Feedback
Session on the WTO's publications and online tools
to disseminate tariff
and import data
Third Feedback Session
Summary by the
Secretariat[1]
Addendum
1 Background
1.1. On 28 May 2019, the Committee on Market Access (CMA or the
Committee) adopted a new Decision for the notification of import and tariff
data as part of the Modalities and Operation of the Integrated Database (the IDB
Decision)[2],
which replaced a similar Decision from 1997.[3]
1.2. Pursuant to paragraph 15 of the IDB Decision, the Committee held two
informal dedicated sessions on 17 July 2019 and on 16 June 2021 with
a view to allowing Members to provide feedback on, and share their experiences
with, the publications and online tools developed over the years by the
Secretariat to disseminate tariff and import data collected through the IDB and
the Consolidated Tariff Schedules (CTS) database.
1.3. The third feedback session took place on 9 October 2024.
It began with presentations by the Secretariat on nine different tools
(see Annex) and then turned to a discussion with Members of the six questions
that had been raised in the convening e-mail. Ten delegations[4]
took the floor and provided feedback on one or more of the questions that the
Chairperson had addressed to them in the convening notice (see ICN/MA/21).
2 Summary
of tools presented and members' feedback
2.1. Members' feedback ranged from comments of a general nature to very specific
suggestions for improving specific tools. In general, delegations mentioned
that the tools were very useful and were used to facilitate participation in WTO
Committees and in work relating to accessions, transpositions, trade concerns,
and notifications, among others.
2.2. General comments pointed to the need for the Secretariat to improve
the user-friendliness of the systems and develop user guides, as well as to better
explain which tools were relevant for which tasks and which queries could be
performed. The main comments raised under each item discussed are summarized
below.
- The
new Tariff & Trade online application (IDB/CTS)
2.3. The Secretariat presented the pilot version of a new application
which will replace the Tariff Analysis Online (TAO) application, in response to
Members' requests in the first feedback session of 2019.[5]
The name of the new application is still being considered as part of a
streamlining of the different systems. The new TAO seeks to aggregate and
facilitate access to information from different sources, as it will make
possible to obtain applied, bound, and preferential tariffs, as well as import
data through a single page. The prototype includes initially the following
functions: export data; time series data; Member profiles; bilateral analysis
of tariffs and trade flows; search by product groups. To improve data coverage
at the HS subheading level, where IDB data is not available and until Members
provide official notifications to the IDB, the new TAO will supplement data
from the WTO's Integrated Database (IDB) with data from other sources, such as the
WTO Regional Trade Agreements (RTA) database, the International Trade Centre, UN
Comtrade, and Trade Data Monitor. The Secretariat sent the link of the
prototype to Members and requested them to test it and provide feedback so it could
be adjusted to Members' needs before its launch.
2.4. Members welcomed the new version of TAO, noting that they would need
to test it further to provide feedback. A Member mentioned that they use TAO
mainly to download tariff data, but relied on third party tools for trade
values since these tools were easier to use. Initial reactions ranged from welcoming
the new and more user-friendly interface to asking about additional features
such as adding regional groupings, adding "select all" options for
the menus, and making downloads possible by selecting multiple reporters and
partners at once. Other suggestions were to include product groups and preferential
trade data. It was also mentioned that TAO could be better integrated with the
WTO's other data systems and that video tutorials be added to the website, as
well as having regular training sessions for delegates and capital-based
officials. Delegations also suggested integrating information on non-tariff
measures (e.g. SPS, TBT, QRs), as well as trade in value-added goods and
intermediate goods.
- IDB Notifications
2.5. The Secretariat recalled that the IDB Decision[6]
called for submission on 30
March of each year of MFN and other applied tariffs of the current year, and 31
October for the import statistics of the previous calendar year. In addition,
Members were reminded of the possibility under
paragraph 8 of the IDB Decision to enter into voluntary agreements with
the Secretariat for the automatic notification of tariff and import data. Currently,
automatic data exchange agreements had been subscribed to by six Members.[7]
To facilitate this process, the Secretariat's noted that the list of Members'
official website with tariff and import data[8]
could be useful for setting up an automated notification.
The Secretariat provided
an overview of notification compliance with the IDB Decision and highlighted
the lack of notifications in some instances. Following
the "Framework to Overcome Significant Gaps in Information" (G/MA/367, paragraphs 20 and 21), comprehensive information on tariff
and import data at the national tariff line level had been successfully
incorporated into the Integrated Database (IDB). In this connection, the
Secretariat expressed sincere gratitude for the excellent cooperation with the
International Trade Centre and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD)
which allowed the Secretariat to source and supplement data for some Members
with outstanding notifications.
