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PROTOCOL

for the accession of Mexico to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

THE GOVERNMENTS WHICH ARE CONTRACTING PARTIES TO THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE (hereinafter referred to as 'Contracting Parties' and 'the General Agreement', respectively),

THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY

and

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED MEXICAN STATES (hereinafter referred to as 'Mecixo'),

TAKING NOTE of Mexico's present status as a developing country, because of which Mexico shall enjoy the special and more favourable treatment which the General Agreement and other provisions deriving therefrom established for developing countries,

HAVING REGARD to the results of the negotiations directed towards the accession of Mexico to the General Agreement,

HAVE through their representatives AGREED as follows:

PART I

General

1. Mexico shall, upon entry into force of this Protocol pursuant to paragraph 9, become a Contracting Party to the General Agreement, as defined in Article XXXII thereof, and shall apply to Contracting Parties provisionally and subject to this Protocol:

(a) Parts I, III and IV of the General Agreement, and

(b) Part II of the General Agreement to the fullest extent not inconsistent with its legislation existing on the date of this Protocol.

The obligations incorporated in Paragraph 1 of Article I by reference to Article III and those incorporated in paragraph 2 (b) of Article II by reference to Article VI of the General Agreement shall be considered as falling within Part II for the purpose of this paragraph.

2. (a) The provisions of the General Agreement to be applied to Contracting Parties by Mexico shall, except as otherwise provided in this Protocol, and in accordance with paragraph 83 of L/6010, be the provisions contained in the text annexed to the Final Act of the second session of the Preparatory Committee of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment, as rectified, amended or otherwise modified by such instruments as may have become effective on the day on which Mexico becomes a Contracting Party.

(b) In each case in which paragraph 6 of Article V, subparagraph 4 (d) of Article VII, and subparagraph 3 (c) of Article X of the General Agreement refer to the date of that Agreement, the applicable date in respect of Mexico shall be the date of this Protocol.

3. Regarding agriculture, the Contracting Parties recognize the priority status which Mexico accords to this sector in its economic and social policies. In this connection, and in order to improve its agricultural production, to maintain the land-tenure system and to protect the income and employment opportunities of the producers of these products, Mexico will continue implementing its programme of gradual replacement of prior import permits by tariff protection to the extent compatible with its objectives in this sector, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 29 of L/6010.

4. The Contracting Parties are aware of Mexico's intention to implement its National Development Plan and its Sectoral and Regional Programmes, as well as to institute the instruments needed for their execution, including those of a fiscal and financial nature, in conformance with the provisions of the General Agreement and in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 35 of L/6010.

5. Mexico will exercise its sovereignty over natural resources, in accordance with the Political Constitution of Mexico. Mexico may maintain certain export restrictions related to the conservation of natural resources, particularly in the energy sector, on the basis of its social and development needs if those export restrictions are made effective in conjunction with restrictions on domestic production or consumption. PART II

Schedule

6. The schedule in the Annex shall, upon the entry into force of this Protocol, become a Schedule to the General Agreement relating to Mexico.

7. (a) In each case in which paragraph 1 of Article II of the General Agreement refers to the date of that Agreement, the applicable date in respect of each product which is the subject of a concession provided for in the Schedule annexed to this Protocol shall be the date of this Protocol.

(b) For the purpose of the reference in paragraph 6(a) of Article II of the General Agreement to the date of that Agreement, the applicable date in respect of the Schedule annexed to this Protocol shall be the date of this Protocol.

PART III

Final provisions

8. This Protocol shall be deposited with the Director-General to the Contracting Parties. It shall be open for signature by Mexico until 31 December 1986. It shall also be open for signature by Contracting Parties and by the European Economic Community.

9. This Protocol shall enter into force on the 30th day following the day upon which it shall have been signed by Mexico.

10. Mexico, having become a Contracting Party to the General Agreement pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Protocol, may accede to the General Agreement upon the applicable terms of this Protocol by deposit of an instrument of accession with the Director-General. Such accession shall take effect on the day on which the General Agreement enters into force pursuant to Article XXVI or on the 30th day following the day of the deposit of the instrument of accession, whichever is the later. Accession to the General Agreement pursuant to this paragraph shall, for the purposes of paragraph 2 of Article XXXII of that Agreement, be regarded as acceptance of the Agreement pursuant to paragraph 4 of Article XXVI thereof.

11. Mexico may withdraw its provisional application of the General Agreement prior to its accession thereto pursuant to paragraph 10 and such withdrawal shall take effect on the 60th day following the day on which written notice thereof is received by the Director-General.

12. The Director-General shall promptly furnish a certified copy of this protocol and a notification of each signature thereto, pursuant to paragraph 8, to each Contracting Party, to the European Economic Community, to Mexico and to each government which shall have acceded provisionally to the General Agreement.

13. This Protocol shall be registered in accordance with the provisions of Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.

14. Done at Geneva this seventeenth day of July one thousand nine hundred and eighty six, in a single copy, in the English, French and Spanish languages, except as otherwise specified with respect to the Schedule annexed hereto, each text being authentic.

ANNEX

SCHEDULE LXXVII

MEXICO

(The schedule may be consulted at the GATT Secretariat in Geneva)