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Article 1
Publication and Availability of Information
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Article 2
Opportunity to comment, information before entry into force and consultations
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Article 3
Advance Rulings
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Article 4
Procedures for appeal or review
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The Trade Facilitation Agreement
Traders from both developing and developed countries have long pointed to the vast amount of “red tape” that still exists in moving goods across borders, and which poses a particular burden on small and medium-sized enterprises. The TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. It further contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area. The Agreement will help improve transparency, increase possibilities to participate in global value chains, and reduce the scope for corruption.
The TFA was the first Agreement concluded at the WTO by all of its Members. The Agreement entered into force on 22 February 2017 when the WTO obtained the two-thirds acceptance of the Agreement from its 164 Members.
VIEW ALL TFA ARTICLE RESOURCES
Section I
Section I
Section I contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It clarifies and improves the relevant articles (V, VIII and X) of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994. It also sets out provisions for customs cooperation.
Section II
Section II
Section II contains special and differential treatment (SDT) provisions that allow developing and LDC Members to determine when they will implement individual provisions of the Agreement and to identify provisions that they will only be able to implement upon the receipt of technical assistance and support for capacity building.
To benefit from SDT, a Member must categorize each provision of the Agreement, as defined below, and notify other WTO Members of these categorizations in accordance with specific timelines outlined in the Agreement (see below).
For provisions designated as categories B and C, the Member must provide dates for implementation of the provisions.
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Category A
Provisions that the Member will implement by the time the Agreement enters into force (or in the case of a least-developed country Member within one year after entry into force)
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Category B
Provisions that the Member will implement after a transitional period following the entry into force of the Agreement
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Category C
Provisions that the Member will implement on a date after a transitional period following the entry into force of the Agreement and requiring the acquisition of assistance and support for capacity building.
Section III (Article 23 & 24)
Section III (Article 23 & 24)
Section III contains provisions that establish a permanent committee on trade facilitation at the WTO, require members to have a national committee to facilitate domestic coordination and implementation of the provisions of the Agreement. It also sets out a few final provisions.