WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/876 
8 December 2008 
 (08-6050) 
  
  
REPORT (2008) 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 2007 annual report (G/L/845) w as issued, the Council for Trade in Goods has 
met four times in formal session on the following dates:  11 March 2008 (G/C/M/92);  22 May 2008 
(G/C/M/93);  1 July 2008 (G/C/M/94);  and 18 November 2008 (G/C/M/951
1).   
  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 11 March
 the Council elected H.E. Ambassador Karen Tan (Singapore) as 
its Chairman for 2008.  
2. Appointment of Officers for the subsidiary bodies of the Council  
 At its meeting of 11 March , the Council agreed on the nominations of the following persons 
for election as Chairpersons of its subsidiary bodies:  
Committee on Market Access Mr. Mohammad SAEED (Pakistan)  
Committee on Agriculture Ms. Valeria CSUKASI (Uruguay)  
Committee on Sanitary & Phytosanitary M easures Mr. Marinus HUIGE (Netherlands) 
Committee on Anti-Dumping Practices Mr. Jorge HUERTA GOLDMAN 
(Mexico) 
                                                      
1 To be issued. G/L/876 
Page 2  
 
  Committee on Subsidies and Counterva iling Measures Mr. Jun KAZEKI (Japan) 
Committee on Safeguards Mr. Robert KASPER (United States) 
Committee on Import Licensing Mr. Marco J. KASSAJA (Tanzania) 
Committee on Rules of Origin Ms. Vera THORSTENSEN (Brazil)  
Committee on Customs Valuation Ms. Octavia CERCHEZ (Romania)  
Committee on Technical Barrier s to Trade Ms. Xueyan GUO  (China)  
Committee on TRIMS Mr. Henry LIU (Chinese Taipei)  
Committee on State Trading Enterprises Ms. Virág DANI (Hungary) 
Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in 
Information Technology Products (ITA Committee) Mr. 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. 
 3. Matters of the Committee on Market Access  
 
 At its meetings on 22 May
 and 18 November  the Council took note of the periodic reports (in 
documents G/MA/198 and G/ MA/216) of the Committe e on Market Access.   
 
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 22 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/601/Rev.1) 
 
 At its meeting on 18 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 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/602) 
  At its meeting on 18 November
, the Council considered a collect ive 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.    (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/508/Rev.1;  G/C/W/509/Rev.1;  G/C/W/510/Rev.1) 
  G/L/876 
 Page 3 
 
 
   The Council continued its consideration of  these requests and their accompanying draft 
decisions at its meetings on 11 March , 22 May , 1 July , and 18 November .     
 (e) Senegal – Request for an extension of the wa iver for continued use of minimum values for 
customs valuation purposes (G/C/W/581;  G/C/W/582 and Add.1;  G/C/W/594) 
 
 At its meeting on 11 March
 and 22 May  the Council considered a request from Senegal for an 
extension of its existing waiver allowing the use of minimum values for customs valuation purposes.  
At its meeting on 22 May , the Council approved the waiver request and recommended that the draft 
decision contained in G/C/W/594 be forwarde d to the General Council for adoption.   
 
(f) European Communities – Request for a waiver for the Application of the European Union 
Autonomous Preferential Treatment to Moldova (G/C/W/592) 
  At its meetings of 11 March
 the Council considered a request from the European 
Communities for a waiver for the application of  the European Union Autonomous Preferential 
Treatment to Moldova.  At this meeting, the Council approved the waiver request on an ad 
referendum basis.  If no comments were received from Members in ten days, the draft decision contained in G/C/W/592 would be forwarded to the General Council for adoption.  No comments 
were received.    5. EC enlargement (G/L/695/Add.4;  G/L/695/Add.5;  G/L/695/Add.6;  G/L/695/Add.7;  
G/L/695/Add.8;  G/L/821;  G/L/821/Add.1;  G/L/821/Add.2;  G/L/821/Add.3) 
 
 At its meetings on 22 May
 and 18 November , the Council agreed on the extension of the 
deadlines set out in the communications from the EC (G/L/695/Add.7; G/L/821/Add.2 and 
G/L/695/Add.8;  G/L/821/Add.3, respectively).   
 
6. Notification of Regional Trade Agreements  
 
 At its meetings on 11 March , 22 May , and 18 November , the Council was informed of the 
following notifications of regional trade agreements : 
 
 A. Interim Agreement on Trade and Trad e-related matters between the European 
Communities and Montenegro in document WT/REG236/N/1  
  B. Free Trade Agreement between Pakistan and China in document WT/REG237/N/1 
 
 C. Free Trade Agreement between Chile and Panama in document WT/REG239/N/1;  
   D. Free Trade Agreement between Turkey and Albania in document WT/REG240/N/1  
E. Agreement between Japan and Indonesi a for an Economic Partnership  in 
document WT/REG241/N/1;    
 F. Free Trade Agreement between the European Communities and Bosnia and 
Herzegovina in document WT/REG242/N/1;   
 
G. Free Trade Agreement between  Iceland and the Faroe Islands in document 
WT/REG243/N/1;  
 H. Agreement between Brunei Darussalam and Japan for an Economic Partnership  
in document WT/REG244/N/1;   G/L/876 
Page 4  
 
   
I. Free Trade Agreement between Uk raine and Azerbaijan in document 
WT/REG245/N/1;  
  J. Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and Belarus in document 
WT/REG246/N/1;  
 K. Free Trade Agreement between Ukrain e and Kazakhstan (WT/REG247/N/1);   
 L. Free Trade Agreement between Ukrain e and the Former Yugoslav Republic Of 
Macedonia in document WT/REG248/N/1; 
 M. Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and Moldova in document 
WT/REG249/N/1;  
 
N. Free Trade Agreement between Ukrain e and Russian Federation in document 
WT/REG250/N/1; 
 O. Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and Tajikistan in document 
WT/REG251/N/1;  
 
P. Free Trade Agreement between Ukra ine and Turkmenistan in document 
WT/REG252/N/1;  
 Q. Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and Uzbekistan in document 
WT/REG253/N/1;  
 
R. Common Economic Zone in document WT/REG254/N/1;  S. Economic Partnership Agreement betw een the European Communities and the 
CARIFORUM States in document WT/REG255/N/1;  and  
 
T. Free Trade Agreement between the EFTA  States and the SACU States in 
document WT/REG256/N/1. 
 
7. Issues Related to Trade in Textiles (G/C/W/522;  G/C/W/549;  G/C/W/573 and Corr.1;  
G/C/W/599) 
  At its meeting on 11 March
, the Council continued its discussion of the proposals contained 
in documents G/C/W/549;  G/C/W/573 and Corr.1.  At the meeting on 22 May , in addition to the 
previous documents, the Council received a new su bmission from Turkey in document G/C/W/599.  
At its meetings on 1 July  and 18 November  the Council continued its consideration of the proposal in 
document G/C/W/599.  
 
8. Notifications  
 Status of notifications under the provisions of the Agreements in Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement 
 
 At its meeting on 11 March
, the Council took note of the latest revision of the status of 
notifications contained in document G/L/223/Rev.15.  
  G/L/876 
 Page 5 
 
 
  9. Transitional Review under paragraph 18 of th e Protocol on the Accession of the People's 
Republic of China  
 
 At its meeting on 18 November , the Council took note of the reports 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/875), 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 18 November
, the Council took note of the annu al reports of its subsidiary 
bodies.  
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