WTO: 2014 NEWS ITEMS

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Database
FAQ

At the meeting, the WTO Secretariat made a presentation on the database, and showed a film on the importance for members to notify quantitative restrictions pursuant to the 2012 Decision on Notification Procedures for Quantitative Restrictions, and the value of the quantitative restrictions database which inputs these measures.

Under the Decision, members are to notify quantitative restrictions in force every two years. In this connection, the Committee reviewed notifications of quantitative restrictions from the following members: the European Union, Japan, Korea, Mali, Peru, Singapore, Thailand, Ukraine, Georgia, Switzerland and Hong Kong, China.

 

Trade concerns

The Russian Federation expressed concerns about measures taken by Brazil, the European Union and Norway.

It said Brazil's application of two sets of import duties on diammonium phosphate (or DAP, used as fertilizer) discriminated against Russian exports. Brazil said it had held bilateral discussions on this matter with Russia, which would continue.

The Russian Federation said the EU had eliminated most of its duties on imports from Ukraine despite the absence of a free trade agreement. It said this was a breach of the most-favoured-nation principle of the WTO and discriminated against other members, including the Russian Federation. Argentina and Venezuela shared these concerns. Nicaragua, Ecuador and Cuba said they would be following this matter closely.

The Russian Federation said that Russian fishing vessels landing fresh catch, destined for a third country, in Norway are required to pay charges to a Norwegian fishermen's sales organization. It said this is discriminatory because EU fishing vessels are exempted from paying these charges. The Norwegian representative said he will transmit the concern to the capital.

Switzerland expressed concern that Bahrain is applying duties on imported cigarettes (100% set in the Gulf Cooperation Council) higher than its bound rate (35%).

 

Other matters

The Committee approved a decision derestricting bilateral negotiating documentation of the Kennedy Round (1964-67). It sent the decision to the Goods Council for transmission to the General Council for adoption. The Committee also agreed to begin the desrestriction process for the Tokyo Round negotiating material.

The Committee noted good progress in the transposition of members' schedules to the more recent version of the Harmonized System (an internationally standardized system of names and numbers to classify traded products).

On the Integrated Data Base (on tariffs and other trade information of members), the Secretariat reported that the information now covers 129 out of 130 members and six acceding countries.

At the end of the meeting, the Committee elected by acclamation Ms Alana Hudson (New Zealand) as the new chair. She commended the leadership of the outgoing chair, Mr Krzysztof Trepczynski (Poland), during the past year.

 

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