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WTO-TBT

PNG WTO-TBT National Enquiry and Notification Point is another resource facility that is administered and maintained by the Institute. Through this Office, the Institute provides advisory and consultation pertaining to the requirements, application and the implication of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) on all trade issues and aspects. The facility has been set up within NISIT and is fully operational with the overall responsibility for administering the TBT Agreement. 

Objective of PNG WTO TBT Enquiry Point

PNG like all WTO Members are required to establish national enquiry points (in accordance with Article 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3 of the TBT Agreement) which will able them to answer all reasonable enquiries from other Members and interested parties as well as provide the necessary information about any: 

  • Technical Regulations
  • Any Standards or any Conformity Assessment Procedures adopted or proposed within its territory by central or local Government Bodies

Roles & Responsibilities of the PNG WTO TBT Enquiry Point

  • Provide information about Technical Regulations, Standards and Conformity Assessment Procedures in the harmonized area covered by PNG Legislation. It is also responsible for the notification of the relevant PNG Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures.
  • Provide information in non-harmonized area covered by PNG Legislation. It also directly notify proposed Regulations to the WTO Secretariat. Operate and maintain the procedure of notification of National Technical Legislation that already exist with the PNG.
  • Responsible for the implementation under the notification procedures in both areas. As a consequence, comments by the third countries on a proposed regulation notified by a Member State authority have to be addressed to this Authority and to the PNG TBT Enquiry Point. Replies to any such comments will be given by the PNG TBT Enquiry Point

Accessibility to the PNG WTO – TBT Enquiry Point

The Enquiry Point can be used by any interested party within the host economy and a territory of a Member of the WTO.

Facility offers the following (including charges, if any)

  • Accesses and maintains information on so-called ‘inward notifications’ of proposed foreign Regulations issued through the WTO website and disseminates them electronically (wherever possible). The Enquiry Point circulates this information in the main to Trade Associations relevant to the products and services covered in the notification that have confirmed that they wish to receive this information. The Enquiry Point then relies upon Individual Trade Associations to disseminate the details. The Enquiry Point does not receive copies of proposed measures or regulations with the notifications but will be able to take steps to obtain the information on their behalf.
  • Provide as much evidence on measurable affects as possible to a PNG Trader or Trade Association that has problems with the affects of proposed measures in their export markets together with their views. Provide the details to consider if other areas of PNG trade would be adversely affected. If appropriate, the Enquiry will take up the issue either bilaterally with the Country involved or through the PNG National WTO and Trade Facilitation Committee.
  • Will provide the relevant documents regarding any PNG Technical Regulations, any Standards adopted or proposed or any Conformity Assessment Procedures (upon request).
  • Responsible for notifying the WTO Secretariat of proposed PNG Technical Regulations that may affect trade (so-called ‘outward notifications’).
  • Provide general information on the TBT Agreement.

Information Available

i) Documentation that can be obtained from the Enquiry Point

  • Upon request the Enquiry Point will provide other WTO Members with copies of the proposed or adopted Technical Regulation, Standard or Procedures for Assessment of Conformity.

ii) Notification

WTO Members are required to notify the WTO Secretariat of all proposed Government Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures that might significantly affect international trade. The Secretariat, in turn, disseminates the notifications to all other Members.

  • Enquiry Point shall notify all Regulations and Procedures in the harmonized field (i.e. concluded at the National level) to the WTO Secretariat. It will notify the WTO Secretariat of everything outside harmonized field that id devised and implemented nationally and falls within the notification requirements and that might significantly affect trade. The Institute also receive so – called ‘inward notifications’ through the WTO Secretariat and disseminate them to appropriate contacts in Government and Trade Associations.
  • The Enquiry Point responds to enquiries about the PNG and other WTO member’s notifications.
  • To allow WTO Members adequate time to receive the text of a Regulation (and to have it translated, if necessary), review it, and prepare comments, the Enquiry Point will facilitate the exercise according to TBT Agreement (recommends a comment period of at least 60 days; although countries are encouraged to allow 30 days).
  • The Enquiry Point will allow six months between Publication of Technical Regulations and entry into force except where urgent problems of safety, health, Environmental Protection or national Security arise.

The office also provides advisory and consultations in the area of Standards and Conformance on all trading aspects of goods and services as subjected specifically to WTO TBT Agreement. Discussions cover wide ranging issues on products, processes and services and their relative applicable Standards. The Office is also involved in discussing cross-cutting issues on Standards and Conformance that impeded on customer issues and trade in general, trade commodities, products and services that transects across all econ0mic sectors of PNG in general.