NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 25 March 2022

Chairman: H.E. Dr Muhammad Mujtaba Piracha (Pakistan)

A.          ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA. 1

B.          Notifications received. 1

(I)         Notifications of changes to existing preferential trade arrangements. 1

(a)        Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by the United States (WT/COMTD/N/1/Add.12) 1

(b)        Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by Norway (WT/COMTD/N/6/Add.8) 2

C.          Status of the work of the Dedicated Session.. 2

(I)         Status of the preparation of factual presentations – Report by the Chairman (WT/COMTD/PTA/W/6) 2

D.          other business. 3

A.      ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

1.            The draft agenda for the 8^th Dedicated Session on Preferential Trade Arrangements (PTAs) of the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD), as contained in Airgram WTO/AIR/COMTD/PTA/7/Rev.1 of 15 March 2022, was adopted.

B.     Notifications received

(I)   Notifications of changes to existing preferential trade arrangements

2.            The Chairman said that two notifications of changes to existing PTAs were listed under the present agenda item. The notifications, by the United States and Norway, concerned the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) schemes of these Members.

(a) Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by the United States (WT/COMTD/N/1/Add.12)

3.            The Chairman said that the notification by the United States concerning its GSP scheme was contained in document WT/COMTD/N/1/Add.12.

4.            The representative of the United States said that legal authorization for duty-free treatment under the United States' GSP programme had lapsed as of 1 January 2021. As a result, imports entering the United States that were eligible for duty-free treatment under GSP up to that date were now subject to regular most-favoured-nation (MFN) rates of duty. Renewal of the GSP programme required a legislative act of the United States Congress. GSP enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress and a number of bills reauthorizing the programme had been introduced. Despite the GSP programme currently being lapsed, the tariff line coverage continued under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) programme for those 36 beneficiaries.