognized 
in the Punta del Este Ministerial Declaration, ne gotiations in this area should also aim to provide 
additional benefits to developing co untries.  Participants recalled the historical recognition in past 
GATT rounds of the central role of trade liberalizati on efforts in favour of developing countries in this 
area.  Full account should also be taken of auto nomous trade liberalization measures undertaken by a 
number of developing countries.
46 
45. A number of participants submitted initial offers  in accordance with th e arrangements for the 
further conduct of the negotiations adopted on 1 July 1988.  Several other participants further 
elaborated on offers and proposals made earlier.  Intensive consultations a nd negotiations followed.47 
A. MID-TERM REVIEW  
46. Last-minute non-stop negotiations took place in Montreal just prior to the Mid-term review 
Ministerial meeting in December 1988 in order to re ach more important results on a tropical products 
package than those achieved in the Negotiating Gr oup in Geneva.  The break-through came with the 
concurrence by key developing countries that they would also contribute.  A provisional package was put together and agreed upon.  This was the firs t agreement of any kind to emerge from the Uruguay 
Round.  
47. Contributions were forthcoming from all the deve loped countries, for the most part promising 
tariff cuts to be brought into effect as soon as possi ble and, in most cases, by mid-1989.  Several 
developing countries also consented to reducing barrie rs to imports of tropical products.  All seven 
product groups were affected by the concessions, a nd were estimated to involve trade in tropical 
products worth about US$20 billion out of tota l world trade in tropical products of some 
US$70 billion.  These results formed an integral part of the overall achievement of the Uruguay 
Round.  In addition to the concessions, Ministers agreed  to continue the negotiations in this area with 
due regard, inter alia , to the following elements: 
(a) elimination of duties on unprocessed products;  
(b) elimination or substantial reduction of duties on semi-processed and processed 
products.  These actions would include the obj ective of eliminating or reducing tariff 
escalation;   
(c) elimination or reduction of all non-tariff measures affecting trade in these products. 
48. As there was no consensus on other areas of the negotiations (Agriculture, Textiles and 
Clothing, Safeguards and TRIPs) in Montreal, it was agreed to resume the Mid-term Review in Geneva in April 1989.  On this occasion, the road-b lock on the unresolved subjects in Montreal was 
finally removed, the Mid-term package adopted and the negotiations resumed together with the "early 
harvest" and the implementation of results in tropi cal products, dispute settlement and functioning of 
the GATT system ("FOGS":  trade policy reviews and future Ministerial meetings, etc.).   
                                                     
 
46 Idem . 
 47 Document MTN/GNG/17 and addenda an d corrigenda, dated 5 December 1988 contained the first official 
results obtained thus far in the negotiati ons.  It consisted of contributions by  a number of participants towards the 
achievements of the objectives established by the Punta del Este Declaration for th e negotiations on tropical products in the 
Uruguay Round.   TN/AG/S/17 
 Page 13 
 
