(a) In the case of a customs union or an interim agreement leading to the formation of a customs union, the customs duties and other trade rules imposed on the establishment of such a union or an interim agreement on trade with parties not party to such a union or agreement shall not be higher overall or more restrictive than the overall effect of the customs duties and trade rules applicable in the customs union. constituent territories prior to the formation of such a Union or the adoption of such an interim agreement; 1. Customs unions, free trade areas and interim agreements leading to the formation of a customs union or free trade area shall comply, inter alia, with paragraphs 5, 6, 7 and 8 of that Article in accordance with Article XXIV. Territorial scope Border traffic Customs unions and free trade areas 8. As regards the interim agreements, the group could make appropriate recommendations in its report on the proposed timetable and on the measures necessary to complete the formation of the customs union or free trade area. It may, if necessary, provide for a more thorough review of the Agreement. Report on the treatment of medical devices in regional trade agreements (RTAs) 2. The assessment of the overall impact of duties and other trade arrangements applicable before and after the establishment of a customs union referred to in Article XXIV(5)(a) shall be based on an overall assessment of the weighted average duty rates and duties collected. This assessment will be based on import statistics for a previous representative period to be provided by the customs union, on a tariff basis, as well as on values and quantities, broken down by WTO country of origin. The Secretariat will calculate the weighted average of duties and duties collected in accordance with the methodology used to value tariff offers in the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations. For this purpose, account should be taken of the duties and taxes applied. It is recognized that for the overall assessment of the existence of other trade provisions for which quantification and aggregation are difficult, it may be necessary to examine the different measures, regulations, products covered and trade flows involved.

RTAs at the WTO are any reciprocal trade agreement between two or more partners that do not necessarily belong to the same region. An RTA has been in force for all WTO members since June 2016. Documents, including factual comments, on the various regional trade agreements notified to the WTO are available in the RTA database. (c) any substantial modification of the plan or timetable referred to in paragraph 5 (c) shall be notified to the Parties; They may invite the Contracting Parties concerned to consult them if the amendment appears likely to jeopardise or unduly delay the formation of the customs union or free trade area. Members reviewed the Preferential Trade Agreement between Namibia and Zimbabwe on Goods, which entered into force in April 1993. The parties noted that this agreement is based on the Southern African Development Community Trade Protocol, which aims to promote trade as an engine for economic development and poverty eradication in the region. Preferential trade regimes (PTAs) refer to unilateral trade privileges such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and non-reciprocal preferential programmes that some WTO Members implement for goods from developing and least-developed countries. Information on preferential trade arrangements notified to the WTO is available in the PTA database. (i) customs duties and other restrictive trade arrangements (other than those authorised under Articles XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV and XX) are eliminated, in substance, on all trade between the Parties of the Union or at least on all trade in products originating in those territories; and 11 Customs unions and components of free trade areas reimburse the Council for Trade in Goods: as provided for by the Contracting Parties to GATT 1947 in their instruction to the GATT 1947 Council concerning reports on regional agreements (BIS 18S/38) on the operation of the agreement concerned. Any significant changes and/or developments in the agreements must be reported as soon as they occur.

Recognizing the contribution to the expansion of world trade that can be made by closer integration between the economies of the Parties to these agreements; (c) Each interim agreement referred to in subparagraphs (a) and (b) shall contain a plan and timetable for the establishment of such a customs union or free trade area within a reasonable period of time. Note: WTO statistics on RTAs are based on notification requirements and not on physical figures for RTAs. Therefore, for an RTA that includes both goods and services, we have two notifications (one for goods and one for services), even if it is physically an RTA. The United Kingdom has indicated that the provisions of the European Union`s regional trade agreements will continue to apply to trade with the United Kingdom during the transition period provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement. Further information can be found in document WT/GC/206 and in the EU Note verbale (WT/LET/1462), which informs WTO Members that the United Kingdom will be treated as a Member State of the European Union for the purposes of the relevant international agreements for the duration of the transition period.