. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/801 
13 November 2006 
 (06-5465) 
  
 
 
 
REPORT (2006) OF THE COMMITTEE ON MARKET ACCESS 
 
 1. Since the last review
1, the Committee on Market Access has held five formal meetings 
(4 April 2006, 4 October, a resumed meeting on 16 October, and both a resumed and a formal meeting 
on 3 November 2006), and five informal dedicated sessions (25 January, 23 May, 27 July, 16 October 
and 3 November 2006).  The minutes of the form al meetings are contained in documents 
G/MA/M/41, G/MA/M/42, G/MA/M/42/Add.1, G/MA /M/42/Add.2 and G/MA/M/43.  In addition, 
two periodic reports giving an overview of the issues discussed in the Committee and providing 
factual information on the requests for waivers an d waiver extensions re lated to the Harmonized 
System are contained in documents G/MA/191 and G/MA/193. 
 2. At its meeting of 4 April 2006, the Committ ee took note of the nomination of Dr. Mohammad 
Saeed (Pakistan) as Chairman of the Committee for the current year and elected him by acclamation.  
At that meeting, it was agreed that informal cons ultations would be carried out in order to elect a 
Vice-Chair for the current year.  At its m eeting of 4 October 2006, the Committee elected 
Mr. Fakhry Hazimeh (Jordan) as its Vice-Chair. 
 
A. 
INTRODUCTION OF HS96  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF CONCESSIONS  
3. At its formal meetings in 2006, the Committee examined the s ituation related to the submission 
of HS96 documentation set out in do cuments G/MA/TAR/2/Rev.37-38.  
 
B. INTRODUCTION OF HS2002  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF CONCESSIONS  
4. At its meetings in 2006, the Secretariat reported on the status of work concerning the 
introduction of HS2002 changes to schedules of co ncessions using the CTS database as well as on the 
outcomes of the informal dedicated sessions of the Committee in which the HS02 Files of Members 
were examined (JOB(06)/8/Rev.1-3).  It was noted  that the files of 36 Members had been approved, 
but could not be certified because the approval from the Member concerned was still pending.  It was 
also noted that the HS02 files of 5 Members could be forwarded for certification.  At its meeting of 4 October 2006, the Committee considered the ex tension of the HS2002 "collective" waiver 
(G/MA/W/80 and G/MA/W/80/Add.1) and agreed to include Macao, China in the annex.  A revised 
version of the waiver was subsequently circulated in document G/MA/W/80/Rev.1. 
 
C. 
INTRODUCTION OF HS2007  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF CONCESSIONS  
5. At its meeting of 4 April 2006, the Committe e took note of the corr elation tables between 
HS2002 and HS2007 which had been submitted by the WCO (G/MA/W/76).  The Committee also agreed that the Secretariat should elaborate pro cedures to incorporate HS2007 changes to schedules 
using as a basis the HS2002 procedures which we re adopted by the General Council in 2005 
(WT/L/605).  It was noted that any decision on procedures for the HS2007 exercise would be subject to funding being available to undertake this work, an d the Secretariat would look into it.  It was also 
                                                     
 
1 G/L/748 (dated 18 October 2005). G/L/801 
Page 2  
 
  agreed that at its next meeting, the Committee w ould consider a draft HS2007 "collective" waiver 
decision to be elaborated by the Secretariat which would be based on the existing HS2002 "collective" waiver decision.    6. At its meeting of 4 October 2006, the Comm ittee suspended the consideration of the draft 
procedures to incorporate HS2007 changes to sche dules and the draft HS2007 "collective" waiver 
decision.  At its resumed meeting of 16 Octobe r 2006, the Committee considered the draft HS2007 
waiver decision (G/MA/W/82) and agreed to forwar d a modified version to the CTG.  The revised 
version was circulated in document G/MA/W/82/Rev. 1.  At its resumed meeting of 3 November 2006, 
the Committee considered the dr aft procedures to incorporate HS2007 changes to schedules 
(G/MA/W/81/Rev.1) and agreed to forward them to the CTG. 
 
D. D
ATABASES  
7. With reference to the modalities and opera tion of the Integrated Data Base (IDB), the 
Committee, at its formal meetings in 2006, examined  the status of IDB submissions on the basis of 
documents G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.23-24.  At these meeti ngs, the Secretariat reported on the status of IDB 
dissemination, use of IDB information, IDB technical assistance, status of submissions, and the status of software development (IDB reporting tools and in ternet analysis facility).  Also during these 
meetings, the Committee took note of the Secret ariat reports on the work undertaken on the 
Consolidated Tariff Schedules Database.  
8. In 2006, the Committee approved the request  for access to the IDB and CTS database from 
the European Free Trade Association (G/MA/W/73), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (G/MA/W/75) and the African Union (G/MA/W/84).  
E. 
PARAGRAPH 18 OF THE PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION OF THE PEOPLE 'S REPUBLIC OF  
 CHINA – CHINA 'S TRANSITIONAL REVIEW MECHANISM  
9. The review took place at the meeting of 4 October 2006.  Questions and/or comments were 
circulated by the European Communities (G/MA/W/ 79), Japan (G/MA/W/77) and the United States 
(G/MA/W/78).  China submitted the information requir ed by Annex 1 of its Pr otocol of Accession in 
document G/MA/W/83.  The Committee completed its review and agreed to forward its report in G/MA/194 to the Council for Trade in Goods. 
 
F. O
THER ACTIVITIES  
10. In 2006, the Committee took note of the status of notifications under the Decision on 
Notification Procedures for Quantitative Restrictions (QRs) (G/L/59) on the basis of a Secretariat 
document (G/MA/NTM/QR/1Add.10).  It also took note that no new notifications pursuant to the 
Decision on Reverse Notification of Non Tariff Measures (G/L/60) had been made since the 
Secretariat document G/MA/NTM/W/3/Rev.1 was prepared in 2001.    11. The Committee noted the Secretariat documen t which provided details on the most recent 
information available in the tariff library and the website addresses where more recent national tariffs 
could be found (G/MA/TAR/3/Rev.10 and Corr.1).  In addition, the Committee noted that certain 
tariff commitments, as described in JOB(05)/167 an d Corr.1, that were approved at the end of the 
Uruguay Round, but which had not entered into fo rce due to legal technicalities, had now been 
certified (see JOB(05)/167/Add.1).  
 
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