WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/947 
2 December 2010 
 (10-6500) 
  
  
 
REPORT (2010) OF THE COUN CIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS 
 
  In accordance with the "Procedures for an Annual Overview of WTO Activities and for 
Reporting under the WTO" (WT/L/105), the Council for Trade in Goods is to report each year to the 
General Council on the activities in the Council as well as in the subsidiary bodies.  The reports are to 
be "factual in nature, containing an  indication of actions and decisions  taken, with cross references to 
reports of subordinate bodies and could follow the model of the GATT 1947 Council reports to the 
CONTRACTING PARTIES".  
 Since the CTG 2009 annual report (G/L/911) w as issued, the Council for Trade in Goods has 
met four times in formal sessi on on the following dates:  23 March 2010 (G/C/M/101);  21 May 2010 
(G/C/M/102; G/C/M/102/Rev.1 and G/C/M/102/Rev.1/Corr.1
1);  5 July 2010 (G/C/M/103 and 
Corr.12);  and 30 November 2010 (G/C/M/104).   
  The subject matters which were raised a nd/or acted upon in the Council are as follows: 
 
1. Election of Chairperson  2. Appointment of officers  
3. Matters of the Committee on Market Access  
 4. Waivers under Article IX of the WTO Agreement  5. European Union enlargement  
6. Notification of regional trade agreements 
 7. Notifications:    7.1 Status of notifications under the provis ions of the Agreements in Annex 1A of the 
WTO Agreement 
  7.2. Frequency of Notifications of State Trading Enterprises under Article XVII of GATT 
1994 and the Understanding on the Interpre tation of Article XVII of GATT 1994 
(G/STR/7) 
 
8. Japan – Concerns regarding the Feed-in Tari ff (FIT) Programme of the Province of Ontario, 
Canada  9. Chinese Taipei – Concerns regarding cer tain aspects of Canada's tariff regime 
                                                     
 
1 In English only. 
2 In English and French only. G/L/947 
Page 2  
 
  10. European Union - Changes in Ecuador's tariff system under "Decreto Ejecutivo 372" ¨ 
 11. The United States and the European Union - Import Licensing Measures and Procedures by Argentina  
12. European Union and the United States - Measu res by Argentina Affecting Imports of Food 
Products   13. Consideration of annual reports of subsidiary bodies   
14. Other Business 
 
1. Election of Chairperson for the Council for Trade in Goods   
 At its meeting of 23 March
 the Council elected H.E. Ambassador Anthony MARUPING 
(Lesotho) as its Chairman for 2010.  
 
2. Appointment of Officers for the subsidiary bodies of the Council  
 At its meeting of 23 March , the Council agreed on the nominations of the following persons 
for election as Chairpersons of its subsidiary bodies for 2010:  
Committee on Market Access Daniel OWOKO (Kenya) 
Agriculture Valeria CSUKASI (Uruguay) 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Flavio SOARES DAMICO (Brazil) 
Technical Barriers to Tr ade Amit YADAV (India) 
TRIMs Hong ZHAO (China) 
Anti-Dumping Practices Adrian SERRA  (Argentina) 
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Robert FANG (Chinese Taipei) 
Safeguards  Tobias LORENTZSEN (Sweden) Import Licensing Anna ASHIKALI (Cyprus) 
Rules of Origin Jasmin QUAH-ZUBAIR (Singapore) 
Customs Valuation Tamás VATTAI (Hungary) State Trading Enterprises Doris JURADO (Colombia) 
Committee of Participants on the Expansion of 
Trade in Information Technology Products  Tomohiro KANEKO (Japan) 
 
 At the same meeting, the Council agreed to proceed on the understanding that as concerns 
Vice-Chairpersons, it would be for the subsidiary bodies  to decide if they needed a Vice-Chairperson in 
cases where the option existed under the respective Ag reement and/or rules of procedure, and for the 
respective Chairperson to hold  the necessary consultations. 
 
