--Taiwan, China, committed: (1) to endeavor to direct its economic and financial policies toward the objective of fostering sustained, non-inflationary economic growth with macroeconomic stability, and (2) to permit exchange rates to reflect underlying economic and financial conditions.

--Taiwan, China, committed not to impose restrictions on the making of payments and transfers related to current account transactions “without the approval of the WTO.”

--Saudi Arabia committed that with regard to regulation of the insurance sector, it would undertake regulatory reforms by May 2006 that would be consistent with internationally recognized insurance industry standards and principles, including the standards of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors, the financial services transparency code of the IMF, and the OECD’s “Detailed Principles for the Regulation and Supervision of Insurance Markets in Emerging Economies.”

# _Foreign Policy_

--Saudi Arabia “confirmed” that “the application of secondary and tertiary boycotts” (i.e., directed against firms that do business with Israel) “had been terminated in practice and in law.”

# _Trade Policy_

--Latvia committed to nullify measures taken by sub-national authorities that are in conflict with the WTO Agreement. --China committed to apply to all imports of wood and paper products the same rates of duty that it applies in a free trade area.

--China committed to not invoking three provisions applying to developing countries in the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement) that provide for “special and differential treatment.” --China committed that “Once the international harmonization of non-preferential rules of origin was concluded, China would fully adopt and apply the internationally harmonized non-preferential rules of origin.”

--China committed to withhold enforcement of the terms of any contract providing local content or export performance requirements.

--Saudi Arabia committed to not imposing export duties on iron and steel scrap.

# _Transparency and Due Process_

--Armenia committed to publish all laws, regulations or other measures relating to trade in goods and services _at least two weeks_ prior to implementation.

--China committed that it would maintain tribunals for the prompt review of all administrative actions relating to trade in services and that such tribunals would be impartial and independent of the administering agency. China also guaranteed a right of individuals or enterprises to appeal to a judicial body.

--China committed to publishing an official journal dedicated to the publication of laws and regulations pertaining to or affecting trade in goods, services, TRIPS or the control of foreign exchange and, after publication . . . committed to provide a reasonable period for comment before such measures are implemented . . . .

# _Legal Status of WTO Agreement in National Courts_

--Estonia committed that if its laws were found to “contradict” international treaties, including the WTO Agreement, the provision of the international treaty would apply. --Jordan committed to the same.

**Source:** Charnovitz (2008).

# **Illustrative List of WTO-Minus Commitments in Accession Protocols**

# _Applicant WTO-Minus_

--Lithuania began its WTO membership on May 31, 2001, but was given until December 31, 2005 to bring its excise taxes on beer and mead into conformity with GATT Article III.

--Taiwan, China, was given two years after accession to eliminate the import ban on passenger cars equipped with diesel engines.

--Ecuador was given seven years to phase out its “price band system” in order to comply with the WTO Agreement on Agriculture.

# _Incumbent WTO-Minus_

--The China Protocol contains a number of “Reservations by WTO Members” which grandfather ongoing trade discrimination against China. For example, the accession terms negotiated by the WTO state that listed Mexican antidumping measures may persist for six years and “shall not be subject to the provisions of either the WTO Agreement or the anti-dumping provisions of this Protocol.”

--The China Protocol establishes the possibility of imposing product-specific safeguards against China in response to market disruption. This provision contains a weaker discipline that the normal one in the Agreement on Safeguards.

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