WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/911 
6 November 2009 
 (09-5543) 
  
  
 
REPORT (2009) 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 2008 annual report (G/L/876) w as issued, the Council for Trade in Goods has 
met five times in formal session on the following dates:  24 March 2009 (G/C/M/96 and Corr.1);  
12 May 2009 (G/C/M/97);  29 June 2009 (G /C/M/98);  7 October 2009 (G/C/M/99) and 
30 October 2009 (G/C/M/100).     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. EC enlargement 
6. Notification of regional trade agreements 7. Issues related to trade in textiles 8. Notifications 9. Transitional Review under Paragraph 18 of the Protocol on the Accession of the People's 
Republic of China 
10. Consideration of annual reports of subsidiary bodies 
 
1. Election of Chairperson for the Council for Trade in Goods   
 At its meeting of 24 March
 the Council elected H.E. Ambassador Elin Østebø Johansen 
(Norway) as its Chairman for 2009.  
2. Appointment of Officers for the subsidiary bodies of the Council  
 At its meeting of 24 March , the Council agreed on the nominations of the following persons 
for election as Chairpersons of its subsidiary bodies:  
Committee on Market Access Barney RILEY (New Zealand) 
Agriculture Valeria CSUKASI (Uruguay) 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measu res Miriam CHAVES (Argentina) 
Anti-Dumping Practices Pasquale de MICCO (Italy) 
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Raimundas LISKAUSKAS (Lithuania) 
Safeguards Dineswaree MOHUN (Mauritius) G/L/911 
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  Import Licensing Marco KASSAJA (Tanzania) 
Rules of Origin Vera  THORSTENSEN (Brazil)  
Customs Valuation Mohammed SAEED (Pakistan) 
Technical Barriers to Trade Ami LEVIN (Israel) 
TRIMs Vasile RADU (Romania) 
State Trading Enterprises Haitao ZHU (China)  
Committee of Participants on the Expansion of 
Trade in Information Technology Products (ITA Committee) Khalid EMARA (Egypt) 
 
  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. 
  At its meeting on 7 October
, the Council elected Ms. Octavia Cerchez (Romania) as Chair of 
the TRIMS Committee to replace Mr. Vasile Ra du who could no longer carry out this duty. 
 3. Matters of the Committee on Market Access  
 
 At its meetings on 12 May
 and 30 October  the Council took note of the periodic reports (in 
documents G/MA/236 and G/ MA/240) of the Committ ee on Market Access.  At  its meeting on 12 May  
the Council approved the draft deci sion on procedures leading to th e verification and certification of 
HS96 changes relating to the schedules of 64 Members in document G/C/W/619, and agreed to forward 
this to the General Council for adoption.   
 
4. Waivers under Article IX of the WTO Agreement  
 
(a) Introduction of Harmonized System 1996 changes into WTO Schedules of tariff concessions 
Requests for extensions of waiver (Argentina – G/C/W/596;  Panama – G/C/W/ 595) 
 At its meeting on 12 May , the Council considered requests from Argentina and Panama for 
extensions of waivers in connection with the in troduction of HS96 changes to their Schedules of 
concessions.  The Council approved the waiver requ ests and recommended that the draft decisions 
contained in the cited G/C/W/- documents 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/624)   At its meeting on 30 October
, the Council considered a collec tive 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 recomme nded that the draft decision contained in the 
cited G/C/W/- document be forwarded to  the General Council for adoption.  
 
(c) Introduction of Harmonized System 2007 chang es into WTO Schedules of tariff concessions 
– Requests for a waiver (G/C/W/625) 
 
 At its meeting on 30 October , the Council considered a collective request for a waiver in 
connection with the introduction of HS 2007 chang es to the Schedules of concessions.  The Council 
approved the waiver request and recommended that th e draft decision contained in the cited G/C/W/- 
document be forwarded to the General Council for adoption.    G/L/911 
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  (d) United States – Request for waiver for the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the 
Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, as amended and the ANDEAN Trade Promotion 
Act, as amended (G/C/W/611;  G/C/W/612;  G/C/W/613) 
  At its meeting on 24 March
 the Council approved the three waiver requests and recommended 
that the draft decisions contained in documents G/C/W/611, G/C/W/612, and G/C/W/613 be 
forwarded to the General Council for adoption.        (e) Brazil, China, India and Korea – Request fo r the Extension of the waiver for Preferential 
Tariff Treatment for Least Developed Countries (G/C/W/620) 
 