3. Matters of the Committee on Market Access  
 At its meetings on 21 May  and 30 November  the Council took note of the periodic reports (in 
documents G/MA/242 and G/ MA/243) of the Committe e on Market Access.  
  G/L/947 
 Page 3 
 
 
  4. Waivers under Article IX of the WTO Agreement  
(a) Introduction of Harmonized System 1996 chang es into WTO Schedules of Tariff Concessions  
 - Request for Extension of Waiver (Argentina – G/C/W/632)   At its meeting on 21 May
, the Council considered a request from Argentina for an extension 
of the waiver in connection with the introducti on of HS96 changes to Argentina's Schedule of 
Concessions.  The Council approved the waiver request and recommended that the draft decision contained in document G/C/W/632 be forwarded to the General Council for 
adoption. 
 
(b) Introduction of Harmonized System 2002 changes into WTO Schedules of Tariff  
 Concessions   – Requests for a waiver (G/C/W/637)   At its meeting on 30 November
, the Council considered a collective request for an extension 
of the waiver in connection with the introduction of HS2002 changes to the Schedules of 
Concessions.  The Council approved the waiver request and recommended that the draft decision contained in document G/C/W/637 be forwarded to the General Council for 
adoption.  
 
(c) Introduction of Harmonized System 2007 cha nges into WTO Schedules of Tariff Concessions 
  – Requests for a waiver (G/C/W/638) 
  At its meeting on 30 November
, the Council considered a collect ive request for a waiver in 
connection with the introduction of HS 2007 ch anges to the Schedules of Concessions.  The 
Council approved the waiver request and recomme nded that the draft decision contained in 
document G/C/W/638 be forwarded to the General Council for adoption.   
 (d) European Union – Request for a Waiver on Additional Autonomous Trade Preferences 
granted by the European Union to Pakistan (G/C/W/640)   
  At its meeting on 30 November
, the Council considered a request  by the European Union for 
a waiver on additional autonomous preferences gr anted by the EU to Pakistan.  The Council 
took note of the statements made.  The issue w ill revert to the Council following consultations 
between the EU and those Members who have expressed concerns. 
 
5. European Union enlargement:  Procedu res under Article XXVIII:3 of GATT 1994 
(G/L/695/Add.11;  G/L/695/Add.12;  G/L/821/Add.6;  G/L/821/Add.7) 
 At its meetings on 21 May and 30 November , the Council agreed on the extension of the 
deadlines set out in the communications from the EU (G/L/695/Add.11; G/L/821/Add.6 and G/L/695/Add.12;  G/L/821/Add.7, respectively).   
 
6. Notification of Regional Trade Agreements  
 At its meetings on 23 March, 21 May, 5 July and 30 November
, the Council was informed of 
the following notifications on regional trade agreements :    A. F
REE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN   ASEAN  AND JAPAN (WT/REG277/N/1) 
 
 B. F REE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN   PANAMA AND  HONDURAS (WT/REG278/N/1) G/L/947 
Page 4  
 
   C. C
USTOMS UNION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND SAN MARINO 
(WT/REG280/N/1) 
  D. F
REE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN  PERU AND CHINA (WT/REG281/N/1) 
 
 E. F REE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN  TURKEY AND MONTENEGRO (WT/REG282/N/1) 
  F. F
REE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN   HONDURAS - EL SALVADOR AND THE 
SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF TAIWAN , PENGHU , KINMEN AND MATSU 
(WT/REG283/N/1) 
 
 G. F REE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN   ASEAN,  AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND 
(WT/REG284/N/1)   
  H. F
REE TRADE AGREEMENT ON GOODS BETWEEN   THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU)  AND 
SERBIA (WT/REG285/N/1) 
  I. F
REE TRADE AGREEMENT ON GOODS AND SERVICES BETWEEN   KOREA AND INDIA 
(WT/REG286/N/1) 
  [J. F
REE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA AND ASEAN  
(WT/REG287/N/1  - S/C/N/559) 
  K. F
REE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN TURKEY AND SERBIA (WT/REG288/N/1) 
  L. F
REE TRADE TREATY BETWEEN MEXICO AND COLOMBIA (WT/REG289/N/1  -
 S/C/N/563)] 
 
7. Notifications 
 7.1 Status of notifications under the provis ions of the Agreements in Annex 1A of the 
WTO Agreement  
 
  At its meeting on 23 March , the Council took note of the latest revision of the status 
of notifications contained in document G/L/223/Rev.17.  
  7.2 Frequency of Notifications of State Trading Enterprises under Article XVII of GATT 
1994 and the Understanding on the Interpre tation of Article XVII of GATT 1994 
(G/STR/7)  
 