- World
Tariff Profiles
2.6. The Secretariat mentioned that the World Tariff Profiles was a
collaborative publication by the ITC, UNCTAD, and the WTO, and was one of the most
widely consulted resources of tariff data. Since its launch in 2006, it had
become a key reference for information on tariffs and imports. Data from the
CTS and IDB served as primary sources for this annual publication.
2.7. The 2024 edition alone had been downloaded nearly 10,000 times since
its launch in July, highlighting the continued importance of summary
information on tariff statistics. The World Tariff Profiles publication contained
four main parts: (1) Summary tables with key tariff and trade information,
including separate data for agriculture and non-agriculture sectors, (2) one-page
summaries for each economy, and (3) indicators on some non-tariff measures. (4)
Each year, there was a special focus: in 2024, it was about tariffs in the
electric vehicle value chain.
2.8. One of the new features of the 2024 edition was the introduction of updated
product groups, now based on the 2023 version of WTO's Multilateral Trade
Negotiation (MTN) categories, which better reflected recent tariff and trade
developments (see below). The previous structure of the MTN category was useful
for tariff and trade analysis due to its simplicity, but it lacked the
necessary level of granularity that would allow for tracking broader trade
developments. The 2023 NTM categories had addressed this by offering a second
level of more detailed groups where needed, making it more effective for trade
monitoring.
2.9. One Member suggested to include in the publication information on
quantitative restrictions, additional applied taxes, countervailing measures,
and rules on domestic content to have a more complete picture. Another Member proposed
to complement the report with information on preferential trade by adding
information on what the "actual applied" duties are at the border
when these preferential duties are taken into consideration.
- WTO
Stats
2.10. The Secretariat showcased the WTO
Stats portal, which contained approximately 250 indicators on tariffs
and trade with a focus on time series data. The Secretariat acknowledged that the
large number of indicators could be confusing for some users, and a
consolidation of some indicators was planned.
2.11. WTO Stats contained merchandise trade statistics, trade in services
statistics, and market access indicators, such as bound, applied, and
preferential tariffs. It also included information on some non-tariff measures.
The system allowed users to download the information in Excel or CSV files and
users could share a weblink with colleagues of the selected indicators.
2.12. Some Members noted that they had sometimes faced issues with
stability of the tool and that some further improvements would be welcomed,
such as including easier options to select a reporter, region, or customs
union, as well as a partner, along with the option to choose a chapter or
section of the Harmonized System under the indicator option. In addition, it
was mentioned that it would be easier for users if WTO Stats were merged with
the new TAO, in order to avoid looking at two different systems. Another delegation
suggested to keep all the indicators currently available and even further
expand them to include more information on trade in services, statistical
profiles and information on value added trade and global value chains.
- WTO
data portal
2.13. The WTO Secretariat demonstrated the WTO Data Portal, which provides a list of
all WTO databases.
- WTO
Data Blog
2.14. The Secretariat provided an overview of the WTO Data
Blog, an initiative which provides succinct tariff and trade analyses on selected
trending topics, often related to current publications of the Secretariat. Topics
covered ranged from sports goods, critical minerals in the electrical vehicle
value chain, thirty years of tariffs and trade, among many others.
2.15. One delegation suggested to add a newsletter type function so that Members
could automatically be informed of new entries in the Blog.
- HS
Tracker
2.16. The HS Tracker is a tool was
developed by the Secretariat in collaboration with the World Customs
Organization and allowed users to obtain detailed information on how Harmonized
System (HS) codes had evolved through different versions. The Secretariat
provided a practical overview of the tool and explained that it had been particularly
useful for the transposition of WTO Schedules of concessions.
2.17. A Member suggested to make the results of the tool available in an
excel format for downloading.
- Multilateral Trade Negotiations categories (MTN 2023 version)
2.18. The Secretariat noted that the latest version of the Multilateral Trade Negotiations categories had been described
in an entry of the Data Blog[9] and highlighted the more disaggregated indicators in this
latest iteration of this categorization. These MTN categories were used across
a wide range of publications and databases across the WTO.
- Product
dictionary
2.19. The Secretariat presented an ongoing project to develop a product
dictionary which sought to facilitate users to find relevant HS codes by
searching for a product name. The new tool would make use of a combination of Secretariat
information and artificial intelligence to find the most relevant HS code(s)
for each search. Once developed, this tool could assist Members to search for
specific notifications based on products, while at the same time help them to prepare
their notifications.
2.20. One delegation inquired about the data that would be used to train
the system. The Secretariat replied that official HS classification by the WCO was
being used, and it was planned to also include information sourced from the notifications.
_______________
Annex
1._