The Birth of Global Market

THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION

Uruguay Round Protocol GATT 1994




The results of the market access negotiations in which participants have made commitments to eliminate or reduce tariff rates and non-tariff measures applicable to trade in goods are recorded in national schedules of concessions annexed to the Uruguay Round Protocol that forms an integral part of the Final Act.



The Protocol has five appendices: Appendix I Section A: Agricultural Products — Tariff concessions on a Most-Favoured Nation basis; Appendix I Section B: Agricultural Products — Tariff Quotas; Appendix II:Tariff Concessions on a Most-Favoured Nation Basis on Other Products; Appendix III: Preferential Tariff — Part II of Schedules (if applicable); Appendix IV: Concessions on Non-Tariff Measures — Part III of Schedules; Appendix V: Agriculture Products: Commitments Limiting Subsidization — Part IV of Schedules, Section I: Domestic Support: Total AMS Commitments, Section II: Export Subsidies: Budgetary Outlay and Quantity, Reduction Commitments Section III: Commitments Limiting the Scope of Export Subsidies.



The schedule annexed to the Protocol relating to a Member shall become a Schedule to the GATT 1994 relating to that Member on the day on which the Agreement Establishing the WTO enters into force for that Member.



For non-agricultural products the tariff reduction agreed upon by each Member shall be implemented in five equal rate reductions, except as may be otherwise specified in a Member’s Schedule. The first such reduction shall be made effective on the date of entry into force of the Agreement Establishing the WTO. Each successive reduction shall be made effective on 1 January of each of the following years, and the final rate shall become effective no later than the date four years after the date of entry into force of the Agreement Establishing the WTO. However, participants may implement reduction in fewer stages or at earlier dates than those indicated in the Protocol, if they so wish.



For agricultural products, as defined in Article 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture, the staging of reductions shall be implemented as specified in the relevant parts of the schedules. Details are given in the section of this paper concerning the Agricultural Agreement.



A related Decision on Measures in Favour of Least-Developed Countries establishes, among other things, that these countries will not be required to undertake any commitments and concessions which are inconsistent with their individual development, financial and trade needs. Alongside other more specific provisions for flexible and favourable treatment, it also allows for the completion of their schedules of concessions and commitments in Market Access and in Services by April 1995 rather than 15 December 1993.