Public
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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