Preface to the second edition; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; 1. Legal framework for tariff negotiations and renegotiations under GATT 1994; 2. Tariff conferences and rounds of multilateral trade negotiations; 3. Bilateral and plurilateral negotiations; 4. Practice and procedures in renegotiations; 5. Schedules of tariff concessions: rectification, modification and consolidation; 6. Conclusions; Appendix A. Key provisions in the Havana Charter and GATT 1994 and related decision and understandings; Appendix B. Decisions and declarations commencing rounds of multilateral trade negotiations; Appendix C. Protocols embodying the results of multilateral trade negotiations; Appendix D. Decisions on procedures on renegotiations, rectifications, modifications and related subjects; Bibliography.
Summary:
"Over the past seven decades, since the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was established in 1947, there has been a phenomenal increase in international trade in goods, largely due to sustained efforts by the world's main trading nations to reduce and eliminate tariff barriers in a multilaterally orchestrated manner. This publication reviews how the procedures and practices relating to tariff negotiations and renegotiations have evolved over this time. In particular, this new edition recounts how negotiations to expand the duty-free coverage of the Information Technology Agreement were concluded and provides an account of tariff renegotiations regarding successive enlargements of the European Union. It also covers tariff negotiations for the accession of a number of new members to the WTO, such as China and Russia. This book will be of particular interest to negotiators, members of government, trade ministries, economists and academics specialized in trade policy"-- Provided by publisher. "Several articles of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) have a bearing on the process of tariff negotiations and renegotiations.An analysis of all these articles and the ways in which the provisions impinge on the commitments made during tariff negotiations and renegotiations is outside the scope of this work.We take up only those articles which have a direct bearing on the subject of our study. A.Provisions relating to tariff negotiations Periodic tariff negotiations Article 17 of the Havana Charter provided,inter alia,as follows: 'Each Member shall,upon the request of any other Member,or Members,and subject to procedural arrangements established by Organization,enter into and carry out with such other Member or Members,negotiations directed to the substantial reduction of the general levels of tariffs and other charges on imports and exports,and to the elimination of the preferences referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 16,on a reciprocal and mutually advantageous basis.' The desiderata contained in this provision provided the basis for the initial rounds of tariff negotiations held under GATT 1947.It was not until the review session of 1954-55 that the present Article XXVIII bis was introduced,entering into force on 7 October 1957.This article envisages that,from time to time,the Ministerial Conference may sponsor negotiations directed to the substantial reduction of the general level of tariffs and other charges on imports and exports,and in particular to the reduction of such high tariffs as discourage the importation even of minimum quantities"-- Provided by publisher.
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