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Issues covered by the WTO’s committees and agreements

Import licensing

The Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures says import licensing should be simple, transparent and predictable so as not to become an obstacle to trade.

For example, the agreement requires governments to publish sufficient information for traders to know how and why the licences are granted. It also describes how countries should notify the WTO when they introduce new import licensing procedures or change existing procedures.

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News  back to top

  

Introduction  back to top

Brief information on import licensing and the WTO
Links to import licensing section of the WTO guide “Understanding the WTO”

Technical information on import licensing

  

The mandate back to top

Explanation of agreement on import licensing procedures

Browse or download the text of the “Agreement on Import Licensing” from the legal texts gateway

Find decisions of WTO bodies concerning the Agreement on import licensing in the Analytical Index — Guide to WTO Law and Practice

  

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Work on import licensing in the WTO, and official documents back to top

Work on this subject is handled by the Committee on Import Licensing. The committee supervises the implementation of the Agreement. It reviews at least once every two years the implementation and operation of the Agreement. Members are required to notify the Committee of any changes in their laws and regulations concerning import licensing.

> Current Chairperson

  

Work in the Committee on Import Licensing

Search Documents Online
These links open a new window: allow a moment for the results to appear.

  • Annual reports of the Committee on Import Licensing to the Council for Trade in Goods (Document code varies)    > search    > help
  • Biennial Reviews of the Implementation and Operation of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures (Document code varies)    > search
  • Minutes of the meetings of the Committee on Import Licensing (Document code G/LIC/M/*)    > search    > help
  • Working documents of the Committee on Import Licensing to the Council for Trade in Goods (Document code G/LIC/W/*)
       > search
  • Notifications of publications containing relevant information (Articles 1.4a and 8.2b) (Document code G/LIC/N/1/*) 
       > search
  • Notifications of import licensing procedures or changes in these procedures (Article 5, 5.1, 5.2) (Document code G/LIC/N/2/*) 
       > search
  • Notifications regarding the annual questionnaire (Article 7.3) (Document code G/LIC/N/3/*) 
       > search
  • Questions and replies to the Questionnaire on Import Licensing (Document code G/LIC/Q/*) 
       > search

  

Other official import licensing documents

Search Documents Online
General documents of the Committee on Import Licensing have the code G/LIC/* (where * takes additional values). These links open a new window: allow a moment for the results to appear.

> help with downloading these documents

  • Technical Cooperation Handbook on Notification Requirements (Document code WT/TC/NOTIF/LIC/*)    > search
  • Disputes (requests for consultations) involving import licensing (Document code G/LIC/D/*)    > search

You can perform more sophisticated searches from the Documents Online search facility (opens in new window) by defining multiple search criteria such as document code, full text search or document date.

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