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From General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade’s coming into force to the beginning of 1994, 8 MTN (Multilateral trade negotiation) have been held, the average tariff of the developed country reduced from 36% to 4 7%, the average tariffs of developing countries and regions dropped to 13% in the same term. The trade between its member states account for more than 90% of world commerce. According to the incomplete statistics, the goods gained tariff reduction in these 8 negotiations alone reach 100,000 kinds. Meanwhile, the total value of world trade has increased by more than 10 times.
First, negotiations about tariff concession
From the 1st round of talks to the 6th round of talks General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade is basically carried on around the concession of tariff. The 1st round of negotiation was held in Geneva of Switzerland in 1947, which opened the beginning of world trade talks. The negotiation of this period lasts until the 6th round “Kennedy’s round” was over, which was held in Geneva of Switzerland from June in 1967 to May in 1964.
(1) MTN (Multilateral trade negotiation) of Geneva
The 1st round of MTN (Multilateral trade negotiation) of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was held in Geneva of Switzerland from October, 1947 to April, 1947.
This negotiation implemented the rules of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade for the first time, made the principle of the tariff concession, and carried on the negotiation about tariff concession. This negotiation realized the concession of tariff of 45000 goods together, and the tariffs of the goods which accounted for 54% was reduced by 35% on average, clearing the way for recovery and development of capitalist economy trade after war.
23 original contracting parties of General Agreement of the tariff took part in this negotiation, and had created General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade formally.
(2) Annecy’s negotiation
The 2nd round of negotiation was held in Fit Nahsi, France during October, 1949 to April, 1949, 33 countries in all have participating in the negotiation. During negotiating, countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Greece, Haiti, Nicaragua, Dominica, Uruguay, Libya,etc. held negotiations on joining General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and finally, 9 countries joined General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The result of this negotiation was that 147 bilateral agreements were reached, more than 5000 items of concession of tariff were increased and the tariff of goods taking 5.6 of tax levy value was reduced by 35% on average.
(3) Torquay’s negotiation
The 3rd round of negotiation was held in Torquay, Britain from September, 1950 to April, 1951, with 39 countries participating in it. This negotiation had 4 more countries join General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Lebanon, Syria and Libya were no longer contracting parties of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Chinese Taiwan authorities withdrew from General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in the name of China illegally.
The negotiating ways were the same as first two, and the negotiation made little progress. 150 agreements of concession of tariff together were reached, involving more than 8700 goods.
(4) Negotiate in Geneva
The 4th round of negotiation was held in Geneva of Switzerland from May of 1956 to January of 1956. Japan entered General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in this talk. Participating countries reduced to 28, concession of tariff that the institute reached only involved volume of trade 2,500 million U.S. dollar, and concession of tariff of more than 3000 goods were reached altogether, reducing the tariff of goods accounting for 16% of import value by 15%.
(5) Dillion Round
The 5th round of negotiation was held in Geneva of Switzerland from July of 1962 to September of 1960, with 45 countries participating in it.
More than 4400 goods concession of tariff were reached, involving volume of trade of 4,900 million US dollars together, reducing tariff of goods accounting for 20% of import value by 20%.
(6) " Kennedy’s round " Negotiation
The 6th round of negotiation was held in Geneva of Switzerland from June of 1967 to May of1964. This is the most extensive, most complicated negotiation in all negotiations that General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was in charge of before 1973, with 54 countries accounting for about 75% of volume of trade in world to participating in it.
"Kennedy’s round " negotiation lasted for more than 3 years, the goods project of concession of tariff listed in the tariffs of various countries respectively ammount to more than 60000. The imported customs tariff of the industrial products was restrained according to the concessionary form, from January 1, 1968, it should reduce by 1/5 every year and be finished in 5 years. By the beginning of 1972, industrial products import customs tariff dropped by 35%, influenced the volume of trade of 40 billion US dollars.
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