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Mr. Moore said agreement on this TRIMs issue was an important step in
addressing the concerns raised by many developing countries on the
implementation of existing WTO agreements. Mr. Moore said it was vital
for member governments to focus efforts on finding solutions to the
complex and divisive implementation problems which many developing
countries have said represent the most important item on the WTO's
agenda. General Council Chairman Stuart Harbinson, Hong Kong, China,
also announced last night that the council had referred four other
implementation issues and a Jamaican proposal to subsidiary bodies for
action. He said early agreement was also possible on four other
implementation proposals which were technical in nature. Many
developing countries have made their support for the launch of a new
Round at the 4th Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar conditional on
resolution of these implementation issues.
“Resolution
of these issues is certainly a positive step. This a sign of new
flexibility among members that augurs well for a successful
Ministerial Conference in Doha this November. But a good deal more
remains to be done. Some member governments have made clear that
absent progress on implementation they cannot support the launch of a
round. This is something which proponents of a round must address,”
he said.
The
Goods Council, on 31 July 2001, adopted decisions granting extension
of the transition period for the elimination of TRIMs notified under
Article 5.1 of the TRIMs Agreement to the following countries:
Argentina, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines and
Romania. At the same time, it recommended that the General Council
grant a waiver to Thailand for its TRIMs. The waiver for Thailand was
approved by the General Council in a meeting that immediately followed
that of the Goods Council.
The
TRIMs Agreement provides for disciplines on measures in trade in goods
that favour domestic over imported goods or establish quantitative
restrictions on imports. An example of a TRIM is domestic content
requirement in automobile manufacture. Developing countries were given
a transition period of five years (1995-2000) to wind up their TRIMs.
The new decisions extend this deadline for the requesting countries by
two years (from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2001) with a possible
further two years (1 January 2002 to 31 December 2003), subject to
certain criteria such as the submission of a phase-out plan for the
TRIMs measure.
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