WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/800 
9 November 2006 
 (06-5388) 
  
  
REPORT (2006) OF THE COMMITTEE ON IMPORT LICENSING 
TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS  
 
1. The Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures (hereinafter "the Agreement") which entered  
into force on 1 January 1995, establishes disciplines on users of import licensing systems with the principal objective of ensuring that the procedur es applied for granting import licences do not in 
themselves restrict trade.  It aims to simplify, clarify and minimize the administrative requirements 
necessary to obtain import licences. 
2. The Committee on Import Licensing was established to afford Members the opportunity of 
consulting on any matters relati ng to the operation of the Agreement or the furtherance of its 
objectives.  The Committee's Rules of Procedure, which were approved by the Council for Trade in 
Goods, are contained in document G/L/147.  
3. All Members of the WTO are ipso facto  members of the Committee.  Observer governments 
in the General Council of the WTO have Observe r status in the Committ ee. The International 
Monetary Fund, the World Bank and UNCTAD have regular Observer status in the Committee. 
4. The focus of this report is on the period si nce the Committee's last annual report (G/L/753), 
i.e. 29 September 2005 - 30 October 2006 (hereinafter  "the review period").  During the review 
period, the Committee held two meetings on 21 June and 30 October 2006 (G/LIC/M/23 and 
G/LIC/M/24).  At its meeting on 21 June 2006, th e Committee took note of the nomination of Mr. 
Evelio Alvarado Romero (Guatemala) as Chairper son of the Committee for the current year and 
elected him by acclamation.  At that meeting, the Committee elected as Vice-Chairperson for the 
current year, Mr. Peter Govindasamy (Singapore).  Pu rsuant to Committee's Rules of Procedure, they 
took office at the end of that meeting. 
5. Pursuant to Articles 1.4(a) and/or 8.2(b) of  the Agreement and procedures agreed by the 
Committee, all Members are required to notify thei r laws, regulations and administrative procedures 
relevant to import licensing and submit copies of any relevant publications or  laws and regulations 
upon becoming a WTO Member.  Any subsequent changes to these laws, regulations and 
administrative procedures are also required to be notified.  Since the entry into force of the WTO 
Agreement, 94 Members
1 have notified the Committee of their legislation and/or publications under 
these provisions.  During the review period, the Committee received eleven notifications from the 
following ten Members:   Brazil, Democratic Republic  of Congo, Haiti, India, Israel, Mexico, People's 
Republic of China, Romania, Saint Lucia and the United States.  These notifications may be found in 
document series G/LIC/N/1/-.  Copies of publi cations and legislati on submitted with these 
notifications are available for consultation in the Secretariat. 
6. The Committee also received, pursuant to paragr aphs 5.1-5.4 of Article 5, seven notifications 
relating to the institution of new import licensing pr ocedures or changes in these procedures from five 
Members: Argentina, Brazil, India, Israel and Romania.  These notifications may be found in 
document series G/LIC/N/2/-.  Since the entry into force of the WTO Agreement 26 Members3 have 
submitted notifications under these provisions.  Ar ticle 5.5 of the Agreement allows Members to 
                                                      
