WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/836 
9 November 2007 
 (07-4865) 
  
  
 
REPORT (2007) 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/800), 
i.e. 30 October 2006 - 8 October 2007 (hereinafter "t he review period").  During the review period, 
the Committee held two meetings on 2 April and 8 October 2007 (G/LIC/M/25 and G/LIC/M/26).  At 
its meeting on 2 April 2007, the Committee took note  of the nomination of Mr. Marco J. Kassaja 
(Tanzania) as Chairperson of the Committee for the current year and elected him by acclamation.  At 
that meeting, the Committee elected as Vice-Chairp erson for the current year, Mrs. Anna Ashikali 
(Cyprus).  Pursuant to Committee's Rules of Procedur e, 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 twelve notifications from the 
following nine Members: Armenia, Colombia, Co sta Rica, India, Kuwait, Mauritius, Thailand, 
Tunisia and Turkey.  These notifications may be found in document series G/LIC/N/1/-.  Copies of 
publications and legislation submitted with these no tifications 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 four 
Members: Argentina, Costa Rica, India and Korea.  These notifications may be found in document 
series G/LIC/N/2/-.  Since the entry into  force of the WTO Agreement 27 Members1 have submitted 
                                                      
1 The European Communities and its member States counted as one Member. G/L/836 
Page 2  
 
  notifications under these provisions.  Article 5.5 of the Agreement allows Members to submit reverse 
notifications, where a Member considers that anot her 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 provision 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, 89 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, 21 Members1  in 2004, 19 Members1 in 2005, 38 Members1 in 2006 and 33 
Members1 in 2007.  During the review period, the Committee received 39 notifications from the 
following 33 Members:  Argentina; Armenia; Ba ngladesh; Barbados; Brazil; Cameroon; Canada; 
Chile; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cote d'I voire; Dominica; European Communities; Gambia; 
Grenada; Haiti; Hong-Kong, China; India; Indonesia;  Japan; Korea; Macao, Ch ina; Morocco; Nigeria; 
Peru; the Philippines; Qatar; Singapore; Thailand; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia and Turkey.  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 Australia to Malaysia (G/LIC/Q/MYS/4), Mexico to Guatemala 
(G/LIC/Q/GTM/2), the United States to Argentina (G/LIC/Q/ARG/3), to Brazil 
(G/LIC/Q/BRA/3/Add.2 and Add.  3) and to Indonesia (G/LIC/Q/IDN/7/Add. 1 and Add.2), 
Responses were provided by Argentina to the United States (G/LIC/Q/ARG/4),  by China to Australia 
(G/LIC/Q/CHN/20), by Guatemala to Mexico (G/L IC/Q/GTM/3), by India to the United States 
(G/LIC/Q/IND/10), by Indonesia to the United States (G/LIC/Q/IDN/8/Add. 1 and Add.2), by 
Malaysia to Australia (G/LIC/Q/MYS/5), and by the United States to China (G/LIC/Q/USA/2).  
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 2 April and 8 October 2007, the Chair expressed continuing concern over 
the failure of many Members to submit the require d notifications and once again urged Members who 
had not yet notified and had not updated their notifica tions or provided clarifications sought by other 
Members to do so as soon as possible. 
 
11. At its meeting of 8 October, the Committe e conducted the sixth 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 Accession4, as provided for in Paragraph 18 of the Protocol on the 
Accession of the People's Republic of China to th e WTO (G/LIC/M/26, paragraphs 3.1-3.7).  The 
United States posed questions to China (G/LIC /Q/CHN/21).  China submitted a communication 
containing information required by paragraph IV:3 of Annex 1A  of the Protocol of Accession, 
circulated in document G/LIC/W/30.  The report of  the Committee to the Co uncil for Trade in Goods 
on this review is contained in document G/LIC/17. 
                                                      
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/836 
 Page 3 
 
 
  ANNEX  
 
Notifications5 
  
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/13 21.09.07 N/3/ARG/4 31.08.07 
ARMENIA N/1/ARM/4 24.09.07   N/3/ARM/4 21.09.07 
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/4 05.10.07 
BARBADOS N/1//BRB/1 04.10.96   N/3/BRB/4 27.09.07 
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/6 88.10.07 
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM     N/3/BRN/1 10.04.97 
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/2 05.09.07 
CANADA N/1/CAN/1 16.02.96   N/3/CAN/6 08.10.07 
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/3 27.09.07 
CHINA N/1/CHN/5 20.03.06   N/3/CHN/6 08.10.07 
COLOMBIA N/1/COL/2 08.10.07   N/3/COL/5 08.10.07 
CONGO       
COSTA RICA N/1/CRI/2 15.03.07 N/2/CRI/1 15.03.07 N/3/CRI/4 15.03.07 
COTE D'IVOIRE N/1/CIV/1 08.02.02   N/3/CIV/2 05.10.07 
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/Add.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/2 06.12.06 
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/10/Add.1 26.09.07 
ECUADOR N/1/ECU/2 15.06.05   N/3/ECU/2 20.12.02 
EGYPT        
EL SALVADOR N/1/SLV/1 03.02.04     
                                                      
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/836 
Page 4  
 
  MEMBER6 N/17 DATE N/28 DATE N/39 DATE 
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/2 27.09.07 
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/2 25.09.07 
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/4 21.09.07 
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/11 05.10.07 
ICELAND N/1/ISL/1 26.01.99   N/3/ISL/3 28.10.04 
INDIA N/1/IND/10 24.09.07 N/2/IND/9 24.09.07 N/3/IND/9 03.09.07 
INDONESIA N/1/IDN/1 02.11.98 N/2/IDN/1 22.04.03 N/3/IDN/3 27.11.06 
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/5 05.09.07 
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/2/KOR/1 12.01.07 N/3/KOR/6 27.09.07 
KUWAIT N/1/KWT/1 18.05.07     
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/10 27.09.07 
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/2 11.05.07   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/6 08.10.07 
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     
NIGERIA N/1/NGA/1 18.02.98 N/2/NGA/2 18.02.98 N/3/NGA/3 24.04.07 
NORWAY N/1/NOR/2 03.12.97   N/3/ NOR/2/A.2 25.04.00 
 G/L/836 
 Page 5 
 
 
  MEMBER6 N/17 DATE N/28 DATE N/39 DATE 
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/5 21.09.07 
PHILIPPINES N/1/PHL/1 14.04.98   N/3/PHL/5 21.09.07 
QATAR N/1/QAT/1 02.04.98   N/3/QAT/4 08.10.07 
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/5 23.11.06 
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 N/1/THA/1 27.09.07   N/3/THA/1 22.03.07 
TOGO N/1/TGO/1 12.06.03   N/3/TGO/1 12.06.03 
TONGA       
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO N/1/TTO/1 10.11.98   N/3/TTO/6 19.07.07 
TUNISIA N/1/TUN/2 14.02.07   N/3/ TUN/5 05.10.07 
TURKEY N/1/TUR/6 18.09.07   N/3/TUR/7 18.09.07 
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, BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF  N/1/VEN/1 25.10.02 N/2/VEN/5 20.05.03 N/3/VEN/1 27.05.02 
VIET NAM       
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  27  89  
  
__________