Negotiating Group on Rules - Submission on Regional Trade Agreements - Paper by Japan

World Trade Organization TN/RL/W/190 28 October 2005 (05-5015) Negotiating Group on Rules Original: English Submission on Regional Trade Agreements Paper by Japan The following submission, dated 28 October 2005, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of Japan. _______________ Introduction In this submission, Japan has put forward the following proposals as our contribution to the efforts in this Group of Negotiations to clarify the WTO rules for RTAs. The proposals are based upon the following understandings: (1) As regards RTAs’ consistency with WTO rules, many members have been involved in RTA negotiations under the general perception that duty elimination needs to cover at least 90% of trade between the parties, that no exclusion of a major sector is allowed and that the transition period should not exceed ten years. (2) This Group has developed discussions and has reached the recognition that a tradebased coverag