Geneva.- Dominican Republic concluded its defense at the World Trade Organization from levies on imports  all tubular weave and polypropylene sacks with a request to the Special Group not to establish a precedent which curtails the rights of Member States within the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), to apply significantly lower tariffs than those already consolidated.

 A joint statement from the Trade Defense Commission and the Industry and Commerce Ministry’s Foreign Trade Agency (DICOEX) said the Dominican delegation argued that for the purpose of plurality on which tariffs are applied, it stressed as the most important one, the guarantee to the viability of a branch of national production, and proposed the recognition of the power not to apply a tariff below the one consolidated, and because it would affect one of the bases of the GATT.

It said for their part the Central American delegation requested that the Special Group state that the measures adopted by Dominican Republic are in their opinion, incompatible with article XIX of the GATT and with the Safeguards agreement.

The joint statement said  the Special Group is expected to presents a preliminary report in October, on its conclusions on the case stemming from Central America’s challenge to Dominican Republic’s consolidated 40% tariff on all their tubular weave and polypropylene sacs, when in their view, should be no higher than 38%.

The hearings were held Tuesday and Wednesday in the WTO offices in Geneva, Switzerland.