SC meeting on Brexit and WTO, October 2018

Title:              Brexit and WTO

Date:              15 October 2018

Venue:           The South Centre, Geneva

Organizer:     The South Centre 

Description:

This meeting discussed the UK proposed goods schedule and EU proposed modification of TRQs both circulated to WTO Members on 24 July 2018 as well as the impact of the UK’s departure from the EU on existing EU trade defence measures.

Several aspects of the UK’s draft goods schedule were discussed including the applicability of Uruguay Round modalities in arriving at the UK’s commitments, the notion that the UK has zero AMS without a certified schedule, references to ‘relevant provisions of the UK’, Special Agricultural Safeguard (SSG), Initial Negotiating Rights (INRs) and TRQs. In respect to the EU, it was noted that it has not yet proposed reduction of its AMS entitlement and that it intended to unilaterally reduce its TRQs in the event no agreement was reached in time on the UK’s TRQs. It was stressed that the UK’s schedule is a renegotiation under Article XXVIII which introduces the interests of principal suppliers and those with substantial interest. In this respect, UK imports under EU GSP(+) or EBA (DFQF) could be taken into account as such treatment cease to exist upon Brexit.

Further, this meeting looked at the legal implications for the UK as well as the EU regarding the maintenance of the existing EU trade defence measures upon Brexit.

Presentation