Schedules and their changes
Goods Schedules are not static. There have been hundreds of changes since the WTO was established. Most of them consist of amendments to reflect newer versions of the Harmonized System, new concessions resulting from sectoral negotiations, renegotiations of concessions under Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994, and other types of rectifications and modifications.
WTO (1995 - present)
Each WTO Member has its own Schedule of Concessions on goods, which is either annexed to the Marrakesh Protocol to the GATT 1994 or to a Protocol of Accession. Members have also established Schedules through other procedures.
Initial Schedules
Uruguay Round: when the Uruguay Round concluded in 1994, the Goods Schedules of most original WTO Members were annexed to the WTO Agreement through the Marrakesh Protocol to the GATT 1994.
Protocol of Accession: Goods and Services Schedules form part of the “accession package” that embodies the results of negotiations of an acceding government country with WTO Members.
1980 Procedures
The large majority of the changes to goods Schedules take place under the so-called "1980 procedures". Under these procedures all WTO Members have an opportunity to review the proposed changes and to approve them if there are no objections from other Members.
HS Transpositions
Schedules needs to be frequently updated in order to reflect changes in the tariff classification under the Harmonized System, which periodically undergoes amendments. This so-called "transposition" of the goods schedules is required in order to be able to compare Members' obligations with the tariffs that are actually applied by a national customs administration.
Sectoral negotiations
Sector specific negotiations have taken place both under the GATT and the WTO, which in some cases led to an Agreement.
This is the case, for instance, of the "Pharma Agreement", concessions concerning "Spirits" or the "Information Technology Agreement" (ITA), amongst others.
Article XXVIII
Article XXVIII of the GATT allows Members to modify concessions recorded in their Goods Schedules through negotiation and agreement with Members primarily concerned by the proposed modifications.
Other rectifications and modifications
Members can undertake changes to their Goods Schedules due to rectifications and modifications of a technical nature and concessions, for example, in the context of the Agreement of Agriculture.
In some cases Members can present a completely new Full Schedule.
Pre-WTO ( 1947 - 1995 )
Pre-WTO
The Schedules of some Members incorporate by reference concessions pre-dating the Uruguay Round or indicated that the concessions are "without prejudice" to their GATT Schedule. As a result, many of these concessions remain valid under the WTO.