 
 B. POST-MONTREAL /GENEVA  
49. After the Ministerial meeting in Geneva in Ap ril 1989, participants in the Negotiating Group 
on Tropical Products agreed that initial offers in what was believed to be the final stage would be 
tabled in March 1990.  In the time leading up to the meeting in Brussels in December 1990, 
participants reviewed requests and offers on tariffs  and non-tariff measures with respect to tropical 
products, but prospects for further liberalization we re largely linked to what would be decided for 
agriculture as a whole.  Thus, there was no separate dr aft or package on tropical products in the texts  
discussed by Ministers in Brussels.  It was assumed that the final outcome of the negotiations would 
incorporate the preliminary results on tropical product s agreed to at the Mid-term Review.  However, 
the Brussels Ministerial meeting did not succeed as it became clear that more time was needed to 
finish the negotiations in several areas, not least in agriculture.   
50. At the beginning of 1991, the TNC decided to  drastically reduce the number of negotiating 
groups from fifteen to seven, but not the subjects discussed.  Thus, tariffs and non-tariff measures, natural-resource based products a nd tropical products were re-gr ouped in a "new" Market Access 
Negotiating Group which focussed on the reduction of  trade barriers at national borders.  The 
following year, the number of negotiating groups we re further reduced to four, with market access 
issues on goods being in the "Track One" negotiating group. 
51. Although negotiations on further liberalization of  tropical products continued for much of the 
period between the Mid-term review and the end of the Round in December 1993 as part of the 
market access negotiations (which also included tariffs, non-tariff measures, natural resource-based 
products, agriculture and textiles), most of the concessions on tropical products were made in 
connection with the Mid-term Review.  The Agreem ent on Agriculture specifically mentions, in its 
preamble that "[h]aving agreed that in implementing their commitments on market access, developed country Members would take fully into account the particular needs and c onditions of developing 
country Members by providing for a greater improvement of opportunities and terms of access for agricultural products of particular interest to th ese Members, including the fullest liberalization of 
trade in tropical products as agreed at the Mid-Te rm Review...".  The final concessions, agreed to 
towards the very end of the Uruguay Round, however, did include some further improvements for tropical products implemented between 1995 and 2 000 (developed countries) or 2004 (developing 
countries), respectively.
48 
IX. POST URUGUAY DISCUSSIONS/DDA  
52. Since the Uruguay Round, there is no longer a specific group or committee dealing 
exclusively with tropical products.  The WTO Commi ttee on Agriculture has been the main forum in 
which Members have raised tropical product issues, though reference to trade in tropical products has 
also been made in the WTO Committee on Trade and Development.49   
 
53. At the December 1996 Singapore Ministerial C onference, Members agreed to a Process of 
Analysis and Information Exchange (AIE).  The AIE process took place between March 1997 and 
September 1999 and allowed Members to raise and discuss issues, on the basis of, inter alia , papers 
submitted by Members.  The importance of the fullest liberalisation of tropical products was highlighted by some Members and was a topic of deba te in the lead-up to the 1999 Seattle Ministerial 
Conference.   
                                                     
 
48 See also Annex 5 which provides an up-to-date picture of the market access and e xport subsidy commitments as 
specified in Members' Schedules. 
 49 See for instance WT/COMTD /W/113 and WT/COMTD/W/130.  TN/AG/S/17 
Page 14  
 
 54. With no decisions taken at Seattle, Members be gan further negotiations on agricultural trade 
liberalisation in March 2000, as mandated in Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture.  Continuing 
on from the AIE process, developing countries put forward proposals calling for tariff and quota free 
access, as well as the elimination of non-tariff measures applied to tropical products.  
55. In November 2001, the Fourth WTO Minist erial Conference in Doha launched new 
negotiations on a range of subjects. The Ministeria l Declaration included, under a new mandate and as 
part of the Single Undertaking, the negotiations already underway in agriculture (and services).  Although the Doha mandate on agriculture does not sp ecifically identify tropical products for special 
attention, it instructs negotiators to recognise a nd build on the work already undertaken in the 
agriculture negotiations as initiated by Article 20.
50  
56. Throughout the next phase of the negotiations , and in the lead-up to the 31 March 2003 
deadline of the modalities paper for the establishmen t of agricultural commitments (as agreed at 
Doha), many developing country Members pursued the issue of seeking the fullest liberalisation for 
tropical products.  The revised First Draft of m odalities for Further Commitments submitted by the 
Chair contains specific commitments concerning access to developed country markets for tropical 
products.  Specifically: 
"[i]n implementing their market access commit ments, developed country Members shall take 
fully into account the particular needs and conditions of developi ng country Members by 
providing for greater improvement of opportun ities and terms of access for agricultural 
products of particular interest to these Members, including the fullest liberalization of trade in 
tropical products, whether in primary or in processed form..."51 
 
and,  
"[t]here shall be no requirement to reduce in-quota tariffs, except that (i) in-quota duty free access shall be provided for tropical products, whether in primary or in processed form,..."
52 
 
