Transcript Biggest problems faced by goods at borders (import, export

Sheri Rosenow - WTO Trade Facilitation Section
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What is the WTO?
The International Organization
that Governs the Rules of Trade
Between Nations
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WTO Trade Facilitation
TF negotiations began in 2004
Negotiating Group (NGTF)
WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement
+/- 40 technical measures
Special and Differential Treatment
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WTO Trade Facilitation Mandate
Objectives:
• Expedite movement, release & clearance of goods
• Improve cooperation between customs/other
authorities
• Enhance technical assistance and build capacity
WT/L/579- Annex D
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Measures being negotiated
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Transparency
Publication/internet publication
Enquiry Point for trade
information
Interval between publish and
enter into force
Opportunity to comment
Advance rulings
Right of appeal
Freedom of Transit
Restrictions on fees & charges,
regulations and formalities
Same treatment as domestic
transport
Non-discrimination
Use of guarantee
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Fees & Formalities
Disciplines on fees
Reduce formalities and
documents
Pre-arrival processing
Risk management
Customs audit
Authorized traders
Expedited shipments
Publish average release times
Border agency cooperation
Single window
Eliminate use of PSI
Eliminate mandatory use of
brokers
Separate release from clearance
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Article 12. Customs Cooperation
Multilateral Mechanism for
Exchange and Handling of
Information
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IMPLEMENTATION RELATED
ISSUES
 Establishment of national committees
 Establishment of a WTO Committee
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Draft Consolidated Negotiating Text
ARTICLE 10: FORMALITIES CONNECTED WITH IMPORTATION AND
EXPORTATION
5. Single Window/One-time Submission
5.1 Members shall, [where practicable], [endeavour to] establish or
maintain a single window, enabling traders to submit documentation
and/or data requirement for importation, exportation or transit of goods
to a single entry point. [The single window shall undertake onward
distribution of the aforementioned documentation and/or data
requirements to the participating authorities or agencies]. After the
examination by the participating authorities or agencies of the
documentation and/or data, the results shall be notified to the applicants
through the single window in a timely manner.
TN/TF/W/165/Rev.14
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Special and Differential Treatment (SDT)
Section II of Text- integral part
Gives developing and LDC countries
flexibility in implementation
Each developing country decides
when it can implement each provision
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Schedule of Commitments for Barua
A- Implement right
away
B – extra time
needed for
implementation
C – extra time and
technical assistance
needed
Art.1 Publication
Art 2.1Interval btwn
Publication/Entry into
Force
Art.2.2 Opportunity to
comment
Art. 4.1 Right of Appeal
Art. 5.1 Import/Rapid
Alert
Art 6.1 Disciplines on
Fees
Art. 7.2 Separation of
Release
Art. 1.2 Internet pub.
Art.3 Enquiry Point
Art 1.4 Notification
Art 7.3 Risk
Management
Art. 7.6 Authorized
Traders
Art. 7.7 Expedited
Shipment
Art 10.1 Periodic
review of Formalities
Art. 10.3 Use Int’l
Art.3.1 Advance
Rulings
Art. 7.1 Pre-Arrival
Processing
Art. 7.4 Customs Audit
Art. 10.2 Reduction of
Formalities
Art. 10.4 Single
Window
Art. 10.5 Eliminate PSI
Art. 11.8 Separate
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infrastructure for transit
Article 5 bis
Notify time periodimplementation plan for B/C
Provision/Subpart of
Provision
Time Period
Assistance
Required and
Other
Information
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Are we there yet?
