Total number of TFA ratifications stands at 162 out of 166 WTO members

At the Committee on Trade Facilitation meeting late last month, WTO members advanced work on the second review of the TFA, discussed technical assistance coordination and continued experience-sharing sessions.

TFA, aimed at expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit, is the first WTO agreement in which developing and least developed members determined their own implementation schedules in accordance with their national priorities and capacities, and sought to acquire implementation capacity through the provision of technical assistance and capacity building support.

The Committee reviewed 15 notifications submitted since its last meeting and examined measures with definitive implementation dates for 2026-2027.

Developing and least developed members have currently committed to implementing 83.7 per cent of TFA provisions, while the overall rate of implementation commitments stands at 87.4 per cent.

Three hundred and sixty four extension requests have been submitted to date, with three quarters pertaining to Category C measures, which are TFA provisions that developing and least developed members have indicated they will implement after a transitional period with the necessary technical assistance and capacity building, a WTO release said.

The next formal meetings of the committee are scheduled for June 11-12 and October 20-22 this year.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)