57. The need for further time by Members to agree on the modalities led to an effort to pursue an 
agreement on a "framework text" for establishing modalities in agriculture, rather than modalities 
themselves at the Fifth Ministerial Conference, held  in Cancun in September 2003.  Annex A of the 
draft Ministerial text53 did not include a specific reference to tropical products.  During the course of 
the Fifth Ministerial Conference, a revised text54 was issued, which included the following proposal 
for further commitments on tropical products: 
"[a]ll developed countries will seek to provide duty-free access for at least […]% of imports 
from developing countries through a combination of MFN and preferential access, including particularly all tropical and other products re ferred to in the preamble of the Agreement on 
Agriculture."
55 
 
58. Failure to reach an agreement at Cancun led to the continuation of negotiations towards a 
framework agreement during 2004.  In the early hours of 1 August 2004, Members broke the deadlock with the approval of a package of agreem ents that included a Framework with respect to 
                                                     
 
50 See paragraph 13 of WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1. 
51 TN/AG/W/1/Rev.1, paragraph 10. 
52 Idem , paragraph 22. 
53 JOB(03)/150/Rev.1. 
54 JOB(03)/150/Rev.2. 
55 Idem , paragraph 2.10 of Annex A.  TN/AG/S/17 
 Page 15 
 
 
 agriculture to be used as b asis to negotiate full modalities.56  As part of this Framework, Members 
agreed the following with reference to tropical products: 
"[f]ull implementation of the long-standing commit ment to achieve the fullest liberalisation of 
trade in tropical agricultural products and fo r products of particular importance to the 
diversification of production from the growing of illicit narcotic crops is overdue and will be 
addressed effectively in the market access negotiations".57 
 59. The negotiations on modalities started in Oc tober 2004 with a series of meetings and 
consultations.  Tropical products was one of the i ssues discussed during the informal Special Session 
of the Committee on Agriculture in November 2004.  At that meeting, and in reference to the 
Framework Agreement, several de veloping countries reiterated the need to fulfil the long-standing 
commitment on tropical products.  
 
                                                     
 
56 WT/L/579. 
57 Idem , paragraph 43 of Annex A. TN/AG/S/17 
Page 16  
 
 ANNEX 1 
INDICATIVE LIST OF TARIFF HEADINGS AS PROVIDED IN ANNEX 1 
OF COM.TD/W/310 (26 JUNE 1980) 
(The tariff headings refer to the Custom s Co-operation Council Nomenclature (CCCN)) 
 
*  =  tariff headings1 or chapters taken up in the Committee on Trade and Development in connexion with 
discussions on tropical products at the beginning of the Tokyo Round and/or subject to examination and 
discussion in MTN Group 3(f). 
 
+  =  tariff headings or chapters taken up in the Special Group on [Trade in] Tropical Products.  
 
