. /. RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/REG126/M/2 
8 April 2004  
 
(04-1619) 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements 
Thirty-Sixth Session  
 
 
 
EXAMINATION OF THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT 
BETWEEN THE EFTA STATES AND MEXICO 
 
Note on the Meeting of 29 March 2004  
 
Chairman: Mr. M.V.  Notis (Greece) 
 
 
1. The meeting was convened in document WTO/AIR/2276/Rev.1. 
2. Under Agenda Item C.V of its Thirty-Sixth Session, the Committee on Regional Trade 
Agreements (hereinafter CRTA or the Committee) took up the second round of examination of the 
Free Trade Agreement between the EFTA States and Mexico. 
3. The following topics were discussed: 
 A. Section II – Trade Provisions 
 B. Section III – General Provisions of the Agreement  C. Section IV – Other 
 
4. The Chairman
 noted that it was the second round of examination of the goods aspects of the 
Agreement.  He reminded delegations that the exam ination of the services aspects of the Agreement 
had been suspended for the time, due to the absence of specific commitments.  The proceedings of the 
first round, which took place in April 2003, coul d be found in document WT/REG126/M/1.  Since 
then, the Parties had provided replies to questions po sed by delegations, which had been circulated in 
document WT/REG126/5. 
A. TRADE PROVISIONS  
5. With respect to agricultural liberali zation, the representative of Australia  noted that according 
to the replies submitted by the Parties in doc ument WT/REG126/5, the bilateral agricultural 
agreements negotiated between the respective EF TA States and Mexico provided duty-free or 
preferential treatment for agricultural products;  at the same time , data on tariff-line coverage showed 
a number of tariff lines with no concessions on agricu ltural products.  She asked the Parties to explain 
how these two pieces of information related to each  other.  These comments were shared by the 
representative of the United States , who added that it would be useful to know the exact proportion of 
the agricultural items not subject to concessions. 
6. The representative of Mexico  said that as indicated in their replies, the tariff rate quotas on 
agricultural products concerned a relatively small amount of agricultural trade and were limited to 
only one of the bilateral agricultural agreements.  Ne vertheless, he said that he could provide a more 
detailed reply in writing.  The representative of Switzerland on behalf of the EFTA States , observed 
that products without concessions  represented about 21 per cent of agricultural trade whereas those 
with zero or reduced tariffs represented about 78.4 pe r cent.  He also pointed to the existence of an WT/REG126/M/2 
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evolutionary clause in the bilateral agricultural agr eements which foresaw their review within a period 
of two or three years with a view to furthe r liberalize agricultural trade among the Parties. 
B. G
ENERAL PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT  
7. The representative of the United States , referring to what had been said earlier by the 
representative of Switzerland with respect to agricultur al liberalization, noted that it had been almost 
three years since the entry into force of the Agreement and wondere d whether there were any formal 
plans to revisit the agricultural provisions of th e Agreement.  The representative of Switzerland  
clarified that the Free Trade Agreement did not for esee any such review; it was within the institutional 
provisions of the bilateral agricultural agreements that there was an evolutionary clause for possible 
reviews in the agricultural field.  Should a review in the agricultural field take place, it would be on a 
bilateral basis, and not with  all EFTA countries together. 
C. OTHER  
8. The representative of Chile  asked the Parties for an update on the status of work with respect 
to the list of services commitments.  The representative of Mexico  indicated that a bilateral meeting 
on services at the expert level was scheduled for th at week and that a Joint Committee meeting had 
been held earlier that year. 
9. The Chairman  noted that the second round of examination of the Agreement had allowed the 
Committee to clarify a number of issues.  Nevert heless, some outstanding questions remained.  He 
requested delegations to forward any additional questi ons in writing to the Secretariat by 16 April and 
the Parties to submit replies in writing by no late r than 28 May.  He proposed that the factual 
examination be considered as complete.  Once replie s had been circulated, any request for additional 
information could be dealt with in writing withou t holding another round of examination.  The 
Secretariat could then begin drafting the report for this examination. 
10. The Committee took note  of the comments made. 
 
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