. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/MA/W/18/Add.10 
5 December 2005 
 (05-5768) 
Negotiating Group on Market Access Original:   English 
  
 
MARKET ACCESS FOR NON-AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS 
 
Progress Report: NTB Discussions Related to  Remanufactured and Refurbished Goods
 
 
Communication from the United States 
 
Addendum  
 
 
 The following communication, dated 1 December 2005 is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of the United States. 
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 Introduction
 
 
 This report has been prepared to inform the NAMA negotiating group about the state of play of the discussions on non-tariff barriers (NTBs) rela ted to remanufactured and refurbished goods.  
  Paragraph 14 of Annex B of the July framework envisages request offer, horizontal or vertical 
approaches as the modalities for addressing NTBs in the NAMA negotiations.  On November x, the 
United States tabled a proposal that identifies the types of NTBs faced by international firms engaging 
in remaufacturing and refurbishing.  The proposal  suggests a horizontal approach as a means to 
reduce or eliminate these NTBs.       In June and October of 2005, the United St ates hosted informal meetings at the WTO to 
inform Members about NTBs affecting remanufactur ed and refurbished pro ducts.  Global industry 
participated in these meetings, which were well-at tended by both developed and developing country 
Members.    1. Summary of Discussions
 
 
 The first informal meeting, held on June 8, 2005, was intended to raise awareness among 
WTO Members about remanufacturing and refurbishi ng in general and the barriers to trade these 
industries face1.  Industry representatives from GE Healthcar e, Caterpillar and the international Auto 
Parts Remanufacturers Association briefed Members.  The material presented by industry representatives described the remanufacturing process in  a way that clearly distinguished the resulting 
products from used goods.  Members raised questions  concerning technology transfer, the role of 
original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), customs issues and warranties.     
                                                     
 
1 Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Colomb ia, EC, Egypt, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, 
Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Panama, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam attended this 
meeting. 
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  On October 12, 2005 the United States hosted tw o industry presentations – one strictly on 
auto parts remanufacturing featuring Cardone Indu stries and Detroit Diesel, and a general meeting  
featuring industry representatives from Caterpillar, Ca rdone, GE Healthcare, Siemens, Philips and an 
academic from Bayreuth University in Bavaria, whic h maintains a Chair of Remanufacturing.  In the 
auto parts remanufacturing meeting, industry repr esentatives from the United States, Brazil and India 
joined in an intensive discussion with NAMA re presentatives from Canada, India, Japan, Korea and 
the United States.  This discussion helped par ticipating Members to understand one another’s 
positions and to begin to identify the types of solu tions that might be acceptable.  In the general 
remanufacturing meeting, WTO Members again raised questions related to customs issues and warranties.  Participants included Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, the 
EC, Ecuador, Egypt, Hong Kong China, Indonesia,  Jordan, Kenya, Korea,  Japan, Mexico, Morocco, 
New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland and Thailand.    2. Next Steps
 
 
 The United States seeks to advance quickly from an  issue identification stage into an effective 
discussion of which non-tariff barriers affecting remanufactured and refurbished goods can be 
addressed by WTO Member governments and begin c onsidering options for solutions. As discussions 
advance, reports similar to this one will be prep ared and submitted to the NAMA group. The United 
States is committed to a transparent and inclusive process.   
 
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