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Accession to the WTOProcess and Practice

Sajal MathurEconomic Affairs Officer

Accessions Division

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WTO Accessions - Overview

GATT/WTO m’ship has increased23 in 1947/8

Around 125 Members in 1995

147 Members today

Currently 25 Countries acceding (incl.)

LDCs

Developing Countries

Transition Economies

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WHY ACCEDE TO THE WTO?

Globalization – Increased Trade/Investment Flows..Enhancing and Diversifying Commercial Relations

WTO – “Rules and Disciplines” on International TradeMembership = Seat in Negotiating Table/WTO Bodies

Membership entails “rights” and “obligations”Non-Discrimination

Predictability

Transparency

Progressive Improvements in Market Access

Dispute Settlement Mechanism

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GATT TO WTO

GATT/WTO has evolved

So has the accession process ....

Coverage and ScopeTrade in Goods (GATT 1994 +)

Trade in Services

TRIPS

Evolution of Trade Measures/Instruments

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GATT TO WTO

GATT

Deg

ree

of p

rote

ctio

n

Issues:Customs tariffs

CPs

WTO

TRIPS, services, Tariffs, NTMs etc.

147 members

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ARTICLE XII

Any State or separate customs territory

On “terms to be agreed”...

AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

.....

Article XII

Accession 1. Any State or separate customs territory possessing full autonomy in the conduct of its external commercial relations and of the othermatters provided for in this Agreement and the Multilateral Trade Agreements may accede to this Agreement, on terms to be agreed between it and the WTO. Such accession shall apply to this Agreement and the Multilateral Trade Agreements annexed thereto. 2. Decisions on accession shall be taken by the Ministerial Conference. The Ministerial Conference shall approve the agreement on the termsof accession by a two-thirds majority of the Members of the WTO. 3. Accession to a Plurilateral Trade Agreement shall be governed by the provisions of that Agreement.

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Accession Negotiations

Multilateral TrackWTO Rules and Disciplines

Working Party Report

Accession Protocol

Bilateral TrackMarket Access Negotiations

• Goods Schedule

• Services Schedule

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Accession Negotiations

Adherence to WTO Multilateral Agreements

Agriculture

Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

Textiles and Clothing

Technical Barriers to Trade

Trade Related Investment Measures

Customs Valuation

Rules of Origin

Import Licensing Procedures

Subsidies and Countervailing Measures

Anti-dumping

Safeguards

Preshipment Inspection

GATS

TRIPS

Adherence to General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

In particular Articles:

I MFN Treatment

III National Treatment

V Transit

VIII Fees and Charges

X Transparency/Right of Appeal

XI Elimination of Quantitative Restrictions

XII Balance of Payments

XVII State Trading

XX General Exceptions

XXI Security Exemptions

XXIV Customs Unions/FTAs

Plus

“Trading Rights”

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Average tariff bindings of new WTO Members: Agriculture

25.8

18.4

34.9

26.1

11.7

33.6

17.7

25

12.110.610.4

30.5

15.6

12.415

17.514.8 15

29.3

42.3

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

PER

CEN

T

ECU

MO

N

BU

L

PAN

KG

Z

LVA

EST

JOR

GEO ALB

HR

V

OM

N

LTU

MO

L

CH

N

TPK

M

AR

M

FYR

OM

KH

M

NPL

NEW MEMBERS (by date of membership)

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Average tariff bindings of new WTO Members: Non-AG products

20.1 20

12.611.5

6.7

9.3

6.6

15

5.8 65

11

8.2

5.7

8.9

4.8

7.56.1

18.4

23.7

0

5

10

15

20

25

PER

CEN

T

ECU

MO

N

BU

L

PAN

KG

Z

LVA

EST

JOR

GEO ALB

HR

V

OM

N

LTU

MO

L

CH

N

TPK

M

AR

M

FYR

OM

KH

M

NPL

NEW MEMBERS(by date of membership)

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ACCESSION PROCESS

DG

WTO Secrt.

147 Members

General Council

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Members

Chairman

Working Party

Acceding Govt.

WTO Secretariat

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Fact-finding phase

Memorandum

Legislation

Questions and repliesFirst meeting

Other documents (Agriculture, Services, TBT/SPS, TRIPS)

+

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Fact-finding + Negotiations

Additional meetings

Informal meetings

Questions and replies

Action Plans

Factual summary

Draft report

Bilateral meetings

Offers on goods and services

Agriculture Plurilaterals

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Final Steps

Final meeting

Ratification

Accession package:

Draft Report

Draft Schedules

Draft Protocol of Accession

Membership

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Other Issues...

Length and Complexity of WTO Accession

A “political” and “technical” process

Reforms at the national level

Members’ requests (market access, “WTO-Plus”?)

Technical Assistance

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DOHANew prospects?

Paragraphs 9 and 42

Guidelines on LDCs’ accession

Recent developments and prospects

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DDA and Accessions W O R L D T R A D E

O R G A N IZ A T IO N W T /M IN (01)/D E C /1 2 0 N o vem b er 20 01

(0 1 -5 85 9 )

M IN IS T E R IA L C O N F E R E N C E F ou rth S ession D o h a , 9 - 14 N o vem b er 200 1

1 .

M IN IS T E R IA L D E C L A R A T IO N

A d op ted o n 14 N ovem ber 20 01 ..... 9 . W e n o te w ith p articu lar satisfaction tha t th is C on ference h as co m p leted the W T O accessio n p ro cedu res for C h ina an d C h inese T a ipe i. W e also w elco m e th e accession as new M em bers, sin ce our last S ession , o f A lb an ia , C ro a tia , G eorg ia , Jo rdan , L ithuan ia , M oldova an d O m an , an d n o te the ex tensive m arke t-access co m m itm en ts a lread y m ad e b y th ese coun tries on access ion . T h ese access ion s w ill g rea tly s tren gth en th e m u ltila te ra l trad ing system , as w ill tho se o f th e 2 8 co untries no w nego tia ting the ir access ion . W e th ere fore a ttach great im po rtance to con c lu d in g access ion p ro ceed in gs as qu ick ly as po ssib le . In particu lar, w e a re co m m itted to accelera tin g th e accessio n of least-deve lop ed co un tries . ..... L E A S T -D E V E L O P E D C O U N T R IE S 42 . ..... A ccession of L D C s rem ains a p riority fo r th e M em bersh ip . W e agree to w ork to facilita te and accelerate n ego tia tio ns w ith acced ing L D C s. W e in s tru ct the S ecre taria t to re flect the p riority w e a ttach to L D C s' access ion s in the ann ual p lans fo r technical ass is tance ....

_ __ ___ __ _

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LDC Accessions

DDA Mandate to “facilitate and accelerate”

WTO Work Programme for LDCs

Guidelines for LDCs’ Accessions (WT/L/508)

Market Access

WTO Rules

Process

Technical Assistance

Cancún: Accession of Cambodia and Nepal

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References & Documents (1)

WT/ACC/1: Procedures for Negotiations under Article XII

WT/ACC/4: Information to be Provided on Domestic Support and Export Subsidies in Agriculture

WT/ACC/5: Information to be Provided on Policy Measures Affecting Trade in Services

WT/ACC/8: Information to be Provided on Policy Measures with respect to SPS and TBT issues

WT/ACC/9 and Corr.1: Information to be Provided on the Implementation of the TRIPS Agreement

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References & Documents (2)

WT/ACC/10: Technical Note on the Accession Process

WT/ACC/11/Rev.2: Information on Current Accessions

WT/ACC/12: State of Play of LDCs’ Accessions

WT/L/508: General Council’s Decision on LDCs’ Accession