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No notifications submitted by Qatar
Trade policy review
Latest Trade Policy Review (Report by the WTO Secretariat): WT/TPR/S/408/Rev.1
A. Import prohibitions and restrictions and import licensing
3.32.
The Qatari authorities repeatedly stated to the WTO Committee on Import Licensing that Qatar has no import licensing procedures.[65] However, the importation of certain goods is either prohibited or restricted for reasons of security, health, or religion. While the list of prohibited goods is relatively short, covering 27 tariff line items at the HS eight-digit level (Table A3.1), some 1,240 tariff line items are currently identified as restricted (Table A3.2).
3.33.
Import prohibitions are limited to live swine, ivory, nutmeg, narcotic substances, retreaded tyres, and asbestos and goods containing asbestos.[66] The GAC controls the importation of pork products, kola nuts, alcoholic beverages, and food items containing alcohol.[67] Most other imports subject to control fall under the authority of the Ports Health and Food Control Section of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), and sometimes the measures are administered jointly with the Department of Agriculture Affairs and Fisheries of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME). According to the authorities, most of these goods are not imported except as approved by the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers in coordination with the GAC.
3.34.
Qatar is party to certain international environmental conventions, notably the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (since 1996), the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (since 1995), the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (since 2005), the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (since 2005), and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (since 2001), under which trade restrictions may be imposed on goods considered harmful or dangerous, or for environmental protection purposes.
B. Export prohibitions and restrictions
3.41.
Qatar does not have an export licensing system. However, some goods may be subject to controls due to Qatar's participation in international environmental conventions. Exports require the issuance of a certificate of origin from the QCCI in coordination with the MOCI. Exports of scrap iron must be approved by the Qatar Steel Company.[72]
WTO's environmental database (EDB)
The EDB contains environment-related measures that may qualify as QRs and therefore should be notified under the QR Decision.