WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/941 
9 November 2010 
 (10-5984) 
  
 
 
 
REPORT (2010) OF THE COMMITTEE ON IMPORT LICENSING 
TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS 
 
 
1. The Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures (hereinafter "the Agreement") which entered  
into force on 1 January 1995, establishes disciplines on users of import licensing systems with the 
principal objective of ensuring that the procedur es applied for granting import licences do not in 
themselves restrict trade.  It aims to simplify, clarify and minimize the administrative requirements necessary to obtain import licences. 
2. The Committee on Import Licensing was established to afford Members the opportunity of 
consulting on any matters relati ng to the operation of the Agreement or the furtherance of its 
objectives.  The Committee's Rules of Procedure, which were approved by the Council for Trade in 
Goods, are contained in document G/L/147. 
3. All Members of the WTO are ipso facto  members of the Committee.  Observer governments 
in the General Council of the WTO have Observe r status in the Committ ee. The International 
Monetary Fund, the World Bank and UNCTAD have regular Observer status in the Committee. 
4. The focus of this report is on the period si nce the Committee's last annual report (G/L/903), 
i.e. 20 October 2009 - 29 October 2010 (hereinafter "t he review period").  During the review period, 
the Committee held two meetings on 26 April a nd 29 October 2010 (G/LIC/M/31 and G/LIC/M/32).  
At its meeting on 26 April 2010, the Committee took  note of the nomination of Mrs. Anna Ashikali 
(Cyprus) as Chairperson of the Co mmittee for the current year and elected her by acclamation.  At 
that meeting, the Committee elected as Vice-Chai rperson for the current year, Mr. Homero Larrea 
Monard (Ecuador).  Pursuant to Committee's Rules of  Procedure, they took office at the end of that 
meeting.   
5. Pursuant to Articles 1.4(a) and/or 8.2(b) of  the Agreement and procedures agreed by the 
Committee, all Members are required to notify thei r laws, regulations and administrative procedures 
relevant to import licensing and submit copies of any relevant publications or  laws and regulations 
upon becoming a WTO Member.  Any subsequent changes to these laws, regulations and 
administrative procedures are also required to be notified.  Since the entry into force of the WTO 
Agreement, 96 Members
1 have notified the Committee of their legislation and/or publications under 
these provisions.  During the review period, the Committee received 7 notifications from the following 7 Members: Brazil; China; Croatia; Fo rmer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mexico, 
Paraguay and the United States. (see Figure 1).  Th ese notifications may be found in document series 
G/LIC/N/1/-.  Copies of publications and legislatio n submitted with these notifications are available 
for consultation in the Secretariat. 
 
                                                     
 
1 The European Union and its Member States counted as one Member. G/L/941 
Page 2  
 
  6. The Committee also received, pursuant to para graphs 5.1-5.4 of Article 5, 8 notifications 
relating to the institution of new import licensi ng procedures or changes in these procedures from 
7 Members: Argentina; Brazil; Cost a Rica; Honduras; Malawi; Malaysia  and Thailand (see Figure 1).  
These notifications may be found in document series G/ LIC/N/2/-.  Since the entry into force of the 
WTO Agreement 34 Members have submitted notificati ons under these provisions.  Article 5.5 of the 
Agreement allows Members to submit reverse notific ations, where a Member considers that another 
Member has not notified the institution of a licen sing procedure or changes in the procedures.  
However, no such reverse notifications have been  received under this provision since the entry into 
force of the Agreement. 
7.  Article 7.3 of the Agreement requires all Me mbers to provide replies to the Questionnaire on 
Import Licensing Procedures
2 by 30 September each year.  Since the entry into force of the WTO 
Agreement, 97 Members have made no tifications under this provision.   This includes replies to the 
Questionnaire from 11 Members in 1995,  22 Members in 1996, 25 Members in 1997, 26 Members in 1998, 20 Members in 1999, 32 Members in 2000, 23 Members in 2001, 41 Members in 2002, 25 Members in 2003, 21 Members in 2004, 19 Members in 2005, 46 Members in 2006; 37 Members 
in 2007, 31 Members in 2008, 42 Members in 2009 and 34 Members up to present in 2010.  During 
the review period, the Committee received 53 notific ations from the following 42 Members:  Albania; 
Argentina; Barbados; Brazil; Burkina Faso; Canada ; Cape Verde; Chile; China; Colombia; Costa 
Rica; Croatia; Ecuador; European Union; Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia;  Grenada; Haiti; 
Honduras; Hong Kong China; India; Indonesia; Jap an; Republic of Korea; Kuwait; Macao China; 
Madagascar; Malaysia; Mexico; Namibia; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Norway; Peru; Philippines; Qatar;  St. 
Kitts & Nevis; Switzerland; Thailand; Trinidad and Tobago; Turkey; United States and Zimbabwe.. 
(see Figure 1).  These notifications may be found in document series G/LIC/N/3/-.  
FIGURE 1: NUMBER OF MEMBERS HAVING NOTIFIED  AND NUMBER OF 
NOTIFICATIONS SUBMITTED  DURI NG THE REVIEW PERIOD  2009-2010 
0102030405060
N/1 Notif N/2 Notif N/3 NotifNo of Members
having notified
No. of notifications
 