ex 0603*   Cut flowers, tropical 
 0706*   Manioc and other tropical roots 
ex ch. 08*+   Fruit and nuts, fresh or dried, tropical 
 0901*+   Coffee, raw or roasted 
 0902*+   Tea, in bulk or in small containers 
 0904-0910*+    Spices 
 1006*2   Rice 
ex 1104*+   Flour of tropical fruit and nuts;  flour and meal of manioc and other tropical  
    roots 
ex 1108*   Manioc starches 
ex 1201*+2   Oilseeds and oleaginous fruit, tropical 
ex 1207*   Tropical plants used in perfumery,  pharmaceuticals or fo r insecticidal or  
  similar purposes 
 1302*   Lacs and natural gums 
ex ch. 14*   Vegetable plaiting materials and miscellaneous vegetable products, tropical 
ex 1507*+2   Vegetable oils, tropical 
ex 1516*   Carnauba wax 
ex 1701*2   Cane sugar, raw or refined 
ex 1702*2   Sugar syrup 
ex 1703*2   Molasses from cane sugar 
ex ch. 18*+   Cocoa beans, paste, butter and powder, etc. 
ex 1904*   Tapioca and sago 
ex ch. 20*   Prepared and preserved tropical vegeta bles and fruit;  tropical fruit juices 
 2102*+   Coffee and tea extracts etc. 
ex 2304*+2   Oilcake from tropical oilseeds 
ex 2401*+2   Un-manufactured tobacco 
ex 2402*+2   Manufactured tobacco 
ex 3301*+   Essential oils, tropical 
ex ch. 40+   Natural rubber and products thereof 
ex ch. 44+   Tropical timber and products thereof 
______ 
1 Details of tariff lines taken up may be found in the relevant documentation. 
2 Tropical aspects were examined in Group 3(f).  The product groupings as a whole were taken up in Group 3(e) 
dealing with agricultural products.  TN/AG/S/17 
 Page 17 
 
 
 ANNEX 2 
INDICATIVE LIST AS PROVIDED IN TABLE 1 OF MTN.GNG/NG6/W/1  
(20 FEBRUARY 1987)58 
Product Groups Covered by the 1982-1984 Consultations and Relevant Documents 
 
 Product groups and sub-groups                                             Background documents  
      C O M . T D / W / 
1. Tropical beverage items    
 a. Coffee and coffee products   328, Add.1-3 
 b. Cocoa and cocoa products   329/Rev.1 
 c. Tea and instant tea   330/Rev.1 
     2. Spices, flowers, plants, etc
.     
 a. Spices and   334, Add.1-3 
  essential oils, tropical   335 
 b. Cut flowers, tropical   340, Add.1-3 
 c. Plants, vegetable materials, lacs,   344, Add.1   etc. and products thereof, tropical        3. Certain oilseeds, vegetable oils and oilcakes
   337, Add.1-3 
    
4. Tobacco, rice and tropical roots      
 a. Tobacco and tobacco products   351, Add.1 and 2 
 b. Rice          353, Add.1  c. Manioc and other tropical roots,  and products thereof   349, Add.1 
     
5. Tropical fruits and nuts
     
 a. Bananas and banana products   331/Rev.1 
 b. Tropical fruits and nuts and   352, Add.1-3   products including fruit juices        6. Tropical wood and rubber
     
 a. Tropical wood and wood products   345, Add.1 and 2 
 b. Natural rubber and rubber products   339, Add.1 and 2      7. Jute and hard fibres
   400, Add.1 
 (Product group added for the 1984 consultations)  
Spec(82)19-32/Rev.1, Proceedings of the 1982 consu ltations;  Spec(83)55/Rev.1, Proceedings of the 
1983 consultations; Spec(84)27/Rev. 1 and Corr.1, Proceedings of the 1984 consultations; and 
COM.TD/W/409 and Add.1, Summary of tariff and non-tariff measures situation, including requests 
and trade liberalization measures. 
                                                      
 58 Between 1981 and 1984, the Secretariat pr ovided detailed data on the commercia l policy situation and trade flows 
for the seven product groups listed in Table 1, on the understa nding that such information would be furnished without 
prejudice to the definition of tropical products or to the position of any delegation with regard to the treatment of issues in  
this area  (cf. COM.TD/W/319 and 424). TN/AG/S/17 
Page 18  
 