1 The European Communities and its member States counted as one Member. G/L/800 
Page 2  
 
  submit reverse notifications, where a Member considers that another Member has not notified the 
institution of a licensing procedure or changes in  the procedures.  However, no such reverse 
notifications have been received under this provisi on since the entry into force of the Agreement. 
7.  Article 7.3 of the Agreement requires all Me mbers to provide replies to the Questionnaire on 
Import Licensing Procedures
2 by 30 September each year.  Since the entry into force of the WTO 
Agreement, 90 Members1 have made notifications under this prov ision.  This includes replies to the 
Questionnaire from 11 Members in 1995,  22 Members in 1996, 25 Members1 in 1997, 26 Members 
in 1998, 20 Members1 in 1999, 32 Members1 in 2000, 23 Members1 in 2001, 41 Members1 in 2002, 
25 Members1 in 2003, 211 Members in 2004, 191 Members in 2005 and 381 Members in 2006.  During 
the review period, the Committee received 48 notifications from the following 38 Members:  
Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Bangladesh; Ba rbados; Brazil; Bulgaria; Canada; Chile; China 
(People's Republic of), Colombia; Congo (Democra tic Republic of); the European Communities; 
Georgia; Grenada; Guatemala; Haiti; Hong Kong, Ch ina; India; Israel; Jamaica; Japan; Kyrgyz 
Republic; Macao, China; Malawi; Malaysia; Mexico; Morocco; Peru; Qatar; Romania; Rwanda; Saint 
Lucia; Saudi Arabia; Tunisia; Turkey; Uganda a nd the United States.  These notifications may be 
found in document series G/LIC/N/3/-. 
8. Written comments and questions from Members concerning the notifications submitted to the 
Committee and/or on import licensing procedures mainta ined by Members, and replies thereto, may 
be found in document series G/LIC/Q/-3.  During the review period, such comments and questions 
were submitted by the United States to Brazil a nd Malaysia (documents G/LIC/Q/BRA/3/Add.1 and 
G/LIC/Q/MYS/3, respectively), by China to the United States (G/LIC/Q/USA/1), by Australia to 
Malaysia (G/LIC/Q/MYS/4) and additional questions  by Mexico to Guatemala (G/LIC/Q/GTM/2), 
while responses were provided by Indonesia to the United States (G/LIC/Q/IDN/8); by Guatemala to 
Mexico (G/LIC/Q/GTM/1) and by the United States  to China (G/LIC/Q/USA/2).  During the same 
period, the Committee heard concerns regarding cer tain import licensing procedures applicable in 
Argentina, Brazil, Belize, Indonesia, Turkey and I ndia.  Statements of Members in this context, 
including responses given orally at the meetings , are reflected in the minutes of the meetings.  
9. The Committee has provided a regular forum for the discussion of specific notifications 
submitted by Members.  As evident in the Annex to th is report, there continues to be a low level of 
compliance with the mandatory notification require ments under Articles 1.4(a), 8.2(b) and 7.3 and 
with the ad hoc notification requirement under Article  5.  This low level of compliance of Members 
with the transparency obligations of the Agre ement has been the main preoccupation of the 
Committee for some time now. 
 10. At its meetings of 21 June  and 30 October, the Chair expr essed continuing concern over the 
failure of many Members to submit the required no tifications and once again urged Members who had 
not yet notified and had not updated their notificati ons or provided clarifications sought by other 
Members to do so as soon as possible. 
 11. At its meeting of 30 October, the Committe e conducted the fifth transitional review, as 
appropriate to its mandate, of th e implementation by China of the WTO Agreement and of the related 
provisions of its Protocol of Accession
4, as provided for in Paragraph 18 of the Protocol on the 
Accession of the People's Republic of China to the WTO (G/LIC/M/22, paragraphs 3.1-3.10).  The 
report of the Committee to the Council for Trade in Goods on this review is contained in document 
G/LIC/15.  
                                                     
 
2 Annexed to document G/LIC/3. 
3 See understanding on Procedures for the Review of Notifications (G/LIC/4). 
4 WT/L/432.  G/L/800 
 Page 3 
 
 
  12. The Committee also conducted, at its meeting of 30 October 2006, the Sixth Biennial Review 
of the implementation and operation of the Agreement under Article 7.1.  The report was circulated in 
document G/LIC/16. G/L/800 
Page 4  
 
