Global Trade

Members seek to improve transparency in import licensing regimes

May 23, 2024
Team - EXIM Forbes

Mr Tharnpanich urged all delegations to utilize the Portal for their notifications relating to the Import Licensing Agreement. He underlined that all notifications submitted via the Portal are incorporated into a database, enhancing transparency and simplifying the process for future notifications.

Launched on 31 October 2023, the Import Licensing Notification Portal has received positive feedback from members who have cited its usefulness in simplifying notification procedures. To support its uptake, the WTO Secretariat has organized several training sessions. Since the last meeting in October 2023, a total of 50 notifications have been received, with the vast majority of these presented for consideration during the meeting.

Specific trade concerns

The Committee addressed 11 trade concerns, of which two were raised for the first time in the Committee, covering the import licensing regimes of various products:

  • Angola’s import licensing requirements, raised by the European Union
  • Egypt’s import licensing requirements for certain agricultural and processed products, raised by the European Union
  • India’s import licensing on viscose staple fiber (VSF), raised by Indonesia
  • India’s import licensing for pneumatic tyres, raised by Chinese Taipei and Thailand
  • India’s import licensing measures on personal computers, tablets and other electronic products, raised by China and Japan
  • Indonesia’s importer registration requests for agricultural, food and drink products, raised by the United Kingdom
  • Indonesia’s commodity balancing mechanism, raised by the European Union and Japan
  • Indonesia’s import licensing regime for certain textile products, raised by Japan
  • Indonesia’s compulsory registration by importers of steel products, raised by Japan
  • Indonesia’s import restriction on air conditioners, raised by Japan
  • Mongolia’s new import licensing requirements for alcoholic beverages, raised by the United Kingdom.

Next meeting

The Chair said the next Committee meeting is tentatively scheduled for 4 November 2024.

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