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2021 | OriginalPaper | Buchkapitel

3. Current State of the Afghan Foreign Trade Legal Regime

verfasst von : Suhailah Akbari

Erschienen in: The WTO Transit Regime for Landlocked Countries and its Impacts on Members’ Regional Transit Agreements

Verlag: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

This chapter offers a descriptive analysis of the current state of the general pillars of Afghanistan’s foreign trade legal regime since the post-Taliban era. Section 3.1 provides a brief review of the Afghan economy and foreign trade development since the fall of the Taliban in the end of 2001. Section 3.2 focuses on laws and regulations governing the foreign trade of goods, mainly in the areas of export-import, customs procedure and other customs regulatory measures such as standards and technical regulations, sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS), rules of origin (RoO) and anti-dumping and countervailing measures. Section 3.3 examines laws and regulations governing foreign trade in services, primarily in areas of foreign investment, competition and State enterprise ownership (SEOs). Section 3.4 describes Afghanistan’s commercial dispute settlement regime. Section 3.5 describes Afghanistan’s route into international trade. Section 3.6 concludes the chapter.

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Vorheriges Kapitel Freedom of Transit of Landlocked Countries in Light of International Multilateral Agreements

Nächstes Kapitel Afghanistan’s Transit Regime

The reason that this period is chosen for this study is because it was after the fall of the Taliban regime that Afghanistan experienced a democratically elected Government, a liberal market based economy and speedy integration with regional and international economies. Since there is little legal literature on Afghanistan’s foreign trade regime for the chosen period, the study has relied mostly on official reports and governmental data. Such reports and data could be problematic due to statistical discrepancies.

Aldosari (2007), p. 341.

WBG, Doing Business 2019: Economy Profile 2019: Afghanistan (16th edn., October 2018); WBG, Doing Business 2018: Economy Profile 2018: Afghanistan (15th edn., April 2018).

Ibid.; see also IMF, World Economic Outlook (January 2017). Between 2009 and 2013, the WB ranked Afghanistan 164 out of 189 economies in ease of doing business. WBG, Doing Business Economy Profile 2014: Afghanistan (11th edn., 2014).

See The Government of Afghanistan, Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework 2017–2021 (ANDPF), (2016), 6, http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/afg148215.pdf; MoIC, Afghanistan National Export Strategy 2018–2022 (2018), 9 [hereinafter NES 2018–2022]; see also WTO, Afghanistan Trade Profile: 2015–2017, https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/countries_e/afghanistan_e.htm; WB, Afghanistan Development Update (August 2018), 38.

ANPDF (note 5), 6; NES 2018–2022 (note 5), 9; see also WB, Afghanistan Development Update (2018), (note 5), 15.

For example, according to the IMF, Afghanistan GDP per capita stood at 726 USD in 2015 and 576.3 USD with total GDP of 19.3 billion USD in 2017. IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2014); IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2016). Similarly, according to the WB, Afghanistan’s GDP stood at 20.4 billion USD in 2015. WB, Afghanistan Economic Update (April 2015). Moreover, the 2018 Report by the IMF suggests that Afghanistan’s GDP had an average 2.5% growth in 2018. The GDP growth was expected to raise to an average 3.6% in 2019, making it from 21.7 billion USD in 2018 to 22.9 billion USD in 2019. IMF, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, IMF Country Report, No. 18/127 (May 2018).

IMF (May 2018), (note 7), 11, 20, 40–43.

Ibid., 1–6; NES 2018–2022 (note 5), 9; see also MoIC, Afghanistan National Trade Policy 2018–2023 (2018), 4; MoIC, Afghanistan 2009–2013 Trade Review (2014), 22; WB, Afghanistan Economic Update (April 2015), 5–6.

Dowdy and Erdmann (2013), pp. 261–281; see also Goodhand (2004), pp. 155–160.

Eltizam (1996), pp. 95–103.

Maxwell (1974), ch. 3.

Afghanistan Business Law Handbook (2013), pp. 29–30.

