GATT/1604 6 January 1994

PARAGUAY BECOMES 115th MEMBER OF GATT

Paraguay becomes the 115th member of GATT today (6 January), 30 days after the GATT Secretariat received formal confirmation that the country's Protocol of Accession had been ratified by Paraguay's Congress. The terns of the Protocol were negotiated in a working party whose report was adopted by the GATT Council on 16 June 1993. The Protocol was formally signed by H.E. Mr. Luis Gonzalez Arias, Ambassador of Paraguay, on 1 July 1993. Ambassador Gonzalez emphasized that his country's accession would be the culmination of an extended process that had gained impetus since 1989. Since that time, Paraguay had introduced major reforms aimed at liberalizing its economy, in particular the foreign trade sector. For example, exchange rate policies had been modified so as to permit the free movement of the exchange rate, tariff rates had been substantially reduced, and the Harmonized System had been adopted. Furthermore, the tax system had been restructured. He also drew attention to Paraguay's participation in the Uruguay Round, in the course of which it had submitted market access proposals for both goods and services.

NOTES TO EDITORS 1. In 1991, Paraguay's total merchandise exports and imports amounted to US$1.1 billion and US$1.7 billion respectively. Its main exports are cotton and soya, with its principle markets being Brazil, the Netherlands and Argentina. Its major imports are machinery, vehicles and spare parts, fuel and lubricants, and alcoholic beverages and tobacco. Its main sources of imports are Brazil, Argentina and the United States. 2. Currently, there are 19 countries and territories for which accession working parties have been established: Albania, Algeria, Arnienia, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Ecuador, Honduras, Latvia, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Panama, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Chinese Taipei and Ukraine.

94-0004 MORE GATT/1604 GATT MEMBERSWP Page 2/3 (Dates indicate accession) Contracting parties to the GATT (115) Antigua and Barbuda 30 March 1987 Macau lI January 1991 Argentina 11 October 1967 Madagascar 30 September 1963 Australia 1 January 1948 Malawi 28 August 1964 Austria 19 October 1951 Malaysia 24 October 1957 Bahrain 13 December 1993 Maldives 19 April 1983 Bangladesh 16 December 1972 Malil 1 January 1993 Barbados 15 February 1967 Malta 17 November 1964 Belgium i. January 1948 Mauritania 30 September 1963 Belize 7 October 1983 Mauritius 2 September 1970 Benin 12 September 1963 Mexico 24 August 1986 Bolivia 8 September 1990 Morocco 17 June 1987 Botswana 28 August 1987 Mozambique 27 July 1992 Brazil 30 July 1948 Myanmar 29 July 1948 Brunei 9 December 1993 Namibia 15 September 1992 Burkina Faso 3 May 1963 Netherlands 1 Ja-iuary 1948 Burundi 13 March 1965 New Zealand 30 July 1948 Cameroon 3 May 1963 Nicaragua 28 May 1950 Canada 1 January 1948 Niger 31 December 1963 Central African Rep. 3 May 1963 Nigeria 18 November 1960 Chad 12 July 1963 Norway 10 July 1948 Chile 16 March 1949 Pakistan 30 July 1948 Colombia 3 October 1981 Paraguay 6 January 1993 Congo 3 May 1963 Peru 7 October 1951 Costa Rica 24 November 1990 Philippines 27 December 1979 Côte d'Ivoire 31 December 1963 Poland 18 October 1967 Cuba 1. January 1948 Portugal 6 May 1962 Cyprus 15 July 1963 Romania 14 November 1971 Czech Republic 15 April 1993 Rwanda 1 January 1966 Denmark 28 May 1950 Saint Lucia 20 April 1993 Dominica 13 April 1993 St. Vincent & Dominican Republic 19May 1950 Grenadines 18 May 1993 9 May 1970 Senegal 27 September 1963 El Salvador 22 May 1991 Sierra Fiji 16 November 1993 Leone 19 May 1961 Finland 25 May 1950 Singapore 20 August 1973 France 1 January 1948 Slovak Republic 15 April 1993 Gabon 3 May i963 South Africa 13 June 1948 Gambia 22 February 1965 Spain 29 August 1963 Germany 1 October 1951 Sri Lanka 29 July 1948 Ghana 17 October 1957 Suriname 22 March 1978 Greece 1 March 1950 Swaziland 8 February 1993 Guatemala 10 October 1991 Sweden 30 April 1950 Guyana 5 July 1966 Switzerland 1 August 1966 Haiti 1 January 1950 Tanzania 9 December 1961 Hong Kong 23 April 1986 Thailand 20 November 1982 Hungary 9 September 1973 Togo 20 March 1964 Iceland 21 April 1968 Trinidad and Tobago 23 October 1962 India 8 July 1948 Tunisia 19 August 1990 Indonesia 24 February 1950 Turkey 17 October 1951 Ireland 22 December 1967 Uganda 23 October 1962 Israel 5 July 1962 United Kingdom 1 January 1948 Italy 30 May 1950 USA 1 January 1948 Jamaica 31 December 1963 Uruguay 6 December 1953 Japan 10 September 1955 Venezuela 31 August 1990 Kenya 5 February 1964 Yugoslavia 25 August 1966 Korea, Rep. of 14 April I967 Zaire 11 September 1971 Kuwait 3 May 1963 Zambia 10 February 1.982 Lesotho 8 January 1988 Zimbabwe 11 July 1948 Luxembourg 1 January 1948 END 14%