Special and Differential Treatment for Developing Countries
The New WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement In December 2013 WTO Members concluded negotiations on a new Trade Facilitation Agreement aimed at expediting te mo!ement" release and clearance o# goods and impro!ing customs cooperation$ Te Agreement contains uni%ue special and di##erential treatment &'DT( measures tat lin) te re%uirement to implement wit te capacit* o# de!eloping countries to do so$ It also recogni+es te need #or donor Members to enance assistance and support #or capacit* building$ Implementation of the Agreement Te Agreement will enter into #orce wen it as been rati#ied b* two tirds o# te WTO Membersip$ ,owe!er" te 'DT pro!isions allow eac de!eloping countr* to determine wen te* will implement eac o# te indi!idual pro!isions as well as tose pro!isions #or wic te* will need tecnical assistance and support #or capacit* building in order to implement$ To ta)e ad!antage o# tese 'DT #lexibilities a Member must place eac pro!ision o# te Agreement into one o# tree categories &A" - or .( as de#ined below$ Te* must noti#* WTO Members o# tese categori+ations in accordance wit speci#ic timelines outlined in te Agreement$ Te* must also pro!ide indicati!e" and later de#initi!e" dates #or implementation #or te pro!isions te* a!e designated in categories - and .$ &'ee timeline below$( Category A pro!isions tat a de!eloping countr* Member will be implement b* te time te Agreement enters into #orce Category ! pro!isions tat will be implemented on a date a#ter a transitional period o# time a#ter entr* into #orce o# te Agreement Category C pro!isions tat will be implemented a#ter a transitional period o# time #ollowing te entr* into #orce o# te Agreement and re%uiring te ac%uisition o# implementation capacit* troug te pro!ision o# assistance and support #or capacit* building$ Additional Fle"i#ilities for $DCs Te Agreement also pro!ides additional protections #or /D. Members suc as0 %arly Warning &echanism0 wereb* a Member can re%uest an extension #rom te WTO Trade Facilitation .ommittee i# it experiences di##iculties in implementing a pro!ision in .ategor* - or . b* te date it ad noti#ied$ Te extension will be automatic i# te additional time re%uested does not exceed 11 monts %"pert 'roup0 were a re%uested extension as not been granted and a Member lac)s capacit* to implement" Te TF committee will establis an 2xpert 3roup to examine te issue and to ma)e a recommendation Shifting #etween Categories Members ma* si#t pro!isions between .ategories - and . 'race (eriod Following entr* into #orce o# te Agreement de!eloping countries will not be sub4ect to te Dispute 'ettlement 5nderstanding #or a period o# 2 *ears #or .ategor* A pro!isions$ Transparency provisions Donors must pro!ide to te WTO Trade Facilitation .ommittee0 Annual in#ormation on teir assistance programs contact points #or teir agencies responsible #or pro!iding assistance in#ormation on te process and mecanisms #or re%uesting assistance and support De!eloping .ountr* Members must pro!ide to te .ommittee0 In#ormation on contact points o# te o##ice&s( responsible #or coordinating and prioriti+ing assistance and support To $earn &ore www$wto$org &Trade Topics6Trade Facilitation( De!eloping .ountries0 7oti#ication #or all categories o# pro!isions Notify A)!)C categories * indicative implementation dates for categories ! *C &em#er and donor inform of TAC! arrangements for Cat+ C Notify definitive implementation dates for Cat+ ! provisions Notify ,+ progress in provision of TAC! -+ definitive dates for implementation Entry into force of TFA (when 2/3 of Members ratify) 1 year 2 years 2.5 years Category ! Category C All Categories