 
 
 
 
                                                      
2 Annexed to document G/LIC/3.  G/L/941 
 Page 3 
 
 
  8. Written comments and questions from Members concerning the notifications submitted to the 
Committee and/or on import licensing procedures mainta ined by Members, and replies thereto, may 
be found in document series G/LIC/Q/-3. During the review period, such comments and questions 
were submitted by: (i) Peru, (ii) Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Peru and the 
United States and (iii) Turkey to Argentin a (G/LIC/Q/ARG/7/Add.1, G/LIC/Q/ARG/10 and 
G/LIC/Q/ARG/12); (iii) Chile to Colombia (G/LIC/Q /COL/1); (iv) the European Union to Indonesia 
(G/LIC/Q/IDN/15) and (v) the United States to India (G/LIC/Q/IND/11/Add.1) and to Turkey 
(G/LIC/Q/TUR/5).  Responses were provided by (i) Argentina to questions from Canada, China, the 
European Union, Japan, Mexico, Peru and the United States (G/LIC/Q/ARG/11);  (ii) Brazil to questions from China (G/LIC/Q/BRA/15), the Un ited States (G/LIC/Q/BRA/13) and Mexico 
(G/LIC/Q/BRA/14);  (iii) India to questions from Korea (G/LIC/Q/IND/15);  (iv) Turkey to questions 
from the United States and (v) Ven ezuela to questions from Mexico.  
9. The Committee has provided a regular forum for the discussion of specific notifications 
submitted by Members.  As evident in the Annex to this report, there has been an improvement in the 
level of compliance with the mandatory notificati on requirements under Articles 1.4(a), 8.2(b) and 7.3 
and with the ad hoc notification requirement under Ar ticle 5;  but there still remain some important 
gaps.  Members' compliance with the transparency obligations of the Agreement has been the main 
preoccupation of the Committee for some time now.  Informal meetings have taken place, preceded 
by informal consultations with various delegati ons from a large geographical range.  During this 
process, delegations who have attended the info rmal consultations as well as those who have 
intervened at the informal Co mmittee meetings, have unanimously highlighted the importance of 
improving compliance with notification obligat ions.  Some delegations submitted ideas and 
suggestions that have been discussed;  some of thes e suggestions have been implemented by the Chair 
and the Secretariat.  The Chair has also been en couraged to continue, within the Committee, the 
informal discussion on ways and means to improve timeliness and completeness of notifications in order to take the discussion forward and allow the Committee to reach concrete results.   
 
10. During the review period, some Members had subm itted, for the first time, notifications to the 
Committee under various Articles of the Agreement: un der Article 5 Malawi and Thailand;  and,  
under Article 7.3 Saint Kitts and Nevis.  Neve rtheless, at its meetings of 26 April and 
29 October 2010, the Chair expressed continuing concern over the failure by many Members to 
submit the required notifications and once again ur ged Members who had not yet notified and had not 
updated their notifications or provided clarificati ons sought by other Members to do so as soon as 
possible.  11. At its meeting of 29 October 2010, the Committee conducted the Eight Biennial Review of the Implementation and Operation of the Agreement under Article 7.1.  The Committee's report to the 
Council for Trade in Goods on this review is contained in document G/L/941. 
                                                     
 
3 See understanding on Procedures for the Review of Notifications (G/LIC/4). G/L/941 
Page 4  
 
   
ANNEX 
 
NOTIFICATIONS SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS SINCE THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF 
THE AGREEMENT UNTIL 29 October 2010 
 
