How to notify Quantitative Restrictions (QR)
Notification procedures
The procedures and formats for the notification of quantitative restrictions are contained in the 2012 Decision on Notification Procedures for Quantitative Restrictions. The main objective of the QR Decision is to enhance transparency on the prohibitions and other restrictions introduced or maintained by Members on their exports and imports, including their legal justification under WTO rules.
The notification can be submitted in any of the three official WTO official languages (English, French of Spanish) by email using the Notification Format: download here (Annex 1) or online through the QR Notification Portal available here:
Member QR Notification Portal
What types of measures must be included in the QR notification?
Annex 2 of the QR Decision provides an
indicative list of ten measures that are covered
by the notification requirements, including a
list of symbols to be used to identify them.
Members have to specify whether the notified
measure affects imports and/or exports, and if
the measure is "seasonal". In such cases, the
suffixes "S" for seasonal restrictions and "X"
for export restrictions should be added to the
relevant symbol, as appropriate.
More than one symbol can be included in the
notification as one quantitative restriction can
refer to one or more measures.
Example: the Member applies a temporary
import ban, the symbol "P S" shall be
reported in the notification.
Example: the Member applies a non automatic
export license, the symbol "NAL X" shall be
reported in the notification.
Example: the Member applies a conditional
prohibition whereby the import of a certain
good is prohibited unless the importer
obtains a special permit or license. The
symbols "CP" and "NAL" shall be reported in
the notification.
| Measures to be notified |
Symbol
|
Suffix (as required) |
| Prohibition |
P |
X: Export
S: Seasonal
|
|
Prohibition except under defined
conditions
|
CP |
| Global quota |
GQ |
|
Global quota allocated by country
|
GQC |
|
Bilateral quota (i.e. anything less
than a global quota)
|
BQ |
| Non automatic licensing |
NAL |
|
Quantitative restriction made
effective through state trading
operations
|
STR |
| Mixing regulation |
MXR |
|
Minimum price, triggering a
quantitative restriction
|
MPR |
| "Voluntary" export restraint |
VER |
What types of measures should not be included in
the QR notification?
The QR Decision excludes a number of measures
that either are not considered to be
quantitative restrictions within the meaning of
Article XI of the GATT 1994, or even if they
are, are subject to more specialized rules and
notification requirements in other WTO
Agreement. For example, Members expressly
decided to exclude SPS and TBT measures from the
scope of the QR Decision to avoid creating
notification obligations that were unduly
complex and burdensome. At the same time, the QR
Decision provides that tariff rates quotas
(which are considered to be a "tariff" measure)
and automatic import licensing procedures (which
by definition do not restrict trade) are not
quantitative restrictions, and are therefore
excluded from the notification requirement.
Measures that are not covered by
the QR Decision
- 1. SPS measures
- 2. TBT measures
- 3. Automatic import licensing
- 4. Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs)
- 5. Export taxes