  ANNEX  
 
Notifications
5 
  
MEMBER6 N/17 DATE N/28 DATE N/39 DATE 
ALBANIA   N/2/ALB/1 22.02.02 N/3/ALB/1 04.02.02 
ANGOLA       
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA N/1/ATG/1 31.01.02   N/3/ATG/2 30.01.02 
ARGENTINA N/1/ARG/2 22.01.98 N/2/ARG/10 15.09.06 N/3/ARG/3 15.09.06 
ARMENIA N/1/ARM/1 07.11.03   N/3/ARM/3 28.08.06 
AUSTRALIA N/1/AUS/1/Add.1 22.05.97 N/2/AUS/1 14.06.04 N/3/AUS/2 23.10.06 
BAHRAIN N/1/BHR/1 13.06.97   N/3/BHR/1 15.09.00 
BANGLADESH N/1/BGD/2 01.04.05   N/3/BGD/3 29.09.06 
BARBADOS N/1//BRB/1 04.10.96   N/3/BRB/3/A.1 14.09.06 
BELIZE       
BENIN N/1/BEN/1 10.02.97     
BOLIVIA N/1/BOL/1 16.06.97   N/3/BOL/3 29.06.00 
BOTSWANA       
BRAZIL N/1/BRA/3 18.10.06 N/2/BRA/3 18.10.06 N/3/BRA/5 18.10.06 
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM     N/3/BRN/1 10.04.97 
BULGARIA N/1/BGR/2 24.09.04   N/3/BGR/3 25.10.06 
BURKINA FASO N/1/BFA/1 10.02.97   N/3/BFA/1/A.1 18.12.00 
BURUNDI N/1/BUR/1 27.04.01   N/3/BUR/2 07.11.01 
CAMBODIA       
CAMEROON N/1/CMR/1 18.09.01   N/3/CMR/1 17.12.04 
CANADA N/1/CAN/1 16.02.96   N/3/CAN/5 26.10.06 
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC       
CHAD N/1/TCD/2 16.08.00   N/3/TCD/2 20.08.01 
CHILE N/1/CHL/1 31.07.06   N/3/CHL/2 13.09.06 
CHINA N/1/CHN/5 20.03.06   N/3/CHN/5 03.10.06 
COLOMBIA N/1/COL/1/A.1 14.02.01   N/3/COL/4 18.10.06 
CONGO       
COSTA RICA N/1/CRI/1 23.01.96   N/3/CRI/3 15.02.01 
COTE D'IVOIRE N/1/CIV/1 08.02.02   N/3/CIV/1 08.02.02 
CROATIA N/1/HRV/3 04.04.05   N/3/HRV/3 04.04.05 
CUBA N/1/CUB/1 24.01.96   N/3/CUB/2/A.1 15.09.04 
CONGO DEM. REP. OF THE N/1/COD/1 19.10.06   N/3/COD/1 18.10.06 
DJIBOUTI       
DOMINICA N/1/DMA/1 22.02.01   N/3/DMA/1 23.02.01 
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC N/1/DOM/1 04.05.04   N/3/DOM/2 04.05.04 
EC COMMISSION N/1/EEC/2/A.4 10.01.03 N/2/EEC/2 14.07.97 N/3/EEC/8/Add.1 16.06.06 
 
ECUADOR N/1/ECU/2 15.06.05   N/3/ECU/2 20.12.02 
                                                      
5 The title "Date" refers to the da te of issuance of the document. 
6 The European Communities and its members States counted as one Member 
 7 Art. 1.4(a) and/or 8.2(b) publications and/or legislation (date of latest communication) 
 8 Article 5.1-5.4 – Ad hoc New import licensing procedures or changes (date of latest communication) 
 9 Article 7.3 – Annual Replies to Questionnaire (date of latest communication)  G/L/800 
 Page 5 
 
