AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NATIONS OF QATAR, DIJIBOUTI, EGYPT, THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN
ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN AGRICULTURE TRADE AREA
PREAMBLE
The Aformentioned Governments,
Desiring to strengthen the bonds of friendship and economic relations and cooperation between them;
Wishing to establish clear and mutually advantageous rules governing their trade;
Aspiring to promote their mutual interest through liberalization and expansion of trade between their countries;
Reaffirming their willingness to strengthen and reinforce the multilateral
trading system as reflected in the World Trade Organization, and to contribute to regional and international cooperation;
Recognizing that each nations economy is still in a state of development and faces special challenges;
Recognizing the objective of sustainable development, and seeking both to protect and preserve the environment and to enhance the means for doing so in a manner consistent with their respective needs and concerns at different levels of economic development;
Recognizing that their relations in the field of trade and economic activity
should be conducted with a view to raising living standards and promoting
economic growth, investment opportunities, development, prosperity, employment and the optimal use of resources in their territories;
Desiring to foster creativity and innovation and promote trade in goods and services that are the subject of intellectual property rights;
Recognizing the need to raise public awareness of the challenges and opportunities offered by trade liberalization;
Wishing to raise the capacity and international competitiveness of their goods and services;
Desiring to promote higher labor standards by building on their respective international commitments and strengthening their cooperation on labor matters; and
Wishing to promote effective enforcement of their respective environmental and labor
law;
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
ARTICLE 1: ESTABLISHMENT OF A FREE TRADE AREA AND RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER AGREEMENTS
1. The Parties to this Agreement, consistent with Article XXIV of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (“GATT 1994”) and Article V of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (“GATS”), hereby establish a trade area in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
2. The Parties reaffirm their respective rights and obligations with respect to each other under existing bilateral and multilateral agreements to which both Parties are party, including the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (“WTO Agreement”).
3. This Agreement shall not be construed to derogate from any international legal obligation between the Parties that entitles a good or service, or the supplier of a good or service, to treatment more favorable than that accorded by this Agreement.
4. Nothing in Article 17 shall be construed to authorize a Party to apply a measure that is inconsistent with the Party’s obligations under the WTO Agreement.
ARTICLE 2: TRADE IN GOODS
1. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, each Party shall progressively lower its customs duties on originating goods of the other Party in accordance with Annex 2.1 and its schedule1 to Annex 2.1.
2. For purposes of this Agreement, originating good means an article described in Annex 2.2.
3. Each Party shall accord national treatment to the goods of the other Party in accordance with Article III of the GATT 1994, including its interpretative notes. To this end, Article III of GATT 1994 and its interpretative notes are incorporated into and made a part of this Agreement, subject to Annex 2.3.
4. A Party may not introduce a new customs duty on imports or a new quantitative restriction on imports in the trade between the Parties, other than as permitted by this Agreement, subject to Annex 2.3.
5. In the event that this Agreement enters into force on a date other than January 1, “year one” for purposes of Annex (TBD) and each Party’s schedule to Annex 2.1 shall mean the period from the date of entry into force of this Agreement through the end of the calendar year, and the duty reductions in each Party’s schedule to Annex (TBD) shall take effect on such date of entry into force. In such event, the term “January 1 of year one” for purposes of Annex (TBD) and each Party’s schedule to Annex (TBD) shall mean the date of entry into force of this Agreement.