REPORT (2020) OF THE COMMITTEE ON IMPORT LICENSING
TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS

1.  The Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures (hereinafter "the Agreement") which entered into force on 1 January 1995, establishes disciplines on users of import licensing systems with the principal objective of ensuring that the procedures applied for granting import licences do not in themselves restrict trade. It aims to simplify, clarify and minimize the administrative requirements necessary to obtain import licences.

2.  The Committee on Import Licensing was established to afford Members the opportunity of consulting on any matter relating to the operation of the Agreement or the furtherance of its objectives. The Committee's Rules of Procedure, which were approved by the Council for Trade in Goods, are contained in document G/L/147.

3.  All Members of the WTO are ipso facto members of the Committee. Observer governments in the General Council of the WTO have Observer status in the Committee. The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and UNCTAD have regular observer status in the Committee.

4.  The focus of this report is on the period since the Committee's last annual report (G/L/1328), namely 5 October 2019 – 9 October 2020 (hereinafter "the reporting period"). In 2020, due to the COVID‑19 pandemic and related restrictions of in-person activities, the Committee held only one formal meeting, on 9 October 2020 (G/LIC/M/51, to be issued). One informal meeting, on 29 January 2020, and one informal virtual meeting, on 5 June 2020, were held under the chairpersonship of Ms Carol Tsang (Hong Kong, China). On 30 July 2020, through written procedures, the Committee elected Dr Muhammad Irfan (Pakistan) by acclamation as Chairperson of the Committee for 2020.^[1] Pursuant to the Committee's Rules of Procedure, the officers shall hold office until the end of the first meeting of the following year.

5.  Pursuant to Articles 1.4(a) and/or 8.2(b) of the Agreement and procedures agreed by the Committee, all Members are required to notify their laws, regulations, and administrative procedures relevant to import licensing and to submit copies of any relevant publications or laws and regulations upon becoming a WTO Member. Any subsequent changes to these laws, regulations, and administrative procedures are also required to be published and notified. Pursuant to subparagraphs 1‑4 of Article 5, Members are also required to notify the institution of new import licensing procedures or changes in these procedures to the Committee within 60 days of publication. To streamline notification procedures, a notification form, circulated in document G/LIC/28, was adopted by the Committee (at its formal meeting on 4 April 2019) to be used by Members on a voluntary basis for notifications under Article 5.1-5.4, Article 1.4(a), and Article 8.2(b) of the Agreement. These notifications can be found in document series G/LIC/N/2/-.

6.  During the reporting period, the Committee reviewed 210 notifications under these three provisions (Annex I) from the following 18 Members: Argentina; Costa Rica; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Republic of Korea; Macao, China; Morocco; Myanmar; Philippines; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Seychelles; Singapore; Switzerland-Liechtenstein; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; Ukraine; and Viet Nam.^[2]