RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/LIC/N/1/CRI/1
23January 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0231)
Original: Spanish Committee onImport Licensing
AGREEMENT ONIMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 8.2(b)
Costa Rica
Thefollowing communication, dated 21November 1995, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofCosta Rica.
_______________
Pursuant toArticle 8.2(b) oftheAgreement onImport Licensing Procedures, theGovernment
ofCosta Ricaherewith notifies anumber ofamendments totheRegulation ontheAllocation ofTariff
Quotas thatwereintroduced byExecutive Decree 24599-COMEX-MAG of9August 1995, published
inOfficial Gazette No.176of18September 1995.G/LIC/N/1/CRI/1
Page2
No.24599-COMEX-MAG
THE PRESIDENT OFTHE REPUBLIC, THE MINISTER OFFOREIGN TRADE
AND THE MINISTER OFAGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK,
Pursuant toArticle 140,subparagraphs (3)and(18)oftheConstitution, Article 27paragraph 1
oftheGeneral LawonPublic Administration, Law7475 onApproval ofFinal ActoftheUruguay
Round, andArticles 5and6ofLaw7473onImplementation oftheUruguay Round Agreements, and
CONSIDERING:
1. That itisclearly intheinterest ofthepublic andoftheGovernment thatthe
commitments assumed byCosta Ricaunder theAgreements oftheFinal Actofthe
Uruguay Round ofMultilateral Negotiations should beimplemented inastransparent
amanner aspossible foreconomic operators;
2. That oneofthemain commitments assumed under those Agreements wasthe
introduction ofasystem under which theimportation ofagricultural products issubject
totariff quotas, acommitment which wasduly implemented byExecutive
Decree 23914-COMEX-MAG, published inOfficial Gazette No. 246 of
27December 1994;
3. Thatitistheobligation oftheMinistries incharge ofadministering quotas tomonitor
thequota allocation procedure withaviewtointroducing anyrevision oraddition to
thesystem thatwould provide improved access fortheeconomic operators concerned
andensure fullcompliance withthecommitments assumed;
4. Thatcustoms clearance ofproducts subject toquotas andtherelease ofsuchproducts
fromstorage bythelicence holder aswellashispossible failure actually toeffect the
importation oftheamounts allocated under thequota within thesettime-limit have
beenidentified asimpediments totheachievement oftheabove objectives;
DECREES THE FOLLOWING:
Article 1.Executive Decree 23914-COMEX-MAG containing theRegulation ontheAllocation
ofTariff Quotas, published inOfficial Gazette No.246of27December 1994, shallbeamended and
supplemented asfollows:
1. AddtoArticle 4athirdparagraph reading asfollows:
"Ifaquota hasnotbeenallocated infullorinpartwithin agiven period, thatamount may
beadded tothequota forthesucceeding period. Thiscumulation ruleshallapply onlytoperiods
falling within thesame year. Unused amounts maynotbeadded toquotas setforperiods in
thesucceeding year."
2. AddtoArticle 11asecond paragraph reading asfollows:
"Both theMinistry andtheExchange shallensure thattheopening ofquotas iswidely publicized
before suchquotas aremade available tothepublic."G/LIC/N/1/CRI/1
Page3
3. AddtoArticle 13asecond andthirdparagraph reading asfollows:
"The transactions concluded during theauction process shallbebinding. Without prejudice
toArticle 14,paragraph 3,anyparty tosuchatransaction may, through theappropriate
procedures, suetheother party forbreach ofcontract.
Should theparties subsequently agree between themtocancel thesale,withtheresult thatthe
importation isnoteffected, thequota shallbeadded tothesucceeding period assetforth in
Article 4,paragraph 3.Theprovisions ofArticle 14,paragraph 3shallalsoapply tosuch
cases."
4. Revise Article 14toreadasfollows:
"Article 14-After thetransaction hasbeenregistered, themember oftheExchange representing
thebuyer shallinform theExchange ofthename oftheseller andthebuyer sothatitmay
issueacertificate containing theterms ofthecontract onthebasisofwhich thecorresponding
tariff quota hasbeenawarded.
Without prejudice totheother requirements usually laiddown bytheExchange, thecertificate
shall mention thetime-limit fortheuseofthetariff quota inaccordance withArticle 4,
paragraph 2above.
Anybuyer orseller, whether aphysical orlegalperson, whohasfirmly committed himself
tosuchatransaction andsubsequently breaks hiscontract without effecting theimports, or
who, contrary tohisresponsibilities, failstoeffect theimports within thesettime-limit, shall
bebarred fromparticipating inthenegotiation ofquotas either directly orthrough athirdparty
foraperiod oftwoyears from thedateofthetransaction. Thesame provisions shallapply
tothose whocancel atransaction towhich theyhavefirmly committed themselves.
Inorder toapply these measures theMinistry ofAgriculture andLivestock shall institute
ordinary administrative proceedings, ensuring dueprocess ofthelawforthose affected."
Article 20-ThisRegulation shallcome intoforce upon publication.
Done inthePresidency oftheRepublic, atSanJosé, on9August 1995.
____________________________
JOSÉ MARÍAFIGURES OLSEN
PRESIDENT OFTHE REPUBLIC
_____________________________ ________________________________
JOSÉ ROSSI UMAÑA ROBERTO SOLORZANO SANABRIA
MINISTER OFFOREIGN TRADE MINISTER OFAGRICULTURE AND
LIVESTOCK
ThisExecutive Decree waspublished inOfficial Gazette No.176of18September 1995.