|
Opening Doors to the World
Canada's International Market Access Priorities 2003
|
Glossary of Terms
ACCESSION:
The process of becoming a contracting party to a multilateral agreement. Negotiations with established contracting
parties of the WTO, for example, determine the concessions (trade liberalization) or other specific obligations a
non-member country must undertake before it is entitled to full WTO membership benefits. (Accession)
APPLIED TARIFF:
The rate of duty actually in effect at the border. (Tarif appliqué)
ANTI-DUMPING:
Additional duties imposed by an importing country in instances where imports are priced at less than the "normal"
price charged in the exporter's domestic market and are causing material injury to domestic industry in the importing
country. (Antidumping)
APEC:
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Comprises 21 countries around the Pacific Rim that seek further Asia-Pacific
economic cooperation. Members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, Korea
(Republic of), Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei
(Taiwan), Thailand, United States, Vietnam. (APEC : Coopération économique Asie-Pacifique)
BINDING:
A nation's commitment to maintain a particular tariff level or other legal restriction, i.e. a commitment not to
increase a tariff above a specified level. (Consolidation)
CA-4 (Central America Four):
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Currently in free trade negotiations as a group with Canada.
(Groupe des quatre de l'Amérique Centrale)
CAIRNS GROUP:
A coalition of 18 agricultural exporting countries (Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia,
Costa Rica, Fiji, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Paraguay, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Uruguay)
that develops proposals in the context of multilateral trade negotiations. (Groupe de Cairns)
CANADA–EU ACTION PLAN:
Signed on December 17, 1996, the Action Plan is designed to strengthen Canada–EU relations and consists of four parts:
economic and trade relations, foreign policy and security issues, transnational issues, and fostering links.
(Plan d'action commun Canada-UE)
CCFTA:
Canada–Chile Free Trade Agreement. Implemented July 5, 1997. (ALECC : Accord de libre-échange Canada-Chili)
CIFTA:
Canada–Israel Free Trade Agreement. Implemented January 1, 1997. (ALECI : Accord de libre-échange Canada-Israël)
COUNTERVAILING DUTIES:
Additional duties imposed by the importing country to offset government subsidies in the exporting country, when the
subsidized imports cause material injury to domestic industry in the importing country. (Droits compensateurs)
CUSTOMS VALUATION:
The appraisal of the worth of imported goods by customs officials for the purpose of determining the amount of duty
payable in the importing country. The GATT Customs Valuation Code obliges governments that sign it to use the "transaction value"
of imported goods—or the price actually paid or payable for them—as the principal basis for valuing the goods for
customs purposes. (Évaluation en douane)
DISPUTE SETTLEMENT:
Those institutional provisions in a trade agreement that provide the means for settling differences of view between
the parties. (Règlement des différends)
DOHA DEVELOPMENT ROUND:
A new round of World Trade Organization negotiations, launched at the Ministerial Meeting in Doha, Qatar, in
November 2001. (Programme de Doha pour le développement)
EFTA:
European Free Trade Association. When founded via the Stockholm Convention in May 1960, EFTA had seven members.
Since its founding, the composition has changed as new members joined and others acceded to the EU. Currently, there
are four members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. (AELE : Association européenne de libre-échange)
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT:
The funds committed to a foreign enterprise. The investor may gain partial or total control of the enterprise.
An investor who buys 10% or more of the controlling shares of a foreign enterprise makes a direct investment.
(IED : Investissement étranger direct)
FTA:
Free Trade Agreement. Often refers to the Canada–U.S. Free Trade Agreement that entered into force on January 1, 1989.
