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ACCESSIONS

Oman

This page gathers key information on Oman's negotiations to join the WTO. Oman became the 139th WTO Member on 9 November 2000.

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Oman's Timeline

I. Overview
Application received 22/04/1996  WT/ACC/OMN/1
Accession Working Party established 26/06/1996  WT/GC/M/12
Terms of reference & accession Working Party membership  11/11/1996  WT/ACC/OMN/4  + ( revisions)
Chairperson of the Accession Working Party     
1st 11/1996 - 07/2000 Ambassador Munir AKRAM (Pakistan)
Formal Meetings of the Working Party Date of the meeting Convening notice/fax Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation Statement(s) by Working Party members Delegation list Other documents for the meeting News item
1st 30/04/1997 — — — — —
2nd 28/11/1997 — — — — —
3th 02/10/1998 — — — — —
4th 07/05/1999 — — — — —
5th 29/02/2000 — — — — —
6th 06/07/2000 — — — — —
Informal Meetings of the Working Party Date of the meeting Convening fax Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation
— — —
Plurilateral Meetings Date of the meeting Convening fax Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation
— — —
II. Multilateral Negotiations
Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR)  29/10/1996  WT/ACC/OMN/2
Initial cycle(s) of Questions and Replies, following the circulation of the MFTR 21/03/1997  WT/ACC/OMN/5
18/04/1997  WT/ACC/OMN/5/Add.2
Factual Summary of Points Raised  12/03/1998 Informal circulation
Additional Questions & Replies 31/08/1999  WT/ACC/OMN/18
13/01/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/22
26/03/1997  WT/ACC/OMN/6
26/09/1997  WT/ACC/OMN/6/Add.1
03/08/1998  WT/ACC/OMN/9
04/02/1999  WT/ACC/OMN/14
Elements of a Draft Report of the Working Party  08/03/1999  WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/6
Draft Report of the Working Party  02/09/1999  WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/7  (+  revisions)
Agriculture (WT/ACC/22/Add.1), including Questions and Replies  25/09/1997  WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/2  (+  revisions)
SPS Checklist (WT/ACC/22/Add.2)  — —
TBT Checklist (WT/ACC/22/Add.2)  — —
TRIPS Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22/Add.2)  — —
Import Licensing Procedures Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22 + revisions)  — —
Customs Valuation Checklist (WT/ACC/22 + revisions)  — —
State-Trading Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22 + revisions)  — —
Draft Subsidies Notification (WT/ACC/22/Add.2)  — —
Comprehensive Legislative Action Plan (LAP)  02/09/1999  WT/ACC/OMN/11/Rev.1
Rule-specific Action Plans  22/09/1998  WT/ACC/OMN/11 (IP-specific)
22/09/1998  WT/ACC/OMN/12 (TBT specific)
30/09/1998  WT/ACC/OMN/13 (Customs Valuation-specific)
07/06/1999  WT/ACC/OMN/16 (SPS-specific)
Legislation and implementing regulations    Click for details Legislation notice Notified legislation
30/10/1996  WT/ACC/OMN/3
  •  Commercial Business Laws of Oman (Ministry of Commerce and Industry)
  •  Banking Law of 1974
  •  Customs Management Decree of 1978 (Directorate General of Customs, Royal Oman Police)
  •  Royal Decree No. 1/79 of 4 January 1979 Law for the Organization and Encouragement of Industry
  •  Royal Decree No. 12/79 of 22 Rabi al-Thani 1399 A.H. (21 March 1979) Insurance Companies Law
  •  Royal Decree No. 86/87 of 12 Safar 1408 H. (5 October 1987) Law of Trademarks and Data
  •  Royal Decree No. 53/88 of 6 Zu Qaida 1408 H. (21 June 1988) Law of Muscat Securities Market
  •  Royal Decree No. 55/90 of 18 Dhu al-Hijja 1410 A.H. (11 July 1990) Commercial Law
  •  Royal Decree No. 102/94 of 11 Jumada 1, 1415 A.H. (16 October 1994) Foreign Capital Investment Law
  •  Royal Decree No. 120/94 of 7 Rajab 1415 (1994) Law on Organization of Engineering Consultancy Offices
  •  Royal Decree No. 47/96 of 21 Moharram, 1417 A.H. (8 June 1996) Copyright Law
20/03/1997  WT/ACC/OMN/5/Add.1
  •  Royal Decree No. 39/96 of 20 October 1976 incorporating the Directorate General for Specifications and Measurements (DGSM)
  •  Royal Decree No. 1/78 of 3 January 1978 On the Jurisdiction of the Directorate General for Specifications and Measurements (DGSM)
  •  Royal Decree No. 74/90 of 29 September 1990 On the Calibration of Measuring Instruments
  •  Directory of Preferential Treatment to National Industries - Products in Government Purchases
  •  Royal Decree No. 47/96 of 8 June 1996 Promulgating the Copyright Law
01/04/1999  WT/ACC/OMN/15
  •  Draft law on copyright and related rights
  •  Draft law on industrial designs
  •  Draft law on layout designs of integrated circuits
  •  Draft law on customs valuation
28/10/1999  WT/ACC/OMN/17
  •  Draft Law on Trademarks and Registration Procedures
  •  Draft Law for the Protection of Topographic Rights for Integrated Circuits
  •  Draft Law on Industrial Design and Model Law
  •  Draft Law for the Protection of Geographical Indications
01/11/1999  WT/ACC/OMN/19
  •  Rules on Customs Valuation
  •  Copyright Law and Related Rights
  •  Ministerial Decree on Rules of Origin
  •  Import Regulations Effective in the Sultanate of Oman
  •  Ministerial Decree on Labelling Requirements on imported food and food products
  •  Ministerial Decree for the Establishment of an Enquiry Point at the Directorate General for Specifications and Measurements within the Ministry of Commerce & Industry
  •  Draft Law on the Protection of New Plant Varieties