 At its meeting on 12 May
, the Council approved the waiver request and recommended that 
the draft decision contained in G/C/W/620 be fo rwarded to the General Council for adoption.   
 (f) Cape Verde – Request for a waiver related to the Implementation of Duty Rate Reduction 
(G/C/W/618) 
  At its meetings of 12 May
 the Council considered a request  from Cape Verde for a waiver 
related to the Implementation of duty rate  reductions.  At its meeting on 29 June , the Council 
approved the waiver request and recommended that  the draft decision contained in G/C/W/618 be 
forwarded to the General Council for adoption.   
 
5. EC enlargement (G/L/695/Add.9;  G/L/ 695/Add.10;  G/L/821/Add.4;  G/L/821/Add.5) 
 
 At its meetings on 29 June  and 30 October , the Council agreed on the extension of the 
deadlines set out in the communications from the EC (G/L/695/Add.9; G/L/821/Add.4 and 
G/L/695/Add.10;  G/L/821/Add.5, respectively).   
 
6. Notification of Regional Trade Agreements  
 
 At its meetings on 24 March , 12 May , and 30 October , the Council was informed of the 
following notifications of regional trade agreements : 
 
A. Agreement between  Japan and the Philippines for an Economic Partnership 
(WT/REG257/N/1) 
 B. The Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Communities and Côte d'Ivoire 
(WT/REG258/N/1) 
 C. Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Oman (WT/REG259/N/1)  D. Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Peru (WT/REG260/N/1)  
E. Free Trade Agreement between Turkey and Georgia (WT/REG261/N/1) 
 F. Free Trade Agreement between China and Singapore (WT/REG262/N/1)  G. Free Trade Agreement between Australia and Chile (WT/REG263/N/1) 
 
H. Free Trade Agreement between  Costa Rica and Panama (WT/REG264/N/1)   I. Free Trade Agreement between China and New Zealand (WT/REG266/N/1)  G/L/911 
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  J. Free Trade Agreement between  Nicaragua and Chinese Taipei (WT/REG267/N/1) 
 
K. Free Trade Agreement between  Pana ma and Chinese Taipei (WT/REG268/N/1) 
 L. Free Trade Agreement between Peru and Singapore (WT/REG269/N/1) 
 
M. Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Peru (WT/REG270/N/1) 
 N. Free Trade Agreement between Canada and EFTA (WT/REG271/N/1)  
O. Free Trade Agreement between Chile and Colombia (WT/REG272/N/1) 
 P. Free Trade Agreement between Japan and Switzerland (WT/REG273/N/1)  Q. Economic Partnership Agreement between  the European Communities and Cameroon 
(WT/REG274/N/1) 
 R. Economic Partnership Ag reement between Japan and Viet Nam (WT/REG275/N/1) 
 
S. Gulf Cooperation Council (WT/REG276/N/1)  
 
7. Issues Related to Trade in Textiles (G/C/W/599;  G/C/W/614/Rev.1)  
 At its meeting on 24 March
, the Council received a new submission from Turkey in document 
G/C/W/614.  At its meeting on 12 May , it received a revised version of this submission in 
G/C/W/614/Rev.1.  At its meetings on 29 June  the Council continued its consideration of the proposal 
in documents G/C/W/599 and G/C/W/614/Re v.1.  At its meeting on 30 October , the Council heard a 
report from Turkey on its bilatera l consultations on this proposal.  
 
8. Notifications  
 Status of notifications under the provisions of the Agreements in Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement 
  At its meeting on 24 March
, the Council took note of the latest revision of the status of 
notifications contained in document G/L/223/Rev.16.  
 
9. Transitional Review under paragraph 18 of th e Protocol on the Accession of the People's 
Republic of China  
 
 At its meeting on 30 October , the Council took note of the re ports of the CTG subsidiary 
bodies which had carried out their reviews, and carri ed out the CTG-specific review with respect to 
the information requirements stipulated in Annex 1A of the Protocol of Accession.  The Council agreed to send the report (G/L/910), together with th e reports of the subsidiary bodies, to the General 
Council. 
 
10. Consideration of annual reports of subsidiary bodies of the CTG  
 
 At its meeting on 30 October
, the Council took note of the annual reports of its subsidiary 
bodies. 
 
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