. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/LIC/Q/TUR/4 
7 October 2005 
 (05-4523) 
Committee on Import Licensing Original:   English 
  
 
IMPORT LICENSING REGIME FOR RICE AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS 
 
Replies from TURKEY to the UNITED STATES 
1 
  
 The following communication, dated 30 September 2005, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Turkey.  
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Questions
: 
 
 Three times last year - on 27 April 2004, 27 August 2004, and 8 September  2004 - 
Turkey  published, in its Official Gazette, changes to it s import licensing requirements for rice.  None 
of these changes were notified to the Committee on Import Licensing, however, as required by 
Article 5 of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures.  Faced with these requirements, 
US producers continue to have problems securing import permits for rice, which has created a 
significant barrier to US exports.  These restri ctions raise serious WTO concerns and the 
United States reserves all of its rights under the WTO agreements.   
 
- When will Turkey resume the year-round issuance of import licences for all rice imports 
without requiring the purchase of domestic rice? 
  
- When will Turkey submit the required notificati ons of its import licensing regime for rice and 
other agricultural products to the Committee on Import Licensing? 
 Replies
: 
  Under the current import regime of Turkey , which is in full compliance with our WTO 
commitments, MFN rates are applied for rice, rice in the husk, and brown rice which are 45%, 34% 
and 36%, respectively.  There is no import licensing procedure required for these products. 
 
 These products are only subject to SPS controls like all the other agricultural products by the 
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.   On the other hand, with the Decision on Impl ementation of Tariff Quotas on Importation of 
some Forms of Rice, issued in the Official Gaze tte on 27 August 2004, a tariff quota regime was put 
into force.  This Decision was replaced by a ne w one which was published in the Official Gazette 
dated 13 September 2005.    
                                                     
 
1 See Understanding on Procedures for th e Review of Notifications (G/LIC/4). G/LIC/Q/TUR/4 
Page 2  
 
  The aim of this Decision is to facilitate impor ts of Turkey, a country which is a net importer 
of rice.  According to this system, a lower tariff th an the MFN rate is applied for a certain amount of 
rice for the importers who would assume to buy equiva lent amount of rice from domestic producers.  
The tariff quotas will be effective between  1 November 2005 and 31 July 2006.  
 
 The system may neither be claimed discriminatory nor restrictive since all importers are able 
to benefit from the system for their imports from all countries.  The amount and origin of imports will be determined only on the basis of free market conditions.   Import licensing is defined as "administrativ e procedures used for the operation of import 
licensing regimes requiring the submission of an app lication or other documentation (other than that 
required for customs purposes) to the relevant ad ministrative body as a prior condition for importation 
into the customs territory of the importing Member.".   Turkey dos not foresee any prior condition for the importation of rice at MFN rate.  For only a 
certain amount of rice imports, an additional documen t is needed if the importer wants to benefit from 
the preferential tariff rate.  Therefore, the whole importation procedure for rice cannot be considered to be within the scope of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures in our view.   
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