. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/MA/216 
4 November 2008 
 (08-5347) 
Committee on Market Access  
 
 
 
PERIODIC REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO THE 
COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS   
  
 1. The Committee met on 16 October 2008. 
2. In the absence of the Chairman Dr Mohammad Saeed, the Vice-Chairman Mr. David Riley  
chaired the meeting pursuant to Rule 13 of the "R ules of Procedure for Meetings of the Committee on 
Market Access" (G/L/148).   
3. The Committee examined the following issues: 
4. The Committee took note of the draft periodic report (G/MA/SPEC/39) of the Committee.  
5.   The Committee took note of the status of submissions of HS96 documentation as set out in 
document G/MA/TAR/2/Rev.41.  The Committee also agreed that based on the procedure outlined at 
the meeting,  the Secretariat should elaborate fo r further discussion, a draft decision which would 
envisage the certification of HS96 changes which had been introduced by the Secretariat to 
64 schedules listed in JOB(05)/124/Add.2. 
6. The Committee approved the extensio n of the HS2002 waiver (G/C/W/601
1) and agreed to 
forward the draft waiver decision to  the CTG for appropriate action. 
7. The Committee approved the extension of th e HS2007 waiver (G/C/W/602) and agreed to 
forward the  draft waiver decision to  the CTG for appropriate action.  
8. With reference to the modalities and operati on of the Integrated Data Base (IDB), the 
Committee examined the status of IDB submissions on the basis of the document 
G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.28. The Secretariat reported on the status of processing of IDB submissions, use of IDB information,  the status of software develo pment and technical assistance. In addition, the 
Secretariat presented a report on the work undertaken  on the Consolidated Tariff Schedules Database.  
On the use of the IDB and CTS databases, the Secret ariat noted that these databases had been used for 
inter alia  the preparation of the World Tariff Profiles 2008 publication and the Electronic Negotiating 
Files (ENFs).  
9. The Secretariat reported on the status of wo rk concerning the introduction of HS2002 changes 
to schedules of concessions using the CTS database.  The Committee 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  delay in certification of these files continued to 
be the lack of approval by Members of their own f iles.  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 
                                                     
 
1 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/MA/216 
Page 2  
 
  that these files would be available to all authori zed users subject to the IDB/CTS dissemination policy 
(see G/MA/115).   
10. The Secretariat reported on the status of wo rk concerning the introduction of HS2007 changes 
to schedules of concessions using the CTS database. In this connection, 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 Co mmittee agreed that the Chairman should hold 
consultations with Members having to prepare th eir own HS07 files in order to establish a new 
deadline for the submission of such files, and s hould hold further consultations to re-examine some 
aspects of the HS07 procedures pertaining to the multila teral review.  In respect of the latter, the 
Committee agreed with the Vice-Chairman's proposal that the Secretariat prepare a decision on such 
procedures along the lines of what ha d been agreed in respect of the HS96 changes introduced to 
schedules by the Secretariat.   
11. The Committee took note of the Secretariat document entitled "Situation of Schedules of 
WTO Members" (G/MA/W/23/Rev.5). 
12. The Committee conducted the transitional review  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. 
13. The Committee considered its draft report (2008) to the CTG (G/MA/SPEC/40). It was agreed 
that an update of this report which took into acc ount the developments at this meeting would be 
circulated to all Members. If no comments were  forthcoming then the updated report would be 
considered adopted
2.  
14. The Committee elected Mr. Barney Riley (New Zealand) its Vice-Chairman for 2008.  
15. The Committee took note that its next meeti ng would be held in the spring of 2009. 
 
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2 The report was issued as G/L/865.