WTO | Ministerial conferences - Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=Edge"> <script language="Javascript1.2" src="/library/rollovertips.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script language="Javascript1.2" src="/library/imrdlib.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name="description" content="WTO | Ministerial conferences - Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference - Geneva"> <meta name="keywords" content="Geneva ministerial meeting, WTO Ministerial, www.wto.org, World Trade Organization, world trade, trade disputes, intellectual property, government procurement, goods, services, economic research, Statistics, OMC, about the WTO, trade, agriculture, textiles, services, intellectual property, anti-dumping, subsidies, environment, investment, research and analysis, international trade, trade topics, principles of the trading system"> <title>WTO | Ministerial conferences - Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference - Briefing notes</title> <script language="Javascript1.2" type="text/javascript" src="/library/wtomenus/jquery.min.js"></script> <script language="Javascript1.2" src="/library/wtomenus/jkmegamenu.js" type="text/javascript"> /** jQuery Mega Menu- Visit JavaScript Kit at http://www.javascriptkit.com/ for full source code **/ </script> <script language="javascript1.2" type="text/javascript" src="/library/wtomenus/common_data_e.js"></script> <script language="Javascript1.2" type="text/javascript" src="/library/photo_gallery/photo_gallery_code.js"></script> <script language="Javascript1.2" type="text/javascript" src="/library/photo_gallery/photo_gallery_2011.js"></script>  <meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en">  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/library/styles/thewto_styles.css">  <script language="JavaScript1.2" type="text/javascript">  </script> </head>  <body link="#808080" vlink="#808080">  <div id="page" class="pagestyle" >  <div id="banner"> <noscript><h1>WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION</h1> <p class="menudefaulttext"><a href="http://www.wto.org/index.htm" class="menudefaulttext">Home</a>  |  <a href="/english/thewto_e/thewto_e.htm" class="menudefaulttext">About WTO</a>  |  <a href="/english/news_e/news_e.htm" class="menudefaulttext">News & events</a>  |  <a href="/english/tratop_e/tratop_e.htm" class="menudefaulttext">Trade topics</a>  |  <a href="/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/org6_e.htm" class="menudefaulttext">WTO membership</a>  |  <a href="/english/res_e/res_e.htm" class="menudefaulttext">Documents & resources</a>  |  <a href="/english/forums_e/forums_e.htm" class="menudefaulttext">External relations</a></p> <p class="bannertoptext"><a href="/english/info_e/cont_e.htm" class="bannertoptext">Contact us</a>  |  <a href="/english/info_e/site2_e.htm" class="bannertoptext">Site map</a>  |  <a href="/english/info_e/site_e.htm" class="bannertoptext">A-Z</a>  |  <a href="http://search.wto.org/search?site=English_website&proxystylesheet=english_frontend&output=xml_no_dtd&client=english_frontend&proxycustom=%3CADVANCED/%3E&numgm=5" class="bannertoptext">Search</a></p></noscript> </div>   <div id="mainContainer"> <a name="skip" id="skip"></a><noscript> <p class="menulanguagetext" align="right"> <img border="0" src="/images/img24high.gif" width="1" height="24"> <a class="menulanguagetext" href="/spanish/thewto_s/minist_s/mc9_s/brief_acc_yemen_s.htm">espa駉l</a>  <a class="menulanguagetext" href="/french/thewto_f/minist_f/mc9_f/brief_acc_yemen_f.htm">fran鏰is</a></p></noscript><div id="breadcrumbsDiv"><ol><li><a href="../../../../index.htm">home</a></li><li><a href="../../thewto_e.htm">the wto</a></li><li><a href="../minist_e.htm">ministerials</a></li><li><a href="/english/thewto_e/minist_e/mc9_e/mc9_e.htm">bali, indonesia 2013</a></li><li><a href="/english/thewto_e/minist_e/mc9_e/brief_e.htm">briefing notes</a></li><li><span>yemen抯 accession to the wto</span></li></ol></div> <div class="introDiv"> <div class="introImgDiv"><a href="/english/thewto_e/minist_e/mc9_e/mc9_e.htm"><img src="../../../../images/img_mc9/mc9_logo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div> <div class="introTextDiv"><p class="kickertext"><b>9TH WTO MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE, BALI, 2013</b></p> <h1>Briefing note: Yemen抯 accession to the WTO</h1> <p class="paralargetext">Members of the Working Party on the Accession of Yemen agreed on 26 September 2013 the terms of WTO membership for Yemen. At the 9th Ministerial Conference in Bali, the accession package will be presented to ministers, who are expected to formally approve Yemen's membership. Yemen will have until 2 June 2014 to ratify its accession package. </p></div> </div> <div class="mainDiv"> <div class="leftCol"><p class="parasmallboldcolourtext"><span class="parasmallcolourtext"><strong>Updated:</strong> November 2013</span></p> <p class="parasmallcolourtext">THIS EXPLANATION is designed to help the public understand developments in the WTO. While every effort has been made to ensure the contents are accurate, it does not prejudice member governments’ positions.