  At its meeting on 5 July
, the Council took note of the Working Party Chairperson's 
statement and approved the recommendation of the Working Party on the Frequency of Notifications of State Trading Enterprises contained in document G/STR/7.  
 8. Japan - Concerns regarding the Feed-in Ta riff (FIT) Programme of the Province of 
Ontario, Canada 
 At its meetings on 21 May
 and 5 July , the Council took note of the statements made by Japan, 
the United States, the European Union and Canada3 regarding the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) Program of the 
                                                      
3 See also documents G/C/W/635 and G/SCM/Q2/CAN/44 containing the responses by Canada to the 
questions posed by Japan.  G/L/947 
 Page 5 
 
 
  Province of Ontario (Canada), established in May 2009 through the enactment of the Green Energy 
Act, 2009.    
 
9. Chinese Taipei – Concerns regarding cert ain aspects of Canada's tariff regime 
 At its meeting on 21 May , the Council took note of the statements made by Chinese Taipei 
and Canada relating to Canada's tariff regime applied to Chinese Taipei's products when these 
competed with products from other countries with comparable economic development.  
 
10. European Union - Changes in Ecuador's ta riff system under "Decreto Ejecutivo 372" 
 At its meeting on 5 July  the Council took note of the statements made by the European Union, 
the United States, Japan, Canada, China and Ec uador on Executive Decree 372, adopted by Ecuador 
on 28 May 2010, which had changed the tariff structure for a number of products from an ad valorem  
system to a system based on both, specific duties and ad valorem  duties and which affected a large 
number of products mostly clothing, linen, textiles and footwear.  
 11. The United States and the European Union - Import Licensing Measures and 
Procedures by Argentina  
 At its meeting on 30 November
 the Council took note of the statements made by the United 
States, the European Union, Canada , Turk ey, Peru, Switzerland, Japan and Argentina  on the import 
licensing measures and procedures adopted by Argentina.  12. European Union and the United States - Measures by Argentina affecting imports of 
food products  
 At its meetings on 5 July
 the Council took note of the statements made by the 
European Union, Canada, Colombia, Australia, Japan, Switzerland, Norway, the United States and 
Argentina on measures adopted by the latter, in In ternal Note 232  from the State Secretary for 
Internal Trade to the Director of the National Food Institute (Instituto Nacional de Alimentos – 
INAL), affecting import of food products.   
 
 At its meeting on 30 November  the Council took note of the statements made by the 
United States, the European Union and Argentina on the measures by Argentina affecting imports of 
food products. 
    
13. Consideration of annual reports of subsidiary bodies of the CTG  
 At its meeting on 30 November , the Council took note of the annu al reports of its subsidiary 
bodies.4 
 14. Other Business 
 14.1 Mexico – Less Procedures and Bette r Regulation to enhance Competitiveness. 
   At its meeting on 30 November the Council took note of the statement made by 
Mexico on the measures adopted by its  authorities, following Presidential 
instructions, to reduce and eliminate pr ocedures and improve the administrative 
regulations so as to enhance competitiveness.  
                                                     
 
4 See documents G/L/928; G/L/929; G/L/934; G/L/935; G/L/936; G/L/937; G/L/938, G/L/939; 
G/L/940; G/L/941; G/L/942; G/L/943;  G/L/944; and, G/L/945. G/L/947 
Page 6  
 
   14.2 Questions from the United States, the Eu ropean Union, Canada,  Japan and Panama 
(G/C/W/639) - Ecuador Mixed Tariffs  
   At its meeting on 30 November
 the Council considered the questions in document 
G/C/W/639 posed to Ecuador by the United States, the European Union, Canada, 
Japan and Panama on the changes it had in troduced, in Presidential Decrees 367 and 
372, which had changed the tariff struct ure for a number of products from an 
ad valorem  tariff system to a mixed tariff system.  The Council also took note of the 
statements made by the United States, th e European Union, Japan, Canada and 
Ecuador.  The Council agreed that this issue will be included in the Agenda of its next 
meeting.   
 
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