. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/VAL/40
15 March 2001
(01-1278)
Committee on Customs Valuation
JAMAICA  -  RESERVATION UNDER PARAGRAPH 2, ANNEX III OF
THE AGREEMENT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE VII OF
THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE 1994
Decision
The following Decision concerning the reservation by Jamaica under paragraph 2 of Annex
III of the Agreement was adopted by the Committee on Customs Valuation on 9 March 20011.
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TAKING into account Jamaica's request, set out in G/VAL/W/60/Add.1, for a reservation
under paragraph 2 of Annex III of the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (Customs Valuation Agreement);
NOTING that:- Jamaica was a contracting party to the WTO Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of
the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (Customs Valuation Agreement) andinvoked paragraph 1, Article 20 of that Agreement on 10 March 1995, and was therefore
scheduled originally to apply the provisions of the Agreement on 10 March 2000;
- on 16 March 2000, the Customs Valuation Committee agreed to Jamaica's request under
paragraph 1 of Annex III of the Customs Valuation Agreement for a one-year extension of its
transition period until 10 March 2001;
- Jamaica's long-standing commitment and considerable efforts in reforming and modernizing
its customs administration;
- the considerable efforts made by Jamaica to apply the provisions of the Customs Valuation
Agreement and the technical assistance Jamaica has received in support of implementing andapplying the Customs Valuation Agreement;
- the good cause for Jamaica's request to maintain minimum values on certain used goods as
set out in G/VAL/W/60/Add.1 and its intention to make this a reservation on a limited and
transitional basis;
- in all other regards Jamaica will implement fully the Customs Valuation Agreement from 10
March 2001;
- Jamaica will implement and apply by 10 March 2001 Paragraph 2 of the Decision on the
Valuation of Carrier Media Bearing Software for Data Processing Equipment
2;
                                                     
1 See document G/VAL/M/19 to be issued.
2G/VAL/5G/VAL/40
Page 2
- Jamaica does not use or plan to use preshipment inspection services for purposes of customs
valuation;
- this reservation to maintain minimum values will apply only to the following used goods:
Commodities HS Tariff Code
used motor vehicles ex 8701-8705
used chassis and bodies ex 8706-8707
used motor cycles ex 8711
used equipment ex 8426, 8427, 8429 and
8430
- these minimum values will be used for the purposes of addressing incidences of the absence
of invoices and other undervaluation problems regarding the above used goods while Jamaica
further develops proficiency in risk management and verification;
-  Jamaica's request to maintain minimum values contained in G/VAL/W/60/Add.1 provides
the data sources, methodologies, basis, criteria and other relevant information for determining
the minimum values for the above used goods, and such minimum values shall be made
available, upon request, to other Members of the Committee on Customs Valuation; and
- this would be a single request to maintain minimum values;
the Committee decides pursuant to paragraph 2 of Annex III of the Agreement and paragraph 1 of the
Ministerial Decision on Texts Relating to Minimum Values and Imports by Sole Agents, Sole
Distributors and Sole Concessionaires, adopted by the Committee in May 1995, that Jamaica maycontinue to use officially-established minimum values for the valuation for customs purposes until
10 March 2003 for the used goods identified above according to the following terms and conditions:
1. Jamaica will report by 10 March 2002 on the status of its implementation of officially-
established minimum values for the products identified above;
2. Jamaica will not apply minimum values to additional goods;3. Jamaica will notify the Committee on Customs Valuation of any amendments or changes to
the above-mentioned data sources, methodologies, basis, criteria and other relevant information for
calculating minimum values on the above used goods 60 days before implementing such changes, and
will not apply such changes to importations entering  its customs territory prior to the completion of
this 60 day notification period;
4. This Decision shall not prejudice the rights and obligations of Jamaica under the WTO
Agreements, in particular those rights and obligations under the Customs Valuation Agreement.
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