</p> <p class="parasmalltext"><span class="parasmallcolourtext">> <a href="/english/thewto_e/minist_e/minist_e.htm" class="parasmallcolourtext">Ministerial Conferences</a><br /> > <a href="/english/thewto_e/minist_e/mc9_e/mc9_e.htm" class="parasmallcolourtext">Bali Ministerial Conference</a><br /> > <a href="/english/thewto_e/minist_e/mc9_e/brief_e.htm" class="parasmallcolourtext">Other briefing notes</a></span></p></div> <div class="centerCol"><p align="left">Yemen’s terms of membership, contained in its Accession Protocol and Working Party Report, include wide-ranging commitments on laws and measures designed to ensure that Yemen’s trade regime conforms with WTO rules. Yemen has also agreed to further open up its markets to goods and services — this includes establishing tariff bindings on goods (i.e. committing not to increase a rate of duty beyond an agreed level) and subsidy limits in agriculture. Yemen originally applied for WTO membership on 12 April 2000.</p> <p align="left">At the <a href="/english/news_e/news13_e/acc_yem_26sep13_e.htm" class="paracolourtext">final meeting of the Working Party</a> on 26 September, members congratulated Yemen on its efforts in conducting all the necessary reforms to become a member of the WTO and said they believed that Yemen’s WTO membership would contribute to its economic development. Yemen would become the seventh <a href="/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/org7_e.htm" class="paracolourtext">least-developed country</a> to join the multilateral trading system since 1995. During the accession process, WTO members have worked with Yemen to adapt its trade regime to WTO rules and have trained Yemeni government officials. Members said they would continue to provide Yemen with <a href="/english/tratop_e/devel_e/teccop_e/tct_e.htm " class="paracolourtext">technical assistance</a> in its post-accession process.</p> <p align="left"> </p> <h2 id="commitments">Yemen’s accession commitments </h2> <p align="left">From its date of accession to the WTO, Yemen has pledged to fully apply WTO provisions in the areas of rules of origin, preshipment inspection, anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures, export restrictions, subsidies, trade-related investment measures, free zones and preferential trade under bilateral, regional and other agreements. </p> <p align="left"><strong>State enterprises</strong> would import or export broadly under commercial terms, and notify their imports and exports to the WTO.</p> <p align="left">Yemen would apply <strong>price control</strong> measures in a WTO-consistent manneron trade in goods, agricultural products and services. The list of goods and services subject to state price control would be published in its Official Gazette.</p> <p align="left">Yemen has pledged to grant companies and individuals the <strong>right to legal appeal</strong> on government administrative actions covered by WTO rules, including those on trade regulations, subsidies, customs valuation, intellectual property rights and domestic regulation in services.</p> <p align="left">Yemen would abide by its commitments and respect WTO rules <strong>uniformly throughout the country.</strong> This would be enforced by the government without the need for recourse to the courts.</p> <p align="left">Yemen would grant <strong>trading rights</strong> (right to import and to export) in a non-discriminatory and non-discretionary manner by 31 December 2014.  Any natural or legal person of a WTO member would have the right to import, regardless of physical presence or investment in Yemen. </p> <p align="left">Yemen would apply <strong>other duties and charges</strong> at 0.25 per cent and four years from the date of accession would bind them at zero.</p> <p align="left">Yemen would eliminate and would not apply <strong>quantitative restrictions</strong> on imports or other non-tariff measures such as licensing, quotas, prohibitions, bans and other restrictions, except for balance of payments purposes, which would follow WTO rules. </p> <p align="left">By January 2014, Yemen would bring its <strong>government fees and charges for services</strong> into conformity with WTO agreements. Consularization fees would be terminated no later than 1 January 2017.</p> <p align="left">Yemen would fully implement the <strong><a href="/english/docs_e/legal_e/20-val_01_e.htm" class="paracolourtext">Customs Valuation Agreement</a></strong> by 31 December 2016.</p> <p align="left">By 1 January 2017, Yemen would eliminate <strong>certification and notarization requirements</strong> for exports to the country.</p> <p align="left">Yemen has pledged to fully implementthe <a href="/english/docs_e/legal_e/17-tbt_e.htm" class="paraboldcolourtext">Technical Barriers to Trade</a> <strong>Agreement</strong>(product standards and labelling) and the <a href="/english/docs_e/legal_e/15sps_01_e.htm" class="paracolourtext">Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures</a> <strong>Agreement</strong>(food safety and animal and plant health) by 31 December 2016.</p> <p align="left">Yemen would bind its <strong>agricultural export subsidies</strong> at zero upon accession.