THE World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Committee on Trade Facilitation on Thursday adopted a year-long roadmap for the first-ever reviews of the progress made in implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) since it came into force in February, 2017.

Chair of the Committee Mr Christopher O'Toole, following consultations with members, noted the collective desire to conduct a well-grounded review oriented towards identifying positive outcomes as well as aspects for improvement in the implementation of the TFA.

Committee members agreed to a timeline which aims to conclude the review by the end of the year, with the objective of having it completed ahead of the 12th Ministerial Conference which will happen in November, 2021.

"Under the roadmap, members will submit proposals for consideration in the review, which will then be discussed at the margins of the Committee's formal meetings throughout the year," said an official statement.

The current rate of implementation of TFA commitments stood at 69.7 per cent for the entire WTO membership according to the WTO Secretariat. Broken down by level of development, this equates to a 100 per cent rate of implementation by developed members, 70.3 per cent among developing members and 35.9 per cent among least developed countries (LDCs).

The TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. It further contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area.