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ARTNET Capacity Building Workshopon Trade ResearchPhnom Penh, Cambodia
2-6 June 2008
WTO tariff and trade databases
Outline of Presentation
Distinguishing the IDB and CTS databases
IDB Describing the contentsGiving examplesWhat can it be used for?
CTSDescribing the contentsGiving examplesWhat can it be used for?
Dissemination of IDB and CTS
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Two main tariff and trade databases
Integrated Data Base (IDB)
… contains WTO Members' annual notifications of tariff and imports information: MFN applied duties, MFN current bound duties, preferential duties, imports by country of origin …
Consolidated Tariff Schedules (CTS)
… contains, in electronic and standardized form, the tariff and agricultural commitments of all WTO Members: bound duties, INR, TRQ, export subsidies …available for all Members!
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General Council Decision of 16 July 1997
Annual notification commitmentNo fixed format - PC formats as in capitalsTechnical assistance available uponrequestDeadlines for submissions:
tariffs 30 March (current year)imports 30 September (previous year)
IDB Background
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Guidelines for supplying IDB submissions (G/MA/IDB/W/6)
Customs dutiesMFN current bound and applied in force for the reference yearOther duties (optional)
ImportsValue and volumeBy country of origin at the national tariff line level
Textual description of products
Reference information, correlation tables
IDB Notification Requirements
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Duty treatment
Final Bound duties:WTO Members‘ tariff commitments
Current MFN bound duty:Current state of concession
MFN applied duty:MFN applied duty for the current year
Preferential duties:Free-trade area agreements, regional/bilateral agreementsNon-reciprocal preferences (GSP, LDC, FORUM, ACP, etc.)
General duties:Duties applied by WTO Members to non- WTO Members
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Example of a tariff submission
A national tariff submission to the IDB may consist of two files containing the following information
File 2: ReferencesImport duties for 2007 in Harmonized System version 2002Tariff submitted: Current bound and applied MFN duties, and preference Pref1Benefiting countries for pref1: Indonesia, Malaysia , Philippines, Thailand,...Currency unit for specific and compound duties: national currencyDuty assessment : net weight ...
File 1 : Tariff at the NATIONAL tariff line level
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1. Imports
Tariff lineCtry
Origin Value Q1UnitQ1 Q2
UnitQ2
01011110 BR 100 170 KG 4 PCE01011110 GB 50 90 KG 2 PCE01011110 FR 35 50 KG 1 PCE01011190 PR 200 1300 KG 5 DZ01011190 SW 150 1000 KG 3 DZ01011910 SE 30 1 TN01011910 GB 40 1.5 TN01011910 SE 50 2 TN
3. Country codes and relations 4. References
Code DescriptionKG Kilogram netTN TonPCE UnitDZ Dozenetc.
National quantity code
2. Quantity codes
Tariff relationBR Brazil Pref 2GB Gabon GSPFR France MFNPR Peru Pref2SW Switzerland MFNSE Sweden MFNBF Burkina Faso LDCetc.
National codes Imports in 2006, CIF.Nomenclature Harmonized System 2002.Imports in ‘000 of national currency unitsExchange rate: 2 NCUs/ US$System of trade: General
Example of an import submission
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Data Content
As of December 2007:
770 country periods representing 128 reporters
Historical series starting from 1996 for 49 reporters
2007 tariff data for 20 reporters
519 country periods have matching imports data
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Multilateral Negotiations, Reviews and AssessmentsPreparation for Doha round negotiationsTariff and trade profilesAssessment of Uruguay and other former rounds
Implementation of staged reductions of duties
Accession of countries/economies to the WTO
Article XXIV NegotiationsCustoms Unions or Free Trade Agreements
Trade Policy Reviews
Miscellaneous reports and studies
Information at the national tariff line level!
Need for IDB in the WTO
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GATT Article II
“a. Each contracting party shall accord to the commerce of the other contracting parties treatment no less favourable than that provided for in the relevant Part of the appropriate Schedule annexed to this agreement.”