</p> <p align="left">On the protection of <strong>intellectual property, </strong>Yemen would fully implement the <a href="/english/docs_e/legal_e/27-trips_01_e.htm" class="paracolourtext">WTO Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement</a> by 31 December 2016.</p> <p align="left">To increase the <strong>transparency</strong> of its trade regime<strong>,</strong> Yemen would submit initial notifications as required within six months. All relevant laws, regulations and other measures would be made public in the Official Gazette before they become effective. </p> <p align="left"> </p> <h2>Market access for goods </h2> <p align="left">Yemen would apply an average final bound rate (effectively maximum rates) of 21.1 per cent for all products (24.9 per cent on average for agricultural products, and 20.5 per cent for the rest). </p> <p align="left"> </p> <h2>Market access for services </h2> <p align="left">Yemen has made specific commitments in all 11 core services sectors, such as business services including accounting/auditing/bookkeeping, architectural, medical/dental, veterinary, computer and related services, R&D services, communication services, including telecommunication services, construction and related engineering services, distribution services, educational and environmental services, financial services (insurance and banking), health services, tourism and travel, recreational, cultural and sporting services, and transport services. These 11 sectors cover 78 sub-sectors. </p> <p align="left"> </p> <h2>Next steps </h2> <p align="left">Members have agreed to forward Yemen’s accession package to the 9th Ministerial Conference for adoption by ministers on 3-6 December 2013.<br /> Yemen will have until 2 June 2014 to ratify its accession package. Thirty days after the ratification date, Yemen would become a fully fledged member.</p> <p align="left"> </p> <h2>General information about Yemen<br /> <span class="parasmallgreytext"> (Source: WTO and World Bank — 2012) </span></h2> <ul> <li>Income level: Lower middle income </li> <li>Population: 23.85 million</li> <li>GDP (million current US$): 35.65</li> <li>Rank in world trade — goods exports: 96 </li> <li>Rank in world trade — goods imports: 89 </li> <li>Rank in world trade — services exports: 121 </li> <li>Rank in world trade — services imports: 98 </li> <li>Merchandise exports, f.o.b. (million US$): 8,600</li> <li>Merchandise imports, c.i.f. (million US$): 12,000</li> <li>Commercial services exports (million US$): 1,013</li> <li>Commercial services imports (million US$): 2,440 </li> <li>Main destination of goods exports: China (41.0%), Thailand (19.2%), India (11.4%), Korea, Republic of (4.4%) and Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of (3.5%) </li> <li>Main origin of goods imports: European Union (27%), United Arab Emirates (9.8%), Switzerland (8.8%), China (7.4%) and India (5.8%) </li> <li>Services mostly exported and imported: transportation and travel </li> <li>Life expectancy at birth: 63 years (2011) </li> </ul> <p align="left"> </p> <h2>Background information about Yemen’s accession process </h2> <p align="left">Yemen applied for WTO membership on 12 April 2000. </p> <p align="left">The Working Party was established on 17 July 2000. </p> <p align="left">The chair of the Working Party is Mr Hartmut Röben (Germany).</p> <p>More information <a href="/english/thewto_e/acc_e/a1_yemen_e.htm" class="paracolourtext">here</a>. </p><p> </p></div> <div class="rightCol"></div> </div> </div>   <div id="footer"> </div>  </div> <div class="tooltiptext" id="navtxt" style="left: 0px; visibility: hidden; position: absolute; top: -100px; z-index:5000"> </div>  <script language="javascript1.2" src="/library/wtomenus/loader_wide_2011.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <form action="http://docsonline.wto.org/imrd/gen_redirectSearch.asp" method="post" name="hiddenform" target="new" id="hiddenform"> <input type="hidden" name="query" value="value" /> <input type="hidden" name="language" value="value" /> </form> <script>(function(){function c(){var b=a.contentDocument||a.contentWindow.document;if(b){var d=b.createElement('script');d.innerHTML="window.__CF$cv$params={r:'917744917ffefe11',t:'MTc0MDQ4MjAyNS4wMDAwMDA='};var a=document.createElement('script');a.nonce='';a.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(a);";b.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(d)}}if(document.body){var a=document.createElement('iframe');a.height=1;a.width=1;a.style.position='absolute';a.style.top=0;a.style.left=0;a.style.border='none';a.style.visibility='hidden';document.body.appendChild(a);if('loading'!==document.readyState)c();else if(window.addEventListener)document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',c);else{var e=document.onreadystatechange||function(){};document.onreadystatechange=function(b){e(b);'loading'!==document.readyState&&(document.onreadystatechange=e,c())}}}})();</script></body> </html>

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WTO | Ministerial conferences - Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference - Briefing notes