MEMBERS1 N/12 DATE N/23 DATE N/34 DATE 
ALBANIA N/1/ALB/3 07.10.09 N/2/ ALB/2 28.11.08 N/ 3/ALB/4 23.10.09 
ANGOLA             
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA N/1/ATG/1 31.01. 02     N/3/ATG/2 30.01.02 
ARGENTINA N/1/ARG/3 17. 09.09 N/2/ARG/23 27.11.09 N/3/ARG/6 
N/3/ARG/7  20.10.10 20.10.10 
ARMENIA N/1/ARM/4 24.09.07     N/3/ARM/5 03.10.08 
AUSTRALIA N/1/AUS/1/A.1 22.05.97 N/ 2/AUS/1 14.06.04 N/3/AUS/3 23.10.06 
BAHRAIN N/1/BHR/1 13.06.97     N/3/BHR/1 15.09.00 
BANGLADESH N/1/BGD/2 01.04.05     N/3/BGD/4 05.10.07 
BARBADOS N/1//BRB/1 04.10.96     N/3/BRB/5 26.01.10 
BELIZE             
BENIN N/1/BEN/1 10.02.97         
BOLIVIA N/1/BOL/1 16.06.97     N/3/BOL/3 29.06.00 
BOTSWANA             
BRAZIL N/1/BRA/5 19.04.10 N/2/BRA /5 19.04.10 N/3/BRA/8 19.04.10 
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM         N/3/BRN/1 10.04.97 
BURKINA FASO N/1/BFA/1 10.02. 97     N/3/BFA/3 29.06.10 
BURUNDI N/1/BDI/1 27.04.01     N/3/BDI/2 07.11.01 
CAMBODIA             
CAMEROON N/1/CMR/1 18.09.01     N/3/CMR/3 25.09.09 
CANADA N/1/CAN/2 10.06.09     N/3/CAN/9 18.10.10 
CAPE VERDE          N/3/CPV/1  30.10.09 
CENTRAL AFRICAN 
REP.             
CHAD N/1/TCD/2 16.08.00     N/3/TCD/2 20.08.01 
CHILE N/1/CHL/1 31.07.06     N/3/CHL/5 17.09.10 
CHINA N/1/CHN/6 24.03.10     N/3/CHN/8 20.10.09 
COLOMBIA N/1/COL/2 08.10.07     N/3/COL/8 19.04.10 
                                                      
1 The European Union and its Member States counted as one Member. 
2 Article 1.4(a) and/or Article 8.2(b) publications and/or legislation (date of latest communication). 
3 Article 5.1-5.4 – Ad hoc New import licensing procedures or changes (date of latest communication). 
4 Article 7.3 – Annual Replies to Questionnaire (date of latest communication).  G/L/941 
 Page 5 
 
