FActual REPORT ON THE STATUS OF
RENEGOTIATIONS UNDER arTICLE xxviii OF THE gatt 1994
Report by
the Secretariat[1]
Revision
1 introduction
1.1. WTO Members are allowed to modify or withdraw concessions from their
schedules through negotiation and agreement with other Members. Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994, entitled
"Modification of Schedules", is the main provision dealing with the
renegotiation of a tariff concession, which may be initiated under Article
XXVIII itself or as a result of Article XXIV:6 procedures.[2]
As of the date of this report, Members
have initiated or concluded 43 renegotiations since the WTO Agreement entered
into force, some of which have remained inconclusive for a number of years.
[1] This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own
responsibility and is without prejudice to the positions of Members or to their
rights and obligations under the WTO.
[2] Article XXIV:6 of the GATT 1994 provides that in case a Member
forming a customs union proposes to increase a rate of duty inconsistently with
the provisions of Article II (e.g. to align the bound duty with the common
external tariff of that customs union), "the procedure set forth in
Article XXVIII shall apply".