 
  MEMBER6 N/17 DATE N/28 DATE N/39 DATE 
EGYPT        
EL SALVADOR N/1/SLV/1 03.02.04     
REP. OF THE FIJI ISLANDS N/1/FJI/1 03.09.97   N/3/FJI/1 16.04.97 
FMR. YUGOSLAV REP. OF 
 MACEDONIA N/1/MKD/1 29.10.04     
GABON N/1/GAB/2 13.03.02     
GAMBIA     N/3/GMB/1 05.12.97 
GEORGIA N/1/GEO/1 08.04.02   N/3/GEO/3 04.09.06 
GHANA N/1/GHA/1 21.04.04   N/3/GHA/3 21.04.04 
GRENADA N/1/GRD/1 10.04.02   N/3/GRD/1 19.10.06 
GUATEMALA N/1/GTM/2 28.01.00   N/3/GTM/3 18.10.06 
GUINEA BISSAU       
GUINEA, REP.OF       
GUYANA N/1/GUY/1 10.04.02   N/3/GUY/2 28.10.03 
HAITI N/1/HTI/2 27.10.06   N/3/HTI/3 27.10.06 
HONDURAS N/1/HND/1 03.12.96     
HONG KONG, CHINA N/1/HKG/5 07.01.03 N/2/HKG/2 09.02.98 N/3/HKG/10 20.09.06 
ICELAND N/1/ISL/1 26.01.99   N/3/ISL/3 28.10.04 
INDIA N/1/IND/9 25.09.06 N/2/IND/8 25.09.06 N/3/IND/8 22.09.06 
INDONESIA N/1/IDN/1 02.11.98 N/2/IDN/1 22.04.03 N/3/IDN/2 20.05.00 
ISRAEL N/1/ISR/1 19.10.06 N/2/ISR/1 19.10.06 N/3/ISR/1 19.10.06 
JAMAICA N/1/JAM/1 11.07.96 N/2/JAM/1 01.10.03 N/3/JAM/2 06.10.06 
JAPAN N/1/JPN/2/R.1 26.02.97 N/2/JPN/3 27.04.01 N/3/JPN/4 01.11.05 
JORDAN N/1/JOR/2/A.1 03.09.03 N/2/JOR/2 10.06.05 N/3/JOR/1 11.12.00 
KENYA N/1/KEN/1 12.06.03   N/3/ KEN/2/A.1 12.06.03 
KOREA, REP. OF N/1/KOR/3 14.04.98   N/3/KOR/4 02.08.05 
KUWAIT       
KYRGYZ REPUBLIC N/1/KGZ/1 18.01.00   N/3/KGZ/2 09.10.06 
LESOTHO       
LIECHTENSTEIN N/1/LIE/2 26.10.00 N/2/LIE/2 26.10.00 N/3/LIE/4/A.1 14.04.03 
MACAO, CHINA N/1/MAC/2 03.02.04   N/3/MAC/9 05.10.06 
MADAGASCAR N/1/MDG/2 25.04.00   N/3/MDG/2 21.06.05 
MALAWI N/1/MWI/1 13.10.99   N/3/MWI/2 03.10.06 
MALAYSIA   N/2/MYS/2 06.09.99 N/3/MYS/2 11.09.06 
MALDIVES     N/3/MDV/1 15.04.02 
MALI N/1/MLI/1 27.08.01   N/3/MLI/2 27.08.01 
MAURITANIA       
MAURITIUS N/1/MUS/1/A.3 05.06.98   N/3/MUS/2 04.07.02 
MEXICO N/1/MEX/2 18.10.06   N/3/MEX/2 18.10.06 
MOLDOVA N/1/MDA/1 22.01.02   N/3MDA/1 08.02.02 
MONGOLIA N/1/MNG/1 27.04.01   N/3/MNG/1 12.06.03 
MOROCCO N/1/MAR/1/A.2 20.01.05   N/3/ MAR/5 19.10.06 
MOZAMBIQUE       
MYANMAR       
NAMIBIA N/1/NAM/1 29.10.02   N/3/NAM/4 29.10.02 
NEPAL       
NEW ZEALAND N/1/NZL/1 22.08.96   N/3/NZL/1/A.1 06.04.98 
NICARAGUA N/1/NIC/1 05.08.96     
NIGER N/1/NER/1 12.01.98     
G/L/800 
Page 6  
 