 
  MEMBERS1 N/12 DATE N/23 DATE N/34 DATE 
CONGO             
COSTA RICA N/1/CRI/2 15.03.07 N/ 2/CRI/2 20.10.10 N/3/CRI/7 14.10.10 
COTE D'IVOIRE N/1/CIV/1 08.02. 02     N/3/CIV/2 05.10.07 
CROATIA N/1/HRV/5 21.10.10  N/2/HR V/1  09.10.09 N/3/HRV/5 07.09.10 
CUBA N/1/CUB/1 24.01.96     N/3/CUB/3 20.01.09 
CONGO DEM. REP. OF  N/1/COD/1 19.10.06     N/3/COD/1 18.10.06 
DJIBOUTI             
DOMINICA N/1/DMA/1 22.02.01     N/3/DMA/2 06.12.06 
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC N/1/DOM/1 04. 05.04     N/3/DOM/4 29.10.10 
EU N/1/EEC/2/A.4 10.01.03 N/2/EEC/2 14.07.97 N/3/EEC/13+ 
A.1 18.10.10 
ECUADOR N/1/ECU/2 15.06.06     N/3/ECU/3/A.1 19.04.10 
EGYPT              
EL SALVADOR N/1/SLV/1 03.02.04         
REP. OF THE FIJI 
ISLANDS N/1/FJI/1 03.09.97     N/3/FJI/1 16.04.97 
FMR. YUGOSLAV REP. 
OF  MACEDONIA N/1/MKD/3 18.10.10  N/2/MKD/ 1 17.04.09  N/3/MKD/2 18.10.10 
GABON N/1/GAB/2 13.03.02         
GAMBIA         N/3/GMB/2 27.09.07 
GEORGIA N/1/GEO/1 08.04.02     N/3/GEO/3 04.09.06 
GHANA N/1/GHA/1 21.04.04     N/3/GHA/4 29.09.09 
GRENADA N/1/GRD/1 10.04.02     N/3/GRD/4 08.09.10 
GUATEMALA N/1/GTM/2 28.01.00     N/3/GTM/4 09.11.07 
GUINEA BISSAU             
GUINEA, REP.OF             
GUYANA N/1/GUY/1 10.04.02     N/3/GUY/2 28.10.03 
HAITI N/1/HTI/2 27.10.06     N/3/HTI/5 30.10.09 
HONDURAS N/1/HND/1 03.12.96 N/2/HND/4 18.01.10 N/3/HND/1/ 
Add1+Corr.1 16.09.10 
     N/3/HND/5 25.10.10 
HONG KONG, CHINA N/1/HKG/5 07.01.03 N/2/HKG/4 18.09.09 N/3/HKG/14 24.09.10 
ICELAND N/1/ISL/1 26.01.99     N/3/ISL/3 28.10.04 
INDIA N/1/IND/12 16.10.09 N/2/I ND/10 22.09.08 N/3/IND/11 27.07.10 
INDONESIA N/1/IDN/1 02.11.98 N/2/ IDN/3 06.07.09 N/3/IDN/4 23.02.10 
ISRAEL N/1/ISR/1 19.10.06 N/2/IS R/1 19.10.06 N/3/ISR/1 19.10.06 
JAMAICA N/1/JAM/1 11.07.96 N/2/ JAM/1 01.10.03 N/ 3/JAM/3 03.09.08 
G/L/941 
Page 6  
 
  MEMBERS1 N/12 DATE N/23 DATE N/34 DATE 
JAPAN N/1/JPN/2/R.1 26.02.97 N/2/JPN/3 27.04. 01 N/3/JPN/9 06.10.10 
JORDAN N/1/JOR/2/A.1 03.09.03 N/ 2/JOR/2 10.06.05 N/ 3/JOR/1 11.12.00 
KENYA N/1/KEN/1 12.06.03     N/3/KEN/2/A.1 12.06.03 
KINGDOM OF SAUDI 
ARABIA          N/3/SAU/1 18.10.06 
KOREA, REP. OF N/1/KOR/3 14.04.98 N/2/KOR/1/R1 27.07.09 N/3/KOR/9 29.09.10 
KUWAIT N/1/KWT/1 18.05.07      N/3/KWT/1 25.10.10 
KYRGYZ REPUBLIC N/1/KGZ/1 18. 01.00     N/3/KGZ/2 09.10.06 
LESOTHO         N/3/LSO/1 06.06.08 
LIECHTENSTEIN N/1/LIE/2 26.10.00 N/2/ LIE/2 26.10.00 N/3/LIE/4/A.1 14.04.03 
MACAO, CHINA N/1/MAC/3 10.12. 07     N/3/MAC/13 15.09.10 
MADAGASCAR N/1/MDG/2 25.04.00     N/3/MDG/5 26.01.10 
MALAWI N/1/MWI/1 13.10.99  N/2/ MWI/1 10.05.10 N/ 3/MWI/2 03.10.06 
MALAYSIA     N/2/MYS/ 4 19.04.10 N/3/MYS/5 26.01.10 
MALDIVES         N/3/MDV/1 15.04.02 
MALI N/1/MLI/1 27.08.01     N/3/MLI/2 27.08.01 
MAURITANIA             
MAURITIUS N/1/MUS/2 11.05.07 N/2/ MUS/1 17.03.08 N/ 3/MUS/3 17.03.08 
MEXICO N/1/MEX/3 18.01.10     N/3/MEX/3 18.01.10 
MOLDOVA N/1/MDA/1 22. 01.02 N/2/MDA/1 16.10.08   N/3/MDA/1 08.02.02 
MONGOLIA N/1/MNG/ 1 27.04.01     N/3/MNG/1 12.06.03 
MOROCCO N/1/MAR/1/A. 1/R.1 08.10.09     N/3/MAR/7/R.1 09.10.09 
MOZAMBIQUE             
MYANMAR             
NAMIBIA N/1/NAM/1 29.10.02     N/3/NAM/6 30.08.10 
NEPAL             
NEW ZEALAND N/1/NZL/1 22.08.96     N/3/NZL/1/A.1 06.04.98 
NICARAGUA N/1/NIC/1 05.08.96     N/3/NIC/2  19.07.10 
NIGER N/1/NER/1 12.01.98         
NIGERIA N/1/NGA/1 18.02.98 N/2/ NGA/2 18.02.98 N/3/NGA/6 26.07.10 
NORWAY N/1/NOR/2 03.12.97     N/3/NOR/5 07.07.10 
OMAN N/1/OMN/1 20.02.01     N/3/OMN/4 08.05.09 
PAKISTAN N/1/PAK/1 29.05.96 N/2/PAK/1 29.05.96     
PANAMA N/1/PAN/2 16. 11.98 N/2/PAN/1 18.08. 98 N/3/PAN/2 04.03.04 
 G/L/941 
 Page 7 
 
