GUIDELINES TO BE SET FOR EXPORT OF HAZARDOUS GOODS.

Nov 28, 1986

GUIDELINES TO BE SET FOR EXPORT OF HAZARDOUS GOODS.

GENEVA, NOVEMBER 26 (IFDA/CHAKRAVARTHI RAGHAVAN)— The Contracting Parties to the general agreement have agreed to hold consultations to establish guidelines on export of goods whose sale its prohibited domestically in the producing countries themselves.

The issue, raised by Sri Lanka at the 1982 GATT Ministerial meeting, has been on the GATT work programme. At Punta del Este, no agreement could be reached on including this among the subjects for negotiations in the new round.

These, and other unresolved issues, the chairman of the Punta del Este meeting, Uruguayan Foreign Minister Enrique Iglesias announced would be pursued in the trade negotiations committee.

It was later agreed in Geneva that this issue need not await the Uruguay Round Negotiations, but could pursued separately as a part of the GATT work programme.

As a result of further discussions, the chairman of the Contracting Parties, Kazuo Chiba of Japan, announced Wednesday that consultations would be undertaken to formulate guidelines.

The guidelines to be established are to take into account issues like notification of relevant laws and regulations, information on specific measures restricting or prohibiting the domestic sale of the goods in the producing countries, and the need for GATT to be in close contact in this area with work in other relevant international organisations.

The consultations would also aim at developing procedures for consultations among interested Contracting Parties on problems that might arise as a result of these measures, and for periodic review of the developments.