《亚太贸易协定》英文版.docx

1、亚太贸易协定英文版亚太贸易协定英文版AMENDMENT TO THE FIRST AGREEMENT ON TRADE NEGOTIATIONS AMONG DEVELOPING MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (BANGKOK AGREEMENT) ASIA-PACIFIC TRADE AGREEMENTPREAMBLERECOGNIZING the urgent need to take action to implement a trade expansion

2、programme among the developing member countries of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) pursuant to the decisions contained in the Kabul Declaration of the Council of Ministers on Asian Economic Co-operation and within the framework of the Asian Trade Expansion Program

3、me which was adopted by the Intergovernmental Committee on a Trade Expansion Programme created under the Kabul Declaration;GUIDED by the principles contained in the New Delhi Declaration adopted at the thirty-first session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; REALIZING tha

4、t the expansion of trade could act as a powerful stimulus to the development of their national economies, by expanding investment and production opportunities through benefits to be gained from specialization and economies of scale, thus providing greater opportunities of employment and securing hig

5、her living standards for their populations; MINDFUL of the importance of expanding access on favourable terms for their goods to each others markets and of developing trade arrangements which promote the rational and outward-oriented expansion of production and trade; NOTING that the international c

6、ommunity has fully recognized the importance of encouraging the establishment of preferences among developing countries at the international, regional and subregional levels, particularly through the resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations establishing the International Development

7、 Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade and the Declaration on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order and the Programme of Action for the Establishment of a New International Economic Order; the Concerted Declaration on Trade Expansion, Economic Co-operation and R

8、egional Integration among Developing Countries adopted at UNCTAD II; as well as Part IV of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and Article V of the General Agreement on Trade in Services and decisions made in pursuance thereof; NOTING FURTHER that developing countries have already taken some

9、major decisions intended to promote such type of preferential arrangements among themselves such as the Global System of Trade Preferences;CONVINCED that the establishment of preferences among the developing member countries of ESCAP, complementary to other efforts undertaken in other international

10、forums, could make an important contribution to the development of trade among developing countries; The Governments of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of India, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, the Republic of Korea and the Democratic Socialist Re

11、public of Sri Lanka HAVE AGREED as follows:Chapter I GENERAL PROVISIONSArticle 1Definitions For the purposes of this Agreement, the following definitions shall apply:1) “Participating State” means a State which has consented to be bound by the Agreement by deposition of its instrument of accession o

12、r ratification with the Executive Secretary of ESCAP.2) “Original Participating States” means the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, the Republic of India, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, the Republic of Korea and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.3) “Developing member countries of ES

13、CAP” means those countries included in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the terms of reference of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, including any future amendments thereto.4) “Least developed country” means a country designated as such by the United Nations.5) “Products” means all pr

14、oducts including manufactures and commodities in their raw, semi-processed and processed forms.6) “Like product” is a product which is identical to the product under consideration or, in the absence of such a product, another product which, although not identical, has characteristics closely resembl

15、ing those of the product under consideration.7) “Tariffs” means customs duties included in the national tariff schedules of the Participating States.8) “Border charges and fees” means border charges and fees, other than tariffs, on foreign trade transactions with a tariff-like effect which are levie

16、d solely on imports, but are not indirect taxes and charges which are levied in the same manner on like domestic products. Import charges corresponding to specific services rendered are not considered border charges and fees. 9) “Non-tariff measures” means any measures, regulations or practices, other than tariffs and border charges and fees, the effect of which is to restrict imports or to significantly distort trade.