To mark the anniversary, the WTO Secretariat made a presentation on the historical past of import licensing within the Basic Settlement on Tariffs and Commerce (GATT) and the WTO, in addition to the Committee’s position in overseeing implementation of the Settlement on Import Licensing Procedures. A number of former Chairpersons additionally shared their reflections and experiences from their time in workplace in video remarks offered to the assembly.
Import licensing refers to administrative procedures requiring the submission of an software or different documentation to related authorities as a previous situation for importing items into a rustic. These procedures might be both automated or non-automatic.
The Settlement goals to make sure that import licensing techniques are clear, predictable and don’t create pointless limitations to commerce. Members are required to publish all guidelines and data regarding import licensing procedures to allow merchants to grasp them and make sure that these stay impartial and no extra administratively burdensome than mandatory.
In its presentation, the Secretariat famous that, over the previous 30 years, WTO members have submitted practically 2,500 notifications associated to import licensing measures. The Committee had held 60 formal conferences, throughout which greater than 350 questions and replies had been exchanged and a complete of 176 new and recurring commerce issues had been raised.
The Committee has additionally labored to boost transparency and compliance, together with by clarifying notification necessities and creating improved notification templates for import licensing laws. It has additionally overseen the creation of a public web site and database on licensing procedures notified by members in addition to a web-based Notification Portal and Database for all notification necessities beneath the Settlement.
Notifications
The Chair of the Committee, Tyesha Turner of Jamaica, knowledgeable members that for the reason that final Committee assembly in November 2024, a complete of 38 notifications had been obtained beneath numerous provisions of the Settlement. The Chair emphasised that members should notify their import licensing laws and adjustments to those laws inside 60 days of publication.
As well as, 19 notifications had been submitted beneath Article 7.3 of the Settlement (which mandates members to finish the annual questionnaire on import licensing procedures promptly and in full) for the reason that final Committee assembly, the Chair mentioned.
The Chair famous that 21 WTO members have but to submit a single reply to the annual questionnaire since becoming a member of the WTO, and 13 members have by no means submitted any notification beneath the Settlement. Whereas these figures have seen solely marginal adjustments in recent times, she inspired members to think about participating with their notification obligations and to hunt help from the Secretariat the place wanted.
Particular commerce issues
The Committee addressed a file 12 commerce issues on the 8 Might assembly, overlaying the import licensing regimes of assorted merchandise:
- Egypt’s import licensing necessities for sure agricultural and processed merchandise, raised by the European Union;
- India’s high quality management for plywood and wood flush door shutters, raised by Indonesia;
- India’s importation of pneumatic tyres, raised by Indonesia, Chinese language Taipei and Thailand;
- India’s import of viscose staple fibre, raised by Indonesia;
- India’s import licensing measures on private computer systems, tablets and different digital merchandise, raised by Japan;
- Indonesia’s commodity balancing mechanism, raised by the European Union and Japan;
- Indonesia’s import licensing regime for sure textile merchandise, raised by the European Union and Japan;
- Indonesia’s obligatory registration by importers of metal merchandise, raised by Japan;
- Indonesia’s import restriction on air conditioners, raised by Japan;
- Indonesia’s importer registration requests for agricultural, food and drinks merchandise, raised by the UK;
- Mongolia’s new import licensing necessities for alcoholic drinks, raised by the United Kingdom;
- Türkiye’s import restrictions on two wheelers, raised by India.
Subsequent assembly
The Chair mentioned the following Committee assembly is tentatively scheduled for 10 October 2025.
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