WTO: 2013 NEWS ITEMS

RULES OF ORIGIN


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These negotiations began in 1995, and despite substantive progress for thousands of tariff lines, came to a halt in 2007 due to divergences on whether or not the harmonized rules of origin should also apply in the implementation of other trade policy instruments, like anti-dumping measures. In July 2007, the General Council recommended that harmonization work be suspended until such guidance from the General Council would be forthcoming. It also recommended that the Committee continue its work on technical elements.

At the meeting, Canada said it agreed with the Chair there were fundamental differences of views among members on the way forward. It believed that adopting harmonized rules of origin would no longer help facilitate trade, which had changed substantially since the start of the negotiations. Australia and the United States supported Canada.

The European Union said that the globalization of manufacturing operations have made it more important to complete the harmonization work. It said its exporters were being confronted with uncertainty created by labelling obligations due to different national rules of origin. China said members continued to be affected by different rules or origin. India said its exporters faced difficulties in labelling due to the "jungle" of rules of origin. Switzerland and Chinese Taipei also supported continuing the Committee's work on harmonization of non-preferential rules of origin.

The Committee adopted its 2013 report to the Council for Trade in Goods, which provided details on the differences between members regarding the harmonization work programme.

The Secretariat reported that its work on the transposition of the draft Harmonized Rules of Origin from HS 1996 to HS 2002, HS 2007 and HS 2012 is nearly complete. The Committee agreed to review the results of the transposition exercise at its forthcoming meeting.

At the close of the meeting, the Chair said that he would consult with delegations after the Bali Ministerial Conference on establishing a meaningful agenda for the Committee's next meeting, scheduled for 10 April 2014.

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