 ANNEX 3 
SUMMARY TABLE 1 REPRODUCED FROM ANNE X 2 OF COM.TD/W/310 (26 JUNE 1980) 
Pre- and Post-MTN (Tokyo Round) m.f.n. Tariff Averages
1 
of Industrial Countries and Relevant Import Statistics 
M.f.n. tariff average2 Imports from GSP beneficiaries in 1977 ($ million) 
Product group Pre-
MTN Post-
MTN % 
cuts Total Duty 
free Dutiable Of which: MTN 
tariff action3 
(% of dutiable) 
Coffee, tea, coco a (0901, 0902, 
2102, Ch.18) 4.5 3.0 34 14,217 5,298 8,919 8,180 (92%) 
Spices (0904-0910) 7.4 4.5 39 287 123 164 100 (61%) 
Vegetable and fruit4 12.3 11.5 6 4,255 628 3,627 1,406 (39%) 
  Unprocessed (Chs. 07, 08) 11.3 10.5 7 3,535 586 2,949 1,176 (40%) 
  Processed (Ch. 20) 17.2 16.2 6 720 42 678 230 (34%) 
Vegetable oilseeds and oils4 4.0 3.4 16 2,823 1,251 1,571 998 (64%) 
  Seeds (1201) 0.3 0.2 33 1,199 1,138 61 17 (28%) 
  Oils (1507, 1510-12) 6.8 5.7 16 1,624 113 1511 981 (65%) 
Plants, flowers, wax (Ch. 06, 
1207, Chs. 13, 14, 1515, 1516) 3.8 3.3 13 620 263 357 187 (52%) 
Sugar (Ch. 17)4 29.5 28.9 2 1,366 3 1,363 11 (1%) 
Tobacco (Ch. 24) 81.5 81 .2 0.4 457 49 408 50 (12%) 
  Un manufactured (2401) 86.4 86.2 0.3 415 49 366 18 (5%) 
  Manufactured (2402) 32.6 32.2 2 42 - 42 32 (76%) 
Fishery products 6.3 5.4 14 2,877 800 2,077 1,249 (60%) 
  Unprocessed (Ch. 03) 5.0 4.0 20 2,499 754 1,745 1,135 (65%) 
  Processed (1504, 1604, 1605) 14.7 14.5 2 378 46 332 114 (34%) 
Miscellaneous animal products 
(0106, 0204, Ch. 05) 2.0 1.3 33 406 301 105 72 (69%) 
Total of the above 8.4 7.8 14 27,308 8,716 18,591 12,253 (66%) 
_________ 
1 Average of all tariff items (i.e. duty-free as well as dutiable items) weighted by imports of such items from 
GSP beneficiary countries. 
2 Austria, Canada, EEC, Japan, Finland, Norw ay, Sweden, Switzerland and United States. 
3 M.f.n. concessions and GSP contributions. 
4 Data for these product groups do not cover tariff items subj ect to variable levies in the country or countries 
concerned (see also footnote 1 on page 5 [of COM.TD/W/310]).  TN/AG/S/17 
 Page 19 
 
 
 ANNEX 4 
INDICATIVE LIST OF TROPICAL PRODUCTS59 USED IN THE URUGUAY ROUND60 
 
 PRODUCT GROUPS AND SUB-GROUPS 4-DIGIT HS HEADINGS61 
   
Group I: Tropical beverages  
(a) Unprocessed products 0901, 0902, 1801, 1802 
(b) Semi-processed and processed products 1803, 1804, 1805, 2101 
   
Group II: Spices, flowers and plan ts, plaiting products, etc.  
(a) Unprocessed products 0904-0910, 0602, 0603, 1211, 
1301, 1401, 1402, 1403, 1404 
(b) Semi-processed and processed products 1302, 1521, 3203, 3301, 4601, 
4602, 9601 
   
Group III: Certain oilseeds, vegetable oils and products thereof  
(a) Unprocessed products and residues from oil extraction 1202, 1203, 1207, 2305, 2306 
(b) Semi-processed and processed products 1208, 1508, 1511, 1513, 1515, 
1516, 1518, 1519, 1520 
   
Group IV: Tropical roots, rice and tobacco  
(a) Unprocessed products 0714, 1006, 2401 
(b) Semi-processed and processed products 1106, 1108, 1903, 2402 
   
