Committee marks 30th anniversary of Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures

To mark the anniversary, the WTO Secretariat made a presentation on the history of import licensing in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the WTO, as well as the Committee's role in overseeing implementation of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures. Several former Chairpersons also shared their reflections and experiences from their time in office in video remarks presented to the meeting.

Import licensing refers to administrative procedures requiring the submission of an application or other documentation to relevant authorities as a prior condition for importing goods into a country. These procedures can be either automatic or non-automatic.

The Agreement aims to ensure that import licensing systems are transparent, predictable and do not create unnecessary barriers to trade. Members are required to publish all rules and information concerning import licensing procedures to enable traders to understand them and ensure that these remain neutral and no more administratively burdensome than necessary. 

In its presentation, the Secretariat noted that, over the past 30 years, WTO members have submitted nearly 2,500 notifications related to import licensing measures. The Committee had held 60 formal meetings, during which more than 350 questions and replies were exchanged and a total of 176 new and recurring trade concerns were raised.

The Committee has also worked to enhance transparency and compliance, including by clarifying notification requirements and developing improved notification templates for import licensing legislation. It has also overseen the creation of a public website and database on licensing procedures notified by members as well as an online Notification Portal and Database for all notification requirements under the Agreement.

Notifications

The Chair of the Committee, Tyesha Turner of Jamaica, informed members that since the last Committee meeting in November 2024, a total of 38 notifications had been received under various provisions of the Agreement. The Chair emphasized that members have to notify their import licensing regulations and changes to these regulations within 60 days of publication.

In addition, 19 notifications were submitted under Article 7.3 of the Agreement (which mandates members to complete the annual questionnaire on import licensing procedures promptly and in full) since the last Committee meeting, the Chair said.

The Chair noted that 21 WTO members have yet to submit a single reply to the annual questionnaire since joining the WTO, and 13 members have never submitted any notification under the Agreement. While these figures have seen only marginal changes in recent years, she encouraged members to consider engaging with their notification obligations and to seek support from the Secretariat where needed.

Specific trade concerns

The Committee addressed a record 12 trade concerns at the 8 May meeting, covering the import licensing regimes of various products:

• Egypt's import licensing requirements for certain agricultural and processed products, raised by the European Union;
• India's quality control for plywood and wooden flush door shutters, raised by Indonesia;
• India's importation of pneumatic tyres, raised by Indonesia, Chinese Taipei and Thailand;
• India's import of viscose staple fibre, raised by Indonesia;
• India's import licensing measures on personal computers, tablets and other electronic products, raised by Japan;
• Indonesia's commodity balancing mechanism, raised by the European Union and Japan;
• Indonesia's import licensing regime for certain textile products, raised by the European Union and Japan;
• Indonesia's compulsory registration by importers of steel products, raised by Japan;
• Indonesia's import restriction on air conditioners, raised by Japan;
• Indonesia's importer registration requests for agricultural, food and drink products, raised by the United Kingdom;
• Mongolia's new import licensing requirements for alcoholic beverages, raised by the United Kingdom;
• Türkiye's import restrictions on two wheelers, raised by India.

Next meeting

The Chair said the next Committee meeting is tentatively scheduled for 10 October 2025.

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