WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/865 
4 November 2008 
 (08-5348) 
  
  
 
REPORT (2008) OF THE COMMITTEE ON MARKET ACCESS 
 
 1. Since the last review
1, the Committee on Market Access has held two formal meetings 
(16 April 2008 and 16 October 2008), and two informal dedicated sessions of the Committee 
(16 April 2008 and 16 October 2008). The minutes of the formal meetings are contained in documents 
G/MA/M/46 and G/MA/M/47.  In addition, two pe riodic reports giving an overview of the issues 
discussed in the Committee and providing factual info rmation on the requests for waivers and waiver 
extensions related to the Harmonized System ar e contained in documents G/MA/198 and G/MA/216. 
2. At its meeting of 16 April, the Committee took note of the nomination of 
Dr. Mohammad Saeed (Pakistan) as Chairman of th e Committee for the current year and elected him 
by acclamation.  At its meeting of 16 October, the Committee elected  Mr. Barney Riley (New Zealand) as the Vice-Chairman for 2008. 
A. W
AIVERS  
3. During the year, the Committee approved individual requests for waiver extensions from 
Argentina and Panama in relation to the introduc tion of HS96 changes to their schedules.  The 
Committee also approved the extension of the HS2002 (G/C/W/6012) and HS2007  (G/C/W/602) 
"collective" waiver decisions.  It was also agr eed to forward these draft waiver decisions to the 
Council for Trade in Goods (CTG) for appropriate action.  
B. INTRODUCTION OF HS96  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF CONCESSIONS  
4. At its formal meetings in 2008, the Committee examined the s ituation related to the submission 
of HS96 documentation set out in documents G/MA/TAR/2/Rev.40 and 41.  Among the Members 
listed, the submissions of only three Members rema ined outstanding.  The Committee also noted that 
while several Members had not followed the HS96 transposition procedures outlined in GATT 
document L/6905,  the Secretariat had automatically undertaken the work for them in connection with 
the HS02 exercise.  However, the results of this wo rk remained uncertified.  It was agreed that the 
Secretariat  would look into this  issue and propo se some solutions for examination by the Committee.  
At its meeting of 16 October, the Committee agreed that based on the procedure outlined at the 
meeting, the Secretariat should elaborate for further discussion, a draft decisi on which would envisage 
the certification of HS96 changes wh ich had been introduced by the Secr etariat to 64 schedules listed in 
JOB(05)/124/Add.2. 
C. INTRODUCTION OF HS2002  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF CONCESSIONS  
5. At its meetings in 2008, the Secretariat reported on the status of work concerning the 
introduction of HS02 changes to schedules of conc essions 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 
                                                      
1 G/L/839 (dated 12 November 2007). 
2 The list of Members annexed to the Decision has been modified, and the decision has now been 
re-issued as G/C/W/601/Rev.1. G/L/865 
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  were examined.  At the October meeting, the Comm ittee was informed that the number of files that 
had passed the multilateral review had now reached 80%  of the membership.  In fact only 4 draft 
HS02 files remained to be prepared.  The main dela y in certification of these files continued to be the 
lack of approval by Members of their own files.  The Secretariat informed the Committee that it 
would be posting the certified HS02 files to th e WTO IDB/CTS website. In this regard, the 
Committee agreed with the Secretar iat's suggestion to also include on this website the HS02 files 
which remained uncertified but which had successfully  passed the multilateral review.  It was noted 
that these files would be available to all authori zed users subject to the IDB/CTS dissemination policy 
(see G/MA/115).   
D. I
NTRODUCTION OF HS2007  CHANGES TO SCHEDULES OF CONCESSIONS  
6. In 2008, the Committee took note of the repor ts by the Secretariat on the status of work 
concerning the incorporation of HS07 changes to sch edules.  At the October meeting, the Committee 
noted that only two Members had submitted their HS07 files (the original deadline was 30 September 2007).   Following a request made by a delegation, the Committee agreed that the 
Chairman should hold consultations with Members having to prepare their own HS07 files in order to 
establish a new deadline for the submission of such files, and should hold further consultations to 
re-examine some aspects of the HS07 procedures pert aining to the multilateral review.  In respect of 
the latter, the Committee agreed with the Vice-Chai rman's proposal that the Secretariat prepare a 
decision on such procedures along the lines of what had been agreed in respect of the HS96 changes 
introduced to schedules by the Secretariat.   
E. D
ATABASES  
7. With reference to the modalities and opera tion of the Integrated Data Base (IDB), the 
Committee, at its formal meetings in 2008, examined  the status of IDB submissions on the basis of 
documents G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.27-28.  The Secret ariat also 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 internet analysis facility). In addition, the 
Secretariat presented reports on the regular work undertaken on the Consolidated Tariff Schedules 
Database. At these meetings, Members were informed  that the IDB and CTS data had been used for 
inter alia the calculation of AVEs, the preparation of the Electronic Negotiating Files (ENFs) as well 
as the World Tariff Profiles 2008 publication, a nd responding to requests arising from the 
negotiations.   
F. P
ARAGRAPH 18 OF THE PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION OF THE PEOPLE 'S REPUBLIC OF  
 CHINA – CHINA 'S TRANSITIONAL REVIEW MECHANISM  
8. The Committee conducted the transitional revi ew under Paragraph 18 of the Protocol of 
Accession of the People's Republic of China.  Qu estions/comments were submitted by the European 
Communities (G/MA/W/95), Japan (G/MA/W/93) and the United States (G/MA/W/94).   The Committee's report to the CTG on the review is contained in G/MA/217. 
G. O
THER ACTIVITIES  
9. The Committee took note of document G/MA/N TM/QR/1/Add.11 which provided an update 
of the situation in respect of the notifications of  quantitative restrictions pursuant to the "Decision on 
notification Procedures for Quantitative Restricti ons" (G/L/59). The Committee also took note of 
document G/MA/NTM/W/3/Rev.1 whic h reflected the status of reverse notifications on non-tariff 
measures made pursuant to the Decision on reverse notification of non-tariff measures (G/L/60).  The 
situation had not changed since 2001.  G/L/865 
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  10. The Committee took note of the Secretariat document which provided details on the most 
recent information available in the tariff library an d the website addresses where more recent national 
tariffs could be found (G/MA/TAR/3/Rev.12), as well as the Secretariat document entitled "Situation 
of Schedules of WTO Members" (G/MA/W/23/Rev.5).  
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