Group V: Tropical nuts and fruits  
(a) Unprocessed products 0801, 0803, 0804, 0807 
(b) Semi-processed and processed products 2006, 2007, 2008 
   
Group VI: Rubber and tropical wood  
(a) Raw material 4001, 4403 
(b) Semi-manufactures 4005-4009, 4407-4410, 4412 
(c) Finished products 4011, 4013-4017, 4414, 4418-
4421, 9401, 9403 
   
Group VII: Jute and hard fibres  
(a) Raw material 5303, 5304, 5305 
(b) Semi-manufactures 5307, 5308, 5310, 5311 
(c) Finished products 5607, 5608, 5609, 5905, 6305 
                                                      
59 There is no agreed definition of what constitutes tropical products. 
60 See for instance document MTN.GNG/NG6/W/5. 
61 The Harmonized System (HS) was introduced from 1 January 1988. TN/AG/S/17 
Page 20  
 
 ANNEX 5 
TECHNICAL NOTE 
Market Access and Export Subsidy Commitments for the  
Agricultural Tropical Products Listed in Annex 4 
 
1. Three spreadsheets
62 are available in electronic format (Microsoft Excel) from Documents 
On-line:   (i) the first spreadsheet (Part 2) gives a lis ting of the tropical agricultural products contained 
in Annex 4;  (ii) the second spreadsheet (Part 3)  describes the market ac cess and export subsidy 
commitments for 122 Members63 as specified in their WTO Schedules;  (iii) the same information for 
newly-acceded EC member States is given separatel y in the third spreadsheet (Part 4).  These data 
have been sourced from the Consolidated Tariff Sche dule (CTS) and cover the elements listed below.   
  
COLUMN DATA ELEMENTS DESCRIPTION 
1 TROPICAL PRODUCT 
CATEGORY Tropical product category code. 
2 CATEGORY 
DESCRIPTION Description of the tropical product category. 
3 4-DIGIT HS 
DESCRIPTION Product description of the 4-digit HS heading. 
4 MEMBER WTO Member. 
5 HS VERSION Indicates the version of the HS nomenclature in which the 
information is recorded: 1 = HS 1992, 2 = HS 1996, 3 = HS 
2002 
6 TL National HS tariff line code. 
7 TLS Code indicating that different duty bindings apply to the tariff 
line. 
8 TL DESCRIPTION Product description of the tariff line. 
9 C Indicates whether the concessi on is certified: C = certified; Null 
= not certified 
10 SSG Indicates that Article 5 of the Agreement on Agriculture (the 
special safeguard provision) is app licable to the tariff line or HS 
code.  Codes are SSG (English schedules);  SGS (French);  or SGE (Spanish). 
11 TQ ID If the tariff line is subject to a tariff quota, the relevant tariff 
quota ID code is shown here (see TN/AG/S/2/Rev.1, page 15, Table TQ2). 
                                                      
62 In English only. 
63 The EC and its member States (25) and Switzerland/Liechtenstein are counted, respectively, as one.  TN/AG/S/17 
 Page 21 
 
 
 COLUMN DATA ELEMENTS DESCRIPTION 
12 XS ID If the tariff line is subject to an export subsidy, the relevant 
export subsidy ID code is shown here (see TN/AG/S/2/Rev.1, page 23, Table XS3). 
13 BASE DUTY Base MFN duty (out-of-quota) as specified in Schedules.  
14 BOUND DUTY Bound MFN duty (out-of-quota), as specified in Schedules.   
15 ODC Other duties and charges applicable for the tariff line. 
16 ODC TEXTUAL 
INFORMATION Textual information relating to the other duties and charges, 
where appropriate. 
17 BASE IN-QUOTA DUTY Base in-quota duty, as specified in Schedules. 
18 BOUND IN-QUOTA DUTY Bound in-quota  duty, as specified in Schedules. 
 
__________