South Centre Paper, November 2013

Key Issues Still Under Brackets in the Trade Facilitation Text Presented to the Ministerial Conference in Bali (based on Room W-JOB/TNC/35)

The following document comments on the remaining bracketed articles in the trade facilitation (TF) draft text (Room W- JOB/TNC/35) presented to the ministerial conference in Bali. It includes five main sections, including:

1)     One page summary note and recommendations on the TF draft text
2)     General comments on the balance within the latest TF draft text;
3)     Comments of Section I
4)     Comments on the provisions under ‘institutional arrangements’ of the TF text;
5)     Comments on the ‘general provisions’ of the TF text;
6)     Comments on Section II

The document includes the following annexes:

• Annex (1): Recalling main parts of the Negotiating Mandate `
• Annex (2):  Note on the scope of the ‘Expedited Shipments’ provision under Section I of the trade facilitation draft text; services liberalization from the backdoor.
• Annex (3): Note on the Reference to ‘Making Category B and C provisions an integral part of the Agreement’
• Annex (4): Comments on Bracketed Articles under TF text Section I
• Annex (5): What did LDCs get under Section II of the Trade Facilitation draft text raised to the Ministerial Conference in Bali?

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