. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/MA/17 
27 March 2006 
 (06-1390) 
Negotiating Group on Market Access  
  
 
NEGOTIATING GROUP ON MARKET ACCESS 
 
Progress Report by the Chairman, Ambassador Don Stephenson, to 
 
the Trade Negotiations Committee  
 
 
I. STATUS OF WORK 
1.1 The NAMA Group has met three times in 2006.  The first meeting  which took place from 2 to 
3 February was informal and the details of the orga nization of work for this meeting were faxed  to 
Members on 20 January 2006.  The second meeting  took place from 27 February to 3 March 2006 and 
was convened by WTO/AIR/2763.   At this meeting the agenda item "Election of the Chairman" took 
place in formal mode with the rest of the meeti ng conducted in informal mode. The proposed structure 
of work for this meeting was communicated to  Members through an organizational fax dated 
24 February 2006.  Subsequently, a nother fax was sent out which liste d a set of very straightforward 
questions on issues to be cove red in small-group consultations as well as a Room D session on 
Paragraph 24 of the Hong Kong Minist erial Declaration.  The third meeting,  also in informal mode, 
took place from 20-24 March 2006.  The organizationa l arrangements for this meeting was conveyed 
to Members by fax dated 14 March 2006.    1.2 At the first meeting
, the following documents were introdu ced or referred to in plenary: 
"Activity report on export taxes to the NGMA" (JOB (05)/321) by the EC "Update on the Negotiations 
on the Sectoral Tariff Component" (TN/MA/W/8/Add.1) by Singapore;  "Enhancement of disciplines 
for quantitative export restrictions on natural res ources such as minerals" (JOB(06)/14) and "Progress 
report: Sectoral discussions on tariff elimination in th e electronics/electrical sector"  (JOB(06)/15) by 
Japan; "Negotiating NTBs related to remanufactur ing and refurbishing" (TN/MA/W/18/Add.11) and 
"A view to harmonize textile, a pparel and footwear labelling requ irements" (TN/MA/W/18/Add.12) 
by the US;  "Liberalisation of trade in fish and fish products" (TN/MA/W/63) by Canada, Iceland, 
New Zealand, Norway, Singapore and Thailand;  "Progress Report: Discussions on Forestry NTBs"  
(TN/MA/W/48/Add.1) by New Zealand and the United  States; "Tariff liberalization in the Forest 
Products Sector" (TN/MA/W/64) by Canada, Hong Kong China, Ne w Zealand, Thailand and the 
United States.    
1.3 At the second meeting
, the following documents were introduced or referred to in plenary: 
two papers by Japan entitled "Text based contribut ion for negotiation on enhanced disciplines on 
export restrictive measures" (JOB(06)/29), and "P rogress Report: Sectoral Discussions on Auto/Auto 
parts sector"  (JOB(06)/31);  a paper by Canada   entitled "Progress report on Sectoral Discussion on 
Tariff Elimination in the Forest Products Sector " (JOB(06)/30); a document by Thailand entitled 
"Progress Report: Sectoral Discussions on Tariff Eliminations in the Gems and Jewellery Sector" 
(JOB(06)/33); and a paper by Singapore, the US  and Switzerland entitled "Open Access to Enhanced 
Healthcare" (JOB(06)/35).  The introduction of these papers was followed by an information session on sectorals by the proponents of such initiatives.   At the closing session of this NAMA week, the 
UAE also circulated a room document on its sectoral on raw materials.  TN/MA/17 
Page 2  
 
  1.4 At the third meeting, the following documents  were introduced or referred to in plenary: 
"Implementing Paragraph 24 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration (TN/MA/W/67) by 
Argentina; "Text-Based Contribution for Negotia tion on Enhanced Disciplines on Export Restrictive 
Measures (JOB(06)/29/Rev.1) by Japan. Following  discussion of these documents, information was 
provided by Members having undertaken a simula tion exercise by themselves. The output summaries 
of these simulations were circulated in documen t JOB(06)/57 and Corr.1. South Africa presented a 
room document on behalf of the NAMA-11 Group of Developing Countries.  Although not introduced 
in plenary, Turkey during the week circulated a document entitled "Harmonization in the Textiles and 
Clothing Sectors" (JOB(06)/60).  An open-ended ses sion was also held on the Formula, Paragraph 8 
flexibilities and treatment of unbound tariffs. 
 
1.5 These open-ended meetings have been supplemen ted by intensive consultations in different 
configurations by the Chairman which have been  described in detail in documents JOB(06)/49, 
JOB(06)/51, JOB(06)/62, JOB(06)/67 and JOB(06)/68.   JOB(06)/51 also includes a work plan which 
was put forward by me, on my own responsibility, to assist delegations in preparing sufficiently in 
advance for these meetings/consultations. 
 1.6 Participants were active in reporting the work they have undertaken in the context of private 
consultations.  It is evident that this practice of  giving time to delegations to meet privately  is 
valuable, and will become even more important as we approach 30 April.    II. OUTSTANDING ISSUES 
2.1 In order to establish modalities by the end of  April as envisaged in the Hong Kong Ministerial 
Declaration, the Group will need to intensify its work on the core issues of formula, unbound and 
paragraph 8 flexibilities, as well as on all the other and equally important issues such as: sectorals; 
product coverage; credit for bound autonomous liberali zation; ad valorem equivalents (AVEs); issues 
relating to the LDCs; paragraph 6 flexibilities;  flexibilities for the Ne wly Acceded Members, 
flexibilities for the small, vulnerable economies; a ppropriate studies and capacity building measures; 
and non-reciprocal preferences.  It will also be necessary to have preliminary discussion on the format 
of the Doha Schedules and the post-April work program.   
 
III. FUTURE WORK 
 
3.1 Although the next meeting of the Group is sche duled for 19-21 April, intensive consultations 
are required on all the issues.  Such consultations will take place based on the work plan contained in 
JOB(06)/51. 
__________