  MEMBER6 N/17 DATE N/28 DATE N/39 DATE 
NIGERIA N/1/NGA/1 18.02.98 N/2/NGA/2 18.02.98 N/3/NGA/2 18.02.98 
NORWAY N/1/NOR/2 03.12.97   N/3/ NOR/2/A.2 25.04.00 
OMAN N/1/OMN/1 20.02.01   N/3/OMN/2 01.04.05 
PAKISTAN N/1/PAK/1 29.05.96 N/2/PAK/1 29.05.96   
PANAMA N/1/PAN/2 16.11.98 N/2/PAN/1 18.08.98 N/3/PAN/2 04.03.04 
PAPUA NEW GUINEA   N/2/PNG/1 17.02.98   
PARAGUAY N/1/PRY/1 12.06.03     
PERU N/1/PER/2/r.1 31.05.05   N/3/ PER/4 03.10.06 
PHILIPPINES N/1/PHL/1 14.04.98   N/3/PHL/4/A.1 03.10.03 
QATAR N/1/QAT/1 02.04.98   N/3/QAT/3 22.09.06 
ROMANIA N/1/ROU/3/A.1 16.01.06 N/2/ROU/4 05.10.05 N/3/ROU/3 09.10.06 
RWANDA     N/3/RWA/1 20.07.06 
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS N/1/KNA/1 07.08.98     
ST. LUCIA N/1/LCA/2 18.10.06 N/2/LCA/2 17.10.02 N/3/LCA/4 06.10.06 
ST. VINCENT & 
GRENADINES       
SAUDI ARABIA     N/3/SAU/1 19.10.06 
SENEGAL N/1/SEN/1 23.10.02   N/3/SEN/2 23.10.02 
SIERRA LEONE       
SINGAPORE N/1/SGP/4 24.09.04 N/2/SGP/3 24.09.04 N/3/SGP/4 12.11.03 
SOLOMON ISLANDS       
SOUTH AFRICA   N/2/ZAF/1 15.07.97 N/3/ZAF/4 17.09.02 
SRI LANKA N/1/LKA/1 20.05.03   N/3/LKA/1 27.05.03 
SURINAME N/1/SUR/1 15.12.03     
SWAZILAND N/1/SWZ/1 04.10.96     
SWITZERLAND N/1/CHE/2 26.09.00 N/2/CHE/2 26.09.00 N/3/ CHE/4/A.1 14.04.03 
TAIPEI, CHINESE N/1/TPKM/6 20.12.04 N/2/TPKM/
4 20.12.04 N/3/TPKM/2 30.07.04 
TANZANIA       
THAILAND       
TOGO N/1/TGO/1 12.06.03   N/3/TGO/1 12.06.03 
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO N/1/TTO/1 10.11.98   N/3/TTO/4 10.08.04 
TUNISIA N/1/TUN/1/A.1 11.02.99   N/3/ TUN/3/A.5 20.02.06 
TURKEY N/1/TUR/4 30.09.03   N/3/TUR/6 20.10.06 
UGANDA N/1/UGA/1 03.10.96   N/3/ UGA/1/A.2 07.10.05 
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES N/1/ARE/1 18.04.97   N/3/ARE/ 25.04.00 
UNITED STATES N/1/USA/3 24.04.06 N/2/USA/2 21.06.05 N/3/USA/4 25.06.06 
URUGUAY N/1/URY/3 25.09.01   N/3/URY/3 27.07.05 
VENEZUELA N/1/VEN/1 25.10.02 N/2/VEN/5 20.05.03 N/3/VEN/1 27.05.02 
ZAMBIA N/1/ZMB/2 18.02.04   N/3/ZMB/2 18.02.04 
ZIMBABWE N/1/ZWE/2 28.09.98   N/3/ ZWE/1/A.2 16.03.01 
TOTAL:       124 94  26  90  
 
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