Progress has certainly been made on improving
the language in most of the provisions of the draft
consolidated negotiating text and, especially, the
provisions related to publication of and access
to trade-related information, appeal procedures,
penalty disciplines, release and clearance of goods,
authorized operators, freedom of transit and customs
cooperation.
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Far from restricting the negotiations to
the proposals already included in the text, in 2013 the
Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation also included
a few new substantive provisions. These include a
new paragraph on the electronic payment for duties,
taxes, fees and charges collected by customs (article
7, paragraph 2), a new paragraph on release and
clearance of perishable goods (article 7, paragraph 9)
and a separate paragraph on acceptance of copies
(article 10, paragraph 3).