  •  Draft Law for Plant Quarantine
10/11/1999  WT/ACC/OMN/20
  •  Draft Patent Law for Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (unofficial translation)
11/01/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/23
11/01/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/24
15/02/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/25
18/02/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/25/Add.1
08/03/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/25/Add.2
  •  Draft Decree Concerning the Law for Plant Quarantine
  •  Draft Decree Concerning the Law for Veterinary Quarantine
  •  Draft Decree Repealing Article 7 of the Royal Decree No. 7/82 Establishing Oman Refinery Company LLC
10/03/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/25/Add.3
23/03/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/25/Add.4
  •  Amendments to Royal Decree No. 79/81 and Royal Decree No. 32/84 (concerning the right of appeal in the Commercial Court)
28/04/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/25/Add.5
  •  Royal Decree No. 91/99 Establishing the Administrative Court and Promulgating its Law
21/06/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/25/Add.6   (+  corrigendum)
  •  Customs Valuation Law
  •  Draft Law on the Protection of New Plant Varieties: Revision
  •  Draft Ministerial Decree on Good Labelling and Safety
29/09/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/25/Add.7
Consultation documents    Click for details Consultation notice Notified consultation document
30/10/1996  WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/3
  •  A guide to the Financial Support for the Private Sector in the Fields of Industry and Tourism by the Directorate General of Industry, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
20/03/1997  WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/5/Add.1
  •  List of prohibited and Restricted Imports According to Schedule (1) of the Customs Law;
  •  List of Prohibited Pesticides;
25/09/1997  WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/1
  •  Proposals on Transitional Periods
05/11/1997  WT/ACC/OMN/7 (+  revisions)
  •  Check List of Documents
26/01/1998  WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/5
  •  Present Status and Future Programme for Implementation of the TRIPS Agreement
26/03/1998  WT/ACC/OMN/8
  •  Information on Policy Measures Affecting Trade in Services
28/07/1998  WT/ACC/OMN/10
  •  Foreign Trade Statistics for 1997
01/09/1999  WT/ACC/OMN/18/Add.1
  •  List of Luxury Items (for tariff purposes and in the answer to question 16 of WT/ACC/OMN/18)
17/11/1999  WT/ACC/OMN/21
18/02/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/25/Add.1
08/03/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/25/Add.2
III. Bilateral Market Access Negotiations 
Goods Offer(s)  29/10/1997  WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/3  (+  revisions)
Services Offer(s)  29/10/1997  WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/4  (+  revisions, corrigenda & addendum)
Register of Bilateral Market Access Agreements 
Draft Goods Schedule  26/01/2000  WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/8  (+  corrigenda)
Draft Services Schedule  25/01/2000  WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/9  (+  corrigendum)
Goods and Services Technical Verification Meetings  — —
IV. Summary of Final Meeting of the Working Party
— —
V. Accession Package (“Terms of Accession”, de-restricted) 
Ministerial Conference/General Council Decision on the Accession 10/10/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/27  News item
Protocol of Accession  10/10/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/28
Report of the Working Party 28/09/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/26
Goods Schedule (Schedule of Concessions and Commitments Annexed to the GATT 1994)  28/09/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/26/Add.1
Services Schedule (Schedule of Specific Commitments Annexed to the GATS)  29/09/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/26/Add.2
VI. Accessions Commitments Database (ACDB) 
Specific Accession Commitments   http://acdb.wto.org/ click on “Report by Member”, select “Oman” in drop down list then click on “View Report”
VII. Instrument of Acceptance 
Notification of Acceptance and Entry Into Force of the Protocol of Accession 10/10/2000  WT/LET/369
VIII. Date of Membership
09/11/2000 139th Member  News item
IX. Since 1995, this is the…
11th economy that joined the WTO pursuant to Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement.
All documents on the accession of Oman in Documents Online by date of circulation   help

Note:
The de-restriction of documents is a key component of the transparency obligations of the Multilateral Trading System.  Paragraphs 1 and 2(e) of the Ministerial Council Decision WT/L/452 of 14 May 2002 provide that “documents relating to working parties on accession shall be restricted and shall be automatically de-restricted upon the adoption of the report of the working party” by the Ministerial Conference/General Council.  The time of completion of the de-restriction process depends on the amount and complexities of the documents involved.  Prior to 2002, the de-restriction of accession-related documents was governed by a different set of rules (i.e. General Council Decision WT/L/160/Rev.1 of 26 July 1996), which only affect documents circulated prior to 2002.