 No deadline
Finish by end 2013 versus keep same pace
Agreement in good shape
WTO/AfDB Trade Facilitation Symposium
Nairobi, November 2012
• WTO TFA will support Africa’s trade and
development objectives & goals of regional
integration,
• 2. current state of the WTO negotiations & key
issues that need to be resolved,
• 3. scope of the donor support available
Needs Assessments
National self assessments of needs and
priorities
SDT Categories
Stakeholders and facilitators
On request
Results confidential
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Sheri Rosenow - WTO Trade Facilitation Section
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AU Action Plan Trade Facilitation Cluster
Programme/
Activity
Output/Target
Time
Frame
Respo
nsible
WTO
Reduction of road
blocks
Existing road blocks reduced by
50% or more, from REC targets
Short
Term
MS
Freedom of transit
Harmonize &
simplify customs
and transit
procedures,
documents,
regulations
Number of customs documents
reduced
Key Customs documents are
harmonized within RECs
Border operation hours are
harmonized
Short
Term
RECs
-Reduce
formalities &
documents
-Border agency
cooperation
-Modern customs
procedures
Establish 1 Stop
Border Posts
OSBPs at all key border posts
established
Border time crossing of goods
reduced by 50%
Short
Term
MS
RECs
Single window
Integrated Border
Management
Customs procedures, standards,
regulations & documents are
harmonized & simplified
Short
Term
MS
RECs
Border agency
cooperation 16
Categories of Commitments A, B, C
Developing and LDC countries notify measures:
• Category A: measures can implement at time
Agreement enters into force
• Category B: can implement after additional time
• Category C: implement after TACB
Articles 2-5
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Other SDT Provisions
Article 6: early warning system – notification if
won’t implement by notified date.
Article 6 bis: Shifting categories B to C-C to B
Article 7: Grace period – countries refrain from use of
WTO dispute settlement for [X] period
Article 8: implementation- (automatic at expiration or
notify?)
Articles 9,10: Provision of TA
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Article 5: Single Window/One-time Submission Working Document
Text in TN/TF/W/165/Rev.6
Proposed Text (as of 18 January 2011)
Comments
Text in TN/TF/W/165/Rev.6
Facilitator’s Proposed Working Text
Member’s Comments
5.1
Members shall [endeavour to]
[maintain or] establish a "single window"
where
documentation
and/or
data
requirements for exportation, importation and
transit procedures are submitted [by a trader
resident in the Member state in question]
[[one time only][to a single entry point]]. (2nd
sentence) [[[The single window shall
undertake onward distribution of the
aforementioned documentation and/or data
requirements to all the relevant authorities
[and participating agencies]].] (3rd sentence)
[A single window will be responsible for
distribution of documents [[and information]
[and/or data]] for all the bodies involved in
international trade.]]] (4th sentence) [[The
single window [is generally managed
centrally by a lead agency], enab[[es] [ling]]
the appropriate governmental authorities and
agencies to receive or have access to the
information relevant for their purpose.]]
[After the examination by the relevant
authorities or agencies of the documentation
and/or data, the results shall be notified to the
applicants through the single window in a
timely manner.]
5.1
Members shall, [where practicable],
[endeavour to] establish or maintain a single
window,
enabling
traders
to
submit
documentation and/or data requirement for
importation, exportation or transit to a single
entry point. [The single window shall undertake
onward distribution of the aforementioned
documentation and/or data requirements to the
participating authorities or agencies]. After the
examination by the relevant authorities or
agencies of the documentation and/or data, the
results shall be notified to the applicants through
the single window in a timely manner.
The proposed text in the middle column
takes into account the comments and
suggestions of Members during the session
of 18 January 2011.\
St Lucia – "where practicable"
Rwanda – need to consider whether or not a
footnote is necessary after "traders" in the
third line to mention that this also includes
the traders’ authorized representatives.
Horizontal issue as "traders" are referred to
in other parts of the TF Agreement.
EU, US, Japan, New Zealand, India – can
accept "traders" alone.
New Zealand – up to Members to determine
who is authorized to submit information,
and that this article is not a provision for
this purpose, but rather to illustrate the
function of a single window, thus does not
require elaboration on traders.
Turkey – need to come back on whether it
needs to specify "one time only" before "to
a single entry point" in the fifth line.
Malaysia cannot agree to "one time only".
EU, Japan, India, Hong Kong19
China can
agree to delete "one time only" especially
since this is not in the UN/CEFACT
Benefits for Your
Exporters
Benefits for
Government
Transparency + Fairness
•Predictability
•Reduced time/costs
•Better compliance
•Better quality decisions
Good Governance
•Reduced costs
•Reduced delays
•Reduced complexity
•Better compliance
•More effective
government
•More efficient
government
Modernization
•Reduce clearance times
and costs
•Align with modern
business practice
•More effective
government
•More efficient
government
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