 
  MEMBERS1 N/12 DATE N/23 DATE N/34 DATE 
PAPUA NEW GUINEA     N/2/PNG/1 17.02.98     
PARAGUAY N/1/PRY/2 14.09.10         
PERU N/1/PER/2/R.1 31.05.05     N/3/PER/6 27.08.10 
PHILIPPINES N/1/PHL/1 14.04. 98     N/3/PHL/7 27.10.09 
QATAR N/1/QAT/1 02.04.98     N/3/QAT/7 06.10.10 
RWANDA         N/3/RWA/1 20.07.06 
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS N/1/KNA/1 07. 08.98      N/3/KNA/1 08.12.09 
ST. LUCIA N/1/LCA/3 10.07.08 N/2/ LCA/2 17.10.02 N/3/LCA/5 29.09.08 
ST. VINCENT & 
GRENADINES           
SENEGAL N/1/SEN/ 1 23.10.02     N/3/SEN/3 07.10.09 
SIERRA LEONE              
SINGAPORE N/1/SGP/5 04.04.08 N/2/SGP/5 05.10. 09 N/3/SGP/7 06.10.09 
SOLOMON ISLANDS             
SOUTH AFRICA     N/2/ZA F/1 15.07.97 N/3/ZAF/4 17.09.02 
SRI LANKA N/1/LKA/1 20.05.03     N/3/LKA/1 27.05.03 
SURINAME N/1/SUR/1 15.12.03      N/3/SUR/1 09.10.09 
SWAZILAND N/1/SWZ/1 04.10.96         
SWITZERLAND N/1/CHE/2 26.09.00 N/2/ CHE/2 26.09.00 N/3/CHE/6 05.10.10 
CHINESE TAIPEI  N/1/TPKM/6  20.12.04 N/2/TPKM/4 20.12.04 N/3/TPKM/2/R.1 31.08.09 
TANZANIA             
THAILAND N/1/THA/1 28.09.07  N/2/T HA/1  29.09.10 N/3/THA/3 30.09.10 
TOGO N/1/TGO/1 12.06.03     N/3/TGO/1 12.06.03 
TONGA             
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO N/1/TTO/1 10.11.98     N/3/TTO/9 22.09.10 
TUNISIA N/1/TUN/2 14.02.07     N/3/TUN/5 05.10.07 
TURKEY N/1/TUR/8 29.09.09     N/3/TUR/10 07.09.10 
UGANDA N/1/UGA/1 03.10.96     N/3/UGA/1/A.2 07.10.05 
UKRAINE N/1/UKR/1 03.09.08     N/3/UKR/2 07.10.09 
UNITED ARAB 
EMIRATES N/1/ARE/1 18.04.97     N/3/ARE/1 25.04.00 
UNITED STATES N/1/USA/6 06.10.10 N/2/USA/2/A1 06.04.09 N/3/USA/7 06.10.10 
URUGUAY N/1/URY/3 25.09.01     N/3/URY/4 09.10.09 
VENEZUELA N/1/VEN/1 25.10.02 N/2/ VEN/5 20.05.03 N/ 3/VEN/1 27.05.02 
VIETNAM             
G/L/941 
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  MEMBERS1 N/12 DATE N/23 DATE N/34 DATE 
ZAMBIA N/1/ZMB/2 18.02.04     N/3/ZMB/2 18.02.04 
ZIMBABWE N/1/ZWE/2 28.09.98     N/3/ZWE/3 24.06.10 
TOTAL:  126 96   34   98   
 
 
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