TRADE FACILITATION: AGREEMENT

Members accepting the Protocol of Amendment to insert the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement into Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement

On 27 November 2014, the General Council adopted the Protocol of Amendment to insert the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement into Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement (“the Protocol”), and opened it for acceptance by Members. According to the WTO Agreement, a Member formally accepts the Protocol by depositing an “instrument of acceptance” for the Protocol with the WTO.

As stipulated in the Protocol, it shall enter into force in accordance with Article X:3 of the WTO Agreement. Namely, the Protocol shall take effect upon acceptance by two thirds of the Members for the Members that have accepted the Protocol; thereafter, the Protocol shall take effect for each other Member upon acceptance by it.