KHATMANDU: Nepal has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), making it the 108th WTO member to do so.
The TFA will come into force if it is ratified by two more WTO members. According to the Protocol of Amendment adopted by WTO member on November 27, 2104, TFA will come to force once two-thirds of the WTO membership formally ratifies the agreement.
Nepal’s WTO ambassador Deepak Dhital submitted the country’s instrument of acceptance to WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo on Wednesday. The parliament had ratified the TFA last week. Nepal is the 14th least developed country (LDC) to ratify the agreement.
In addition to Nepal, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States of America, Mauritius, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, Botswana, Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Niger, Chinese Taipei, Belize, Switzerland, China, Liechtenstein, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, New Zealand, Togo, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Pakistan, Panama, Guyana, Côte d’Ivoire, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Kenya, Brunei Darussalam, Viet Nam, Myanmar, Norway, Ukraine, Zambia, Georgia, Lesotho, Seychelles, Jamaica, Mali, Cambodia, Paraguay, Turkey, Brazil, Macao, China, the United Arab Emirates, Samoa, India, Russian Federation, Albania, Montenegro, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Madagascar, Republic of Moldova, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Senegal, Uruguay, Kingdom of Bahrain, Bangladesh, Philippines, Iceland, Chile, Swaziland, Dominica, Mongolia, Gabon, Kyrgyz Republic, Canada, Ghana, Mozambique, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Nigeria have ratified the TFA. They all are WTO member countries.