(ALE : Accord de libre-échange)
FTAA:
Free Trade Area of the Americas. Proposed agreement between 34 countries of the Western hemisphere to create a free
trade area by 2005, launched in Miami in December 1994. (ZLEA : Zone de libre-échange des Amériques)
GATS:
General Agreement on Trade in Services. The first set of multilaterally agreed and legally enforceable rules and
disciplines ever negotiated to cover international trade in services. (AGCS : Accord général sur le commerce des services)
GATT:
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. From 1947 to 1995, the multilateral institution overseeing the global trading
system, as well as the international agreement governing trade in goods (GATT 1947). As an organization, superseded by
the WTO in January 1995. GATT 1994 (the agreement) has been amended and incorporated into the new WTO agreements and
continues to govern trade in goods. (GATT : Accord général sur les tarifs douaniers et le commerce)
GDP:
Gross Domestic Product. The total value of goods and services produced by a country. (PIB : Produit intérieur brut)
INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK:
A plan for the provision of trade-related technical assistance, including human and institutional capacity building,
for supporting trade and trade-related activities of the least-developed countries, led by the WTO and five multilateral
organizations. (Cadre intégré)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY:
A collective term used to refer to new ideas, inventions, designs, writings, films, etc., and protected by copyright,
patents, trademarks, etc. (Propriété intellectuelle)
ITA:
Information Technology Agreement. A WTO-based agreement with over 50 members that provides for duty-free trade in
information technology and telecommunications products. (ATI : Accord sur la technologie de l'information)
LIBERALIZATION:
Reductions in tariffs and the removal of other measures that restrict world trade, unilaterally, bilaterally or
multilaterally. (Libéralisation)
MFN:
Most-favoured-nation treatment (Article I of the GATT 1994) requiring countries not to discriminate between goods on
the basis of country of origin or destination. (NPF : Traitement de la nation la plus favorisée)
NAFTA:
North American Free Trade Agreement, involving Canada, the United States and Mexico. Implemented January 1, 1994.
(ALENA : Accord de libre-échange nord-américain)
NON-TARIFF BARRIERS (MEASURES):
Government measures or policies other than tariffs that restrict or distort international trade. Examples include
import quotas, discriminatory government procurement practices, and measures to protect intellectual property. Such
measures have become relatively more conspicuous impediments to trade as tariffs have been reduced during the period
since World War II. (Barrières non tarifaires - mesures)
OECD:
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Paris-based organization of industrialized countries responsible
for the study of and cooperation on a broad range of economic, trade, scientific and educational issues. (OCDE :
Organisation de coopération et de développement économique)
QUOTA:
Explicit limit on the physical amounts of particular products that can be imported or exported during a specified time
period, usually measured by volume but sometimes by value. The quota may be applied on a "selective" basis, with varying
limits set according to the country of origin, or on a global basis that specifies only the total limit and thus tends to
benefit more efficient suppliers. (Contingent)
RULES OF ORIGIN:
Laws, regulations and administrative procedures that determine a product's country of origin. A decision by a customs
authority on origin can determine whether a shipment falls within a quota limitation, qualifies for a tariff preference or
is affected by an anti-dumping duty. These rules can vary from country to country. (Règles d'origine)
SMART BORDER DECLARATION:
A 30-point action plan developed by Canada and the United States to manage the Canada–U.S. border. (Déclaration sur
la frontière intelligente)
SUBSIDY:
An economic benefit granted by a government to producers of goods, often to strengthen their competitive position.
The subsidy may be direct (a cash grant) or indirect (e.g. low-interest export credits guaranteed by a government agency).
(Subvention)
TARIFF:
Customs duties on merchandise imports. Levied either on an ad valorem (percentage of value) or on a specific basis
(e.g. $5 per 100 kilograms). Tariffs give price advantage to similar locally produced goods and raise revenues for
government. (Tarif de douanes)
TARIFF RATE QUOTA:
Two-stage tariff. Imports up to the quota level enter at a lower rate of duty; over-quota imports enter at a higher
rate. (Contingent tarifaire)
TRANSPARENCY:
Visibility and clarity of laws and regulations. (Transparence)
URUGUAY ROUND:
Multilateral trade negotiations launched in the context of the GATT at Punta del Este, Uruguay, in September 1986,
and concluded in Geneva in December 1993. Signed by ministers in Marrakesh, Morocco, in April 1994. (Cycle d'Uruguay)
WTO:
World Trade Organization. Established on January 1, 1995, to replace the Secretariat of the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade, it forms the cornerstone of the world trading system. (OMC : Organisation mondiale du commerce)
WTO APPELLATE BODY:
An independent seven-person body that, upon request by one or more parties to the dispute, reviews findings in panel
reports. (Organe d'appel de l'OMC)
ZERO-FOR-ZERO:
Refers to a market access agreement wherein all the participating countries eliminate the same barriers on the same
products; however, it most frequently refers to tariff elimination. A zero-for-zero agreement could include elimination
of non-tariff barriers as well. (Accords zéro-zéro)
|
