WORLD TRADE G/L/229
24March 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1176)
Original: English Council forTrade inGoods
21April 1998
SRILANKA -ESTABLISHMENT OFANEW SCHEDULE VI
Request forExtension ofTime-Limit
Thefollowing communication, dated 18March 1998, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofSriLanka.
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Irefer toyourfaxof16March 1998 ontheabove subject. Ihavebeeninstructed bymy
authorities inSriLanka tofurnish thefollowing information withregard toitsrequest forextension
oftimelimitforthecurrent waiver which expires on30April 1998.
1. Dateoforiginal waiver: 8November 19881.
2. Dateofsubmission ofdocuments relevant totheHSimplementation: 12January 19902.
3. Number ofextensions anddates when granted: fifteen extensions, asfollows: 24/07/89;
16/07/90; 07/12/90; 01/07/91; 04/12/91; 20/07/92; 03/12/92; 19/07/93; 17/01/94;
21/07/94; 09/12/94; 31/08/95; 13/12/95, 18/07/96, 16/07/97 and22/10/97.
4. Number ofcountries withwhich Article XXVIII negotiations have been initiated: four
(Australia, European Union, NewZealand andUnited States).
5. Number ofcountries withwhich Article XXVIII negotiations havebeenconcluded: none.
6. Status ofoutstanding Article XXVIII negotiations aswellasageneral outline ofrelevant
problems, ifany:
SriLanka hasmade anoffertothetwocountries which hadearlier submitted counter proposals
innegotiations initiated under Article XXVIII. SriLanka hasalsoreceived aquery andarequest for
clarification from oneother country. Aresponse thereto willbesubmitted afterconsultations with
appropriate authorities. SriLanka continues tomake every effort toconclude negotiations assoon
aspossible, butthenegotiations areunlikely tobeconcluded by30April 1998.
1BISD, 35S/22.
2SECRET/HS/26.
./.G/L/229
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7. Outlook forconcluding theprocess:
Itisthestated intention ofSriLanka toconclude Article XXVIII negotiations assoonaspossible
andpracticable given several constraints. Asignificant inhibiting factor continues tobethedrain on
bothhuman andfinancial resources consequent onthecurrent security situation andtheimperative
ofsafeguarding theterritorial integrity ofthecountry. Asstated onearlier occasions, some ofthe
counter proposals from SriLanka 'strading partners affect areas which arepolitically sensitive,
particularly when thecountry isexperiencing economic hardships. Moreover, theestablishment in
SriLanka ofaCommission onTrade andTariffs responsible formatters concerning anomalies and
changes inthetariff structure impinges directly onthenegotiations. Thereport ofthisCommission
onNational Tariff Policy isawaited, aswithout thisthenegotiations regrettably cannot beprogressed
atthisstage.
Inviewoftheabove, SriLanka requests afurther extension ofsixmonths toconclude these
negotiations. TheGovernment ofSriLanka extends itsdeepappreciation tothecountries concerned
fortheirunderstanding andassures themthatSriLanka willlookforward tofinalize thesenegotiations
tothemutual satisfaction ofallconcerned intheshortest possible time.
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