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Trade Facilitation in the WTO Context

• High-Level Policy Segment of the Committee for
  Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development 
• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Zoran Jolevski National WTO coordinator, WTO
Compliance Activity Skopje, Macedonia
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IMPORTNACE OF TRADE
The international trade is one of the key engines
for an economic prosperity Liberalization and
increased discipline in international trade In
the modern world economy, the opportunities for
efficient realization of the concept of global
chains of supply influence the business
decisions.
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Trade liberalization Trade facilitation
The trade procedures are seen as a future
bottleneck to international trade. The
international community must ensure that
multilateral roles in trade facilitation are
following the trade liberalization. Canadian
study URTR R. Zoellick trade facilitation
measures are basically en extension of market
access procedures that lower transaction costs
and increase timeliness of transit.
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DEFINITION OF TRADE FACILITATION
Broad and narrow definition of trade
facilitation In the WTO trade facilitation
represents the simplification and harmonization
of international trade procedures, with trade
procedures being the activities, practices and
formalities involved in collecting, presenting,
communications and processing data required for
the movements of goods in international trade.
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BENEFITS FROM TRADE FACILITATION

• Increase countrys ability to use the benefits
  of the market access
• Increase transparency and predictability
• Facilitate the free flow of goods and services
  in the new just-in-time economy.
• Increase in foreign direct investments
• More efficient collection of government
  revenues
• Improve security and reduced corruption.
• Enhance the economic development.

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MANDATE OF WTO IN TRADE FACILITATION
July Package is requesting the negotiations to
clarify and improve the relevant aspects of
Article V, VIII and X The WTO is the most
appropriate forum to set the basic trade
facilitation policy framework
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TRADE FACILITATION IN UN/ECE
The UNECE has long experience in the area of
trade facilitation The UN CEFACT that is
subsidiary body of the UN/ECE CTIED develops
instruments that reduce, simplify and automate
procedures, and information flow in international
trade. UNECE could help the process of
operationalization of the agreed solutions in the
negotiations in the DDA in the area of trade
facilitation.
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GATT Article V - FREE TRANSIT

• The clarification of GATT Article V should be
  aimed at
• improving the transparency, predictability and
  non-discrimination of transit requirements,
  procedures and charges,
• simplifying and standardizing documentation,
  data requirements and procedures,
• ensuring non-discrimination between means of
  transport, carries etc.,
• improving the cooperation and coordination
  between different agencies at the borders.

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ECE Complements WTO
GATT 1994 Article V- Freedom of Transit
Article VIII Fees/ Formalities Article X
Publication appeals
UNECE TIR convention and Harmonization
convention - practical solutions for transit
procedures Simplified procedures and limited
data requirement (UN/EDIFACT UNeDOC, Single
Window, UN/LOCODE est. Harmonization
convention
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ROLE OF THE UNECE IN CAPACITY BUILDING

• Importance of technical assistance and support
  for capacity building in trade facilitation
• The UNECE has good experience in technical
  assistance and capacity building.
• The UNECE leader in creating awareness about the
  importance trade facilitation, but it will more
  curtail in the second phase when the countries
  from the region will need to implement results of
  DDA in the area of trade facilitation.

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Introduction the concept of trade facilitation in
Macedonia
The economic development of the Republic of
Macedonia, as a small country, could be achieved
only through integration in the world economy As
a landlocked country with an open market economy,
the Republic of Macedonia is very vulnerable to
the efficiency of the movement of goods and
services across borders Investing in the
infrastructure in the region of SEE, without
taking measures for trade facilitation on a
national, regional and international level, would
not give the expected results.
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successful implementation of the concept of trade
facilitation

• multidisciplinary approach
• on a national, regional and international level
• the political will and commitment as well as,
• a close cooperation and partnership with the
• business community

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ACTIVITIES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO TRADE FACILITATION
IN MACEDONIA

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• Trade Facilitation Working Group within the WTO
  Coordinative Body of Experts established
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• The adoption of the new Customs Code is in a
  final stage.
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• To increase the compatibility of its customs
  regime with international standards

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Conference on enhancing the Macedonian export

• Coordination and unified application of
  regulations for foreign trade
• Elimination of all inconsistencies between the
  Law on VAT and customs exemptions prescribed by
  the Law on Customs
• Reducing the administrative barriers in obtaining
  licenses, permits, certificates for exports
• Training of business entities in order to be able
  to meet the requirements for obtaining the
  treatment of a trusted partner to the Customs
  Administration, particularly for small and
  medium-sized enterprises
• More efficient and continuant 24 hours services
  of the Customs and other trade facilitation
  measures
• Providing the right to use the diagonal
  accumulation of rules of origin
• Reduction of transportation fees for transiting
  through some neighboring countries
• Reduction of expensive services of the
  Thessalonica Harbor.

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Regional initiatives
Regional meeting of the directors general from
the Customs administrations from the SEE region
in Ohrid Regional seminar on trade facilitation
for the Southeast European countries
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ROLE OF THE UNECE IN TRADE FACILITATION

• full support of the findings contained in the
  document TRADE/2005/18 UNECE Instruments to
  Address Trade Facilitation in the WTO Doha
  Programme Review of the Articles V, VIII and X
  of the GATT 1994
• experience and instruments that are developed in
  the UNECE find proper use in the implementation
  of the results of Doha Development Agenda

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THANK YOU
Zoran Jolevski National WTO coordinator, WTO
Compliance Activity Skopje, Macedonia E-mail
z.jolevski _at_bah.org.mk tel. [phone]
250 fax [phone]
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