After the fall of the Taliban in late November 2001, the international community held a conference comprising international allies and prominent Afghan leaders in Bonn, Germany to discuss establishing a new democratic government for Afghanistan. In the conference, international allies signed the Bonn Agreement under which they pledged to provide financial, technical and legal supports to Afghanistan. Although the Bon Agreement does not contain any explicit provision on free market economic system, it has a provision on the adoption of necessary legislations and law reforms based on the needs of the modern economy, which can be implied for market economic system. For the Text of the Bonn Agreement see http://www.afghanistanembassy.no/afghanistan/government/core-state-documents/bonn-agreement.

Art. 10 Qanuni Assassi Jumhuri’i Isla’mai Afghanistan [The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan] 1382 (2004).

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Afghanistan National Development Strategy 2008–2013 (ANDS), vol. V (2007), https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/acc_e/afg_e/WTACCAFG18_CD_1.pdf.

Ibid., 73–76.

Ibid.; see also ibid., 143.

See MoIC Website, http://moci.gov.af/fa/page/7565.

See generally ANDPF (note 16); for a comprehensive review of the ANPDF see The United Nations in Afghanistan, One UN for Afghanistan (Mar. 27, 2018).

See NES 2018–2022 (note 5).

See ANDPF (note 5), 18.

See Afghanistan 2009–2013 Trade Review, (note 9), 22; see also Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock of Afghanistan (MAIL), Comprehensive Agriculture Development Priority Program 2016–2020 (August 2016), 6–7; WB, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Agricultural Sector Review: Revitalizing Agriculture for Economic Growth, Job Creation and Good Security, Report No. AUS9779 (June 2014), 5–10.

See Afghanistan National Trade Policy 2018–2023 (note 9).

Working Party on the Accession of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Report on Accession of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan—Derestriction of Documents, WT/ACC/AFG/38. WT/MIN (15)/6 (Nov. 13, 2015), para 256 [hereinafter Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan].

Afghanistan 2009–2013 Trade Review (note 9), 23 & 28.

Ibid.

Lara Jakes, U.S. Cuts $100 Million in Aids to Afghanistan, Citing Government Corruption, The New York Times (Sept. 19, 2019), https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/world/asia/us-afghanistan-aid.html.

Radio Azadi (Radio Liberty), Abdullah and Nabil Should be Held Accountable, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vztEU5cUEsE (Mins 22–23:20).

IMF, Emergency Customs Modernization and Trade Facilitation Project (November 2003); see also United States Department of Commerce, Doing Business in Afghanistan: 2011 Country Commercial Guide for US Companies (2011), 2.

WTO, Afghanistan Trade Profile: 2015–2017, https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/countries_e/afghanistan_e.htm.

Afghanistan 2009–2013 Trade Review (note 9), 23; Afghanistan National Trade Policy 2018–2023 (note 9), 4; IMF (May 2018), (note 7), 18.

Afghanistan National Trade Policy 2018–2023 (note 9), 4; NES 2018–2022 (note 5), 9.

NES 2018–2022 (note 5), 9.

See Afghanistan 2009–2013 Trade Review (note 9), 6 & 23; see also MoIC, Report of Imports and Exports 2014–2017, http://moci.gov.af/Content/files/Afghanistan%20Trade%20Statistics%20(2014-2017).pdf.

For instance, a 2013 report by the USAID shows an increase from 5.7 billion USD to 7.6 billion USD in trade volume between 2009 and 2013. USAID, Trade and Accession Facilitation for Afghanistan, Final Report (August 2013). Similarly, a 2018 report by the IMF shows an average 7% increase in exports between 2015 and 2018. IMF (May 2018), (note 7).

Afghanistan 2009–2013 Trade Review (note 9), 29.

Ibid., 28–40; see also WB, The Overall Exports and Imports for Afghanistan in 2014, http://wits.worldbank.org/CountrySnapshot/en/AFG/textview; WB, Afghanistan Development Update (2018), 19; for literature review see Parto et al. (2012), p. 15.

See for example Afghanistan 2009–2013 Trade Review (note 9), 39; WB, Afghanistan Development Update (2018), (note 40), 20.

See generally WB, Emergency Custom Modernization and Trade Facilitation (November 2003).

See ibid.

See Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan (MoF), Afghanistan Customs Department (ACD), Annual Progress Report 2016 (2016), 54–55; WB, Afghanistan Second Customs Reform and Trade Facilