. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/TF/W/67 
5 October 2005 
 (05-4455) 
Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation Original:   English 
  
 
COMMUNICATION FROM NEW ZEALAND, NORWAY AND SWITZERLAND 
  
 The following communication, dated 4 October 2005, from the Delegations of New Zealand, 
Norway, and Switzerland, is being circulated in  advance of the Negotiating Group meeting of 5-
6 October 2005. 
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CLARIFICATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN GATT ARTICLE VIII 
(FEES AND FORMALITIES CONNECTED WITH  
IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION) 
 
Follow-up to TN/TF/W/36 on Simplification, Reduc tion and Standardization of Trade Documents
 
 
I. INTRODUCTION 
1. It should be recalled that New Zealand, No rway and Switzerland put forward a proposal to 
the Negotiating Group meeting in May, on Simplifi cation, Reduction and Sta ndardization of Trade 
Documents (TN/TF/W/36). The main el ement in that proposal was that all Members commit to use 
standardized documentation requirements fo r export, import and goods in transit .    
2. The main aim of this proposal is to set out  in concrete terms how achieve the objective in 
Article VIII paragraph 1(c) of the GATT 1994 of "m inimising the incidence a nd complexity of import 
and export formalities and … decreasing and simplifying import and export documentation 
requirements."  
3. In a number of other proposals under Article  VIII, or dealing with transit issues under 
Article V, the use of standard documents is mentioned as a key factor to facilitate trade.1  While each 
of the proposals is written with a slightly different  focus, a careful reading of these proposals shows 
that they share the one common target namely that Me mbers should commit to the use of standardized 
documentation requirements .   
II.  COMMITMENTS 
 4. Research carried out shows that many countries already today to a great extent use 
standardized documents.  This includes a large numb er of developing countries, many of whom have 
adopted standardized documentation requirements through recent customs reform. Over 115 countries 
have documentation requirements that are aligned with the UN Layout Key.2  In addition more than 
                                                      
1 See for example the following wo rking documents: TN/TF/W/17, W/18, W/30, W/36, W45, W/46 as 
regards Article VIII, and TN/TF/W/28, W/30, W/39 and W/35 as regards Article V.  
2 We note that this includes those countries w ho have put in place the Standard Administrative 
Document (SAD), or have implemented compatible systems with the UN Layout Key through products such as 
ASYCUDA (UNCTAD), TATIS, TIMS, or others. TN/TF/W/67 
Page 2  
 
 80 countries have National Associations affiliate d to the International Federation of Freight 
Forwarders Association (FIATA).
3  In other words for many countries the proposal would not imply 
any change from existing practices. We recognize that for other developing countries technical 
assistance could be needed.   
5. We have indicated in our previous submi ssion TN/TF/W/36, that the use of standardized 
documents should, of course, not stop Members from enforcing legitimate policy objectives. In fact, 
the range of existing standardized documents th at are available already provide for significant 
flexibility for Members to achieve  these legitimate objectives.   
6. We do not in this submission propose any c oncrete text on how to regulate the use of 
standardized documents. We do, however, briefly i ndicate alternative options for approaching this 
issue.  
• Reference to relevant international organizations  that have developed standardized 
documents, for example, WCO and UN including UNCTAD. 
• An obligation to use documents that are aligned with the UN Layout Key.4 
• Reference to a bank of standard documents  run by a relevant international organization 
which Members must draw from. 
• A list of standard documents  that must be used. 
III. BENEFITS 
7. Small- and medium-sized enterprises (S MEs) and businesses in developing countries in 
particular should benefit from such a commitment because it would reduce the number and variety of 
documents they have to use when exporting to or tr ansiting through third markets.  In our view the 
proposal is a relatively simple improvement, but it is at the same time an important one that could 
bring major benefits for the trading communities and governments involved.   
IV. CONCLUSION  
8. There is real value and wide support for th e proposal that Members should commit to using 
standardized documents in relation to goods being imported, exported or in transit.  
9. It should be underlined that we do not pr opose that the WTO or the Negotiating Group should 
develop any standardized documents.  Nor do we not suggest that the WTO should develop 
standardized data elements. We would, however, under line the additional benefits that use of standard 
data elements would have. Both these tasks should con tinue to be left to organizations best suited to 
carry out such a job.  However, an understanding within the WTO that the best way to simplify life 
for our traders and to get the maximum benefits from the existing standard documents would be to 
have all Members commit to using them. 
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3 This gives these national associations access to  the FIATA Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading 
(FIATA BL or FBL) which is also a ligned with the UN Layout Key.   
4 The UN Layout Key is by far the most widespread basis for standard documents. Since 1985 the UN 
Layout Key has become an ISO standard (6422).