WTO Members Adopt Roadmap to Review
Implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement
The WTO Committee on Trade Facilitation on 3 March adopted a
roadmap for the first ever review of progress made in implementing the Trade Facilitation
Agreement (TFA). Under the Agreement, members committed to review the operation
and implementation of the TFA four years from its entry into force, which was on
22 February 2017, and periodically thereafter.
The Chair
of the Committee, Mr Christopher O'Toole (Canada), following
consultations with members, noted the Committee's collective desire to conduct a
well-grounded review oriented towards identifying positive outcomes as well as aspects
for improvement in the implementation of the TFA.
Members
agreed to a roadmap which aims to conclude the review by the end of the year, with
the objective of having it completed ahead of the 12th Ministerial Conference which
will happen in late 2021. Under the roadmap, members will submit proposals for consideration
in the review, which will then be discussed at the margins of the Committee's formal
meetings throughout the year. The timetable also includes discussions of a draft
factual report that will be prepared by the WTO Secretariat. In the context of the
review, the Committee discussed a proposal from the United States to update the
agenda of future Committee meetings to reflect TFA timelines, including notification
deadlines that have already passed.
The current
rate of implementation of TFA commitments stood
at 69.7 per cent for the entire WTO membership as of 3 March according to the update
the Secretariat provided to the Committee at the meeting. Broken down by level of
development, this equates to a 100 per cent rate of implementation by developed
members, 70.3% per cent among developing members and 35.9 per cent among least developed
countries (LDCs). The implementation rate for each WTO member can be viewed here.
The Secretariat
also reported on the outstanding notifications members are required to submit under
the TFA. A matrix tracking members' progress on notifications can be viewed here. A number of members sought more information
on the reason behind delayed notifications, which the Chair noted could be a pertinent
issue to discuss in the TFA review.
Members
considered 17 notifications received since the last Committee meeting in January
2021. The Committee did not reach consensus regarding three requests seeking an
extension of implementation dates. The Chair noted that members, nevertheless, had
expressed openness to discuss implementation delays to come to an understanding
for future situations.
Members
also discussed again the issue of trade facilitation in light of the COVID-19 crisis.
The communication supporting the timely and efficient release of global goods through
the accelerated implementation of the TFA drew six more co-signatories: Canada,
Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey. A proposal from the European Union
for the Secretariat to compile information on COVID-19 related responses that members
and observers have provided the Committee so far remained under consideration.
The Committee
heard presentations and updates from Brazil, the World Customs Organization, the
UN Conference on Trade and Development and the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility
on their respective work on trade facilitation.
The next
Committee meeting is scheduled for 22-23 April.
Concluded
at the WTO's 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference, the TFA contains provisions for expediting
the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also
sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate
authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. It further contains
provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area.
The TFA
broke new ground for developing and least-developed countries in the way it will
be implemented. For the first time in WTO history, the requirement to implement
the Agreement was directly linked to the capacity of the country to do so. In addition,
the TFA states that assistance and support should be provided to help them achieve
that capacity.