Trade Facilitation

Negotiations are moving towards developing a new Agreement on Trade Facilitation aimed to address issues relating to:

• freedom of transit of goods;
• fees and formalities connected with importation and exportation; and
• publication and administration of trade regulations.

The Agreement would ensure reform in multilateral rules that will benefit Members in terms of providing faster and efficient clearance of goods, reduction in cost of doing business and more transparent and predictable international trade.

The other major focus is the provision on technical and capacity building (TACB) and special and differential treatment (S&D). This provision is important to address the needs and requirement of developing countries and least-developed countries in implementing the obligations proposed under the Agreement.