The schedule lists all the commitments taken by a country not to raise the applied duty (or any other concession) to other WTO Members above a determined (negotiated) level (the bound duty).
Schedule of Commitments (1)
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Domestic Support Total AMS Commitment Section I
Export subsidies: Scope of export subsidies Section II
Export subsidies: Budgetary outlay and quantity reduc. Section I
Duties IA
Tariff Rate Quota IB
Agricultural Products (AoA) Section I
Other Products Section II
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IVAgriculture / subsidies
Preferential Rates
Non-tariff Concessions
MFN Tariff
SC
HE
DU
LE
OF C
OM
MIT
ME
NTS
CTS
Schedule of Commitments (2)
CTS
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Member’s commitments spread in different Schedules, different nomenclature and different format (Excel, text, word, hard copy)Verification of commitmentsPreparation of rectifications and modifications to Schedules (e.g. HS amendments or Art. XXVIII)Verification of other Members’ rectifications and modifications to SchedulesComplete and reliable information available for ALL Members
Need for CTS in WTO
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ONE listing
ALL the tariff concessions of a Member
All the UPDATES with respect to tariff concessions
In the LATEST nomenclature adopted by the Member
The tariff concessions of all Members are available in the WTO Secretariat. However, for many Members, the information was not consolidated and in some cases even not available in electronic format.
What is the CONSOLIDATED Tariff Schedule?
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CTS Legal Status
The CTS database is a working tool only and has no legal status
Nevertheless, CTS electronic files are subject to MEMBERS’ APPROVAL
Each consolidated electronic file prepared by the Secretariat has to be reviewed by the relevant Member before inclusion of the data in the database.
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CTS Data Sources
HS
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92
/ H
S 1
99
6
PR
EP
RE-- U
RU
GU
AY
U
RU
GU
AY
Civ
il A
ircr
aft
Acc
ess
ion
Acc
ess
ion
UR
UG
UA
Y
GA
TT 1
99
4XXXX
Ren
eg
oti
ati
on
sR
en
eg
oti
ati
on
s
Rect
ific
ati
on
sR
ect
ific
ati
on
s
HS
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96
/ H
S 2
00
2?
PH
AR
MA
PH
AR
MA
SP
IRIT
SS
PIR
ITS
ITA
ITA
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TL Description Source
Bound
INR From To Instrument
38180000 Chemical elements UR 50% USA 1995 2000 UR/9438180000 Chemical elements ITA 0% 1997 1997 WT/Let
84229090 Parts of machines of heading 8422, nes
UR 25% USA 1995 2000 UR/94
84229090 Parts of encapsulation equipment
ITA 0% 1997 1997 WT/Let
InstrumentsTL TLS Description Sourc
e Bound INR From ToFirst Present
38180000 Chemical elements ITA 0% USA 1997 1997 UR/94 WT/Let
84229090 00 Parts of machines…84229090 01 Parts of
encapsulationITA 0% 1997 1997 UR/94 WT/Let
84229090 02 Other UR 25% USA 1995 2000 UR/94
Consolidated Tariff Schedule (CTS)
Schedules: UR and ITA
CTS Consolidation Strategy
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Tariff Quota Table
CONCESSION TABLESpecial
Source Base Bound ODC Safeguards0702 Tomatoes, ...070200 Tomatoes, ... UR 262 223 222 SSG
TL DescriptionAV duties
TARIFF QUOTA TABLE
TL Qty Tariff Rate Qty Tariff Rate From ToTomatoes, ... 070200 15T 160 35T 120 1995 2004
ImplementationDescription
Initial quota Final quota
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Export Subsidy Table
Base Annual and Annual and Outlay Years of final outlay Base final quantity
HS level implemen. Commitment quantity commitment Level Description (US $) 1995 - 2004 levels (US $) (tonnes) levels (tonnes)0401.30 Milk 1,541.00 1995 1,504.0 23 22.7
1996 1,467.0 22.41997 1,430.0 22.0
2003 1,208.1 20.12004 1,171.2 19.8
Export Subsidy Table
TL DescriptionBase Duty
AVBound Duty
