WORLD TRADE WT/L/117
16January 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0125)
JAMAICA -ESTABLISHMENT OFANEW SCHEDULE LXVI
Extension ofTime-Limit
Decision of13December 19951
Considering thattheCONTRACTING PARTIES toGATT 1947, bytheir Decision of
20August 19932,suspended theapplication oftheprovisions ofArticle IIofGATT 1947 toenable
theGovernment ofJamaica toimplement theHarmonized Commodity Description andCoding System
(Harmonized System) andcarry outnegotiations subsequently;
Takingintoaccountthat,bysuccessiveDecisions,thetime-limitofthewaivergrantedtoJamaica
hasbeenextended until31December 19953;
Considering thatthefootnote toAnnex IA,Section onGATT 1994, sub-paragraph 1(b)(iii)
oftheAgreement establishing theWorld Trade Organization requires theMinisterial Conference to
establish atitsfirstsession arevised listofwaivers granted under Article XXV ofGATT 1947 and
stillinforce onthedateofentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement;
Considering thatbyaDecision of31January 19954theGeneral Council established alistof
waivers existing attheentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, which included thewaiver granted
toJamaica fortheestablishment ofanewSchedule LXVI;
Considering thatparagraph 2oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under
theGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1994 provides thatanywaiver ineffect onthedateof
entryintoforceoftheWTOAgreementshallterminateunlessextendedinaccordancewiththeprocedures
setoutinparagraph 1oftheaforementioned Understanding andthose ofArticle IXoftheWTO
Agreement onthedateofitsexpiry ortwoyears from thedateofentry intoforce oftheWTO
Agreement, whichever isearlier;
Noting thatthedocumentation relevant tothetransposition ofJamaica 'sSchedule intothe
Harmonized System wassubmitted on29September 1995, andwascirculated indocument
G/SECRET/HS/5 on6October 1995;
./.
1Adopted inaccordance withtheProcedures onWTO Decision-Making under Articles IXandXIIoftheWTO Agreement
agreed bytheGeneral Council (WT/L/93).
2L/7291.
3WT/L/83.
4WT/L/3 +Corr.1.WT/L/117
Page2
Noting thattheninety-day period torequest consultations ornegotiations withJamaica has
notelapsed, andthatitwillbedifficult fortheGovernment ofJamaica tocarry outandconclude
consultations before 31December 1995, incaseofreceipt ofsuchrequests;
Considering thattheGovernment ofJamaica, having fulfilled therequirements ofparagraph 1
oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under theGATT 1994, hasrequested a
further extension ofthewaiver until30June19965;
TheGeneral Council, acting pursuant totheprovisions ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
Decides, inviewoftheexceptional circumstances outlined above, toextend thewaiver granted
toJamaica bytheDecision of20August 1993, until30June1996.
5G/L/45.