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FTAA.ngma/com/22
September 30, 2002

Original: Spanish
Translation: FTAA Secretariat


FTAA - NEGOTIATING GROUP ON MARKET ACCESS

Twenty-second Meeting

Panama, 23-27 September 2002


PRESS COMMUNIQUÉ

The Twenty-second Meeting of the Negotiating Group on Market Access (NGMA) was held in Panama City, Panama from 23 to 27 September 2002. In attendance were delegates of the following countries: Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

The NGMA agreed on an agenda, which is attached hereto. All the items on the agenda were satisfactorily covered.

Pursuant to the TNC’s instructions to the NGMA, the Group analyzed the organization of its future work and how the initial exchange of offers will be conducted. The Group expressed satisfaction with the amount of ground covered during this meeting, which will greatly facilitate the process of presenting base tariffs, as well as initial tariff offers.

The Inter-American Development Bank, through the Tripartite Committee, held a seminar on the Hemispheric Data Base, which included an explanation on how to extract data from the HDB in a way that allows it to be used with software programs. The Tripartite Committee also gave a presentation on modalities for preparing initial tariff offers. The Bank also presented a new tool, the toolkit for trade negotiators, which it developed in conjunction with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the General Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA), for the purpose of supporting the capacities of countries, especially those with smaller economies, to participate effectively in international trade negotiations. These three institutions, together with the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL), announced that they will hold regional workshops to provide training in the use of this toolkit.

The Group was informed that no civil society contributions were sent by the Committee of Government Representatives on the Participation of Civil Society.


FTAA - NEGOTIATING GROUP ON MARKET ACCESS

Twenty-second Meeting

Panama, 23-27 September 2002

AGENDA

1. General issues

2. Results of the TNC

3. Organization of future work

4. Tariffs

• Seminar on the Hemispheric Data Base (HDB)
• Discussion on the dynamics of tariff negotiations
• Organization for tariff negotiations
• Revision of document on Methods and Modalities for Tariff Negotiations
• Relevant issues in document on TNC Resolutions

5. Special Regimes

6. Non-tariff Measures

7. Report of the meeting of the Ad Hoc Group on Rules of Origin

8. Specific Guidelines for the Ad Hoc Group on Rules of Origin

9. Substantial issues on Rules of Origin

10. Agenda for the next meeting

11. Other matters

 
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