WTO RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC

REPORT TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE ON IMPORT LICENSING

The following report is being submitted by the Chairperson of the Committee on Import Licensing (CIL), Mr Jia Jie LOH, under his own responsibility and at the request of the Chairperson of the Council for Trade in Goods.^[1] The report was prepared with the assistance of the Secretariat.

1        INFORMATION FOR THE CTG REPORT ON COVID-19 RELATED ACTIONS

1.1  Committee work

As a result of the pandemic-related lockdown, the formal Committee meeting scheduled for 1 April 2020 was cancelled. The Committee held it first virtual informal meeting on 5 June 2020, since then the meetings of the Committee have taken place in hybrid mode, with some delegates attending in person and others joining via a virtual platform.

1.2  Dedicated COVID-19 related activities or discussions in the Committee

There were no specific COVID-19 related activities in the context of the CIL. At the informal meeting on 7 March 2022, the Chairperson informed Members about a series of experience-sharing sessions on trade in COVID-19 related goods being organized by the Committee on Market Access. The Chairperson sought delegations' views on the Committee holding a similar experience sharing session in respect of import licensing procedures. Some Members said that this session could be useful and noted that it could be held after MC12. The Chairperson's summary of these discussions, which were held in informal mode, was included in the minutes of the formal meeting held on 8 April 2022. At the formal meeting held on 8 October 2022, the Chairperson again sought Members' views on holding an experience sharing session focusing on COVID-19 related goods or having a broader scope.

1.3  Transparency

A few Members submitted import licensing notifications on COVID-19 related goods, which were reviewed by the Committee. These notifications generally covered import licensing procedures on disinfectants and medical and diagnostic kits with the purpose of ensuring that imported products meet adequate standards and do not pose a threat to animal, plant, and human life and/or health.

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