AVMilk and cream, not concentrated nor containing added sugar; Of a fat content, by weight:
0401301100 - > 6% but <= 21 %; In immediate packings 200 1800401301900 - > 6% but <= 21 %; Others 200 180
0401309100 - > 45 %; In immediate packings 200 1800401309900 - > 45 %; Others 200 180
Concession Table
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Agricultural Commitment on Domestic Support
Years of implementation Annual and final boundBASE TOTAL AMS* 1995 - 2004 bound commitment
654,000 1995 645,4901996 636,9961997 628,4941998 619,9921999 611,4902000 602,9882001 594,4862002 585,9842003 577,4822004 568,980
* Aggregate Measure of Support
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The CTS database will lose its value if it is not updated regularly
Modifications and Rectifications to SchedulesTariff commitmentsAgricultural commitments
New HS amendments (HS2002 and HS2007)
New WTO Members
Country comments on their CTS files
CTS Maintenance
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CTS + IDB0702.00.00
Applied duty 2008?
Final bound duty? Other duties and charges?
50%2009
SSG? No55%
Total imports 2007?
Total imports 2007 by origin?81,981,000 $
INR?
Final implementation year?
30%Country B
No
Identify main suppliers
Current bound duty 2008?
Tariff quota?
Export subsidy? YesYes
Outlay values and quantities
Quota quantity+country allocationIn Quota bound duty = 20%
Tomatoes, fresh or chilled ?
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NAMA negotiations - Swiss formula
0
01 a
attt
+×
=
where, t1 is the final bound tarifft0 is the base rate (CTS for bound TLs, IDB for unbound TLs)a is a coefficient to be determined by the participants
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Negotiations - CTS + IDB
CTSBinding CoverageAverage Bound TariffBound Duty at the Tariff Line LevelImplementation Period of Current ConcessionsTariff QuotaDomestic SupportExport Subsidies
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Negotiations - CTS + IDB
Integrated Database (IDB)Applied 2001 MFN Duty for Unbound Tariff Lines + Markup
NAMA: Base DutyImports Data at the Tariff Line Level
NAMA: Trade Limit for Flexibility Option (7(a))Ad Valorem Equivalent (AVE) for Non-AV DutyPrincipal Suppliers Initial Negotiating Rights
Current MFN Duty (binding overhang?)Customs Revenue Estimate
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Access to IDB and CTS
Authorized Users
Internet Based FacilitiesIAF, FTF, HS 6-digit download
CD ROMs and Portable IAF
Server
Query
Results
Simple data
download
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Channels of dissemination (1)
CD-ROMs2 releases of IDB* and CTS CD-ROMs per yearCoverage of IDB Release 19 – December 2007- 111 WTO Members/acceding countries-territories- 404 country-periods (excludes 1996 – 1999 data)To be replaced by the Portable version of IAF on DVDs
File Transfer Facility (https://sft.wto.org)Password protected; passwords changed every year128 WTO Members/ acceding countries-territories770 country-periods (December 2007))
*: Releases 11, 14 and 16 include 1996 - 1999 data
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Internet Analysis Facility (http://iaf.wto.org/)
HS 6-digit data on bound and MFN applied tariff for download (Goods Schedules and tariff data for each member in WTO webpage http://www.wto.org)
Channels of dissemination (2)
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Authorised Users: WTO Members, authorised Acceding countries/territories and 20 International Organisations
Conditions of Use: for internal purposes (“free to use and distribute their own processed files as they wish but the files of other WTO Members or authorized Acceding countries can only be used internally by governments”)
Conditions of publication: WTO copyright, disclaimer, inform the Committee on Market Access, permission for publication of detailed data beyond the HS 6-digit level
(G/MA/115 and Add.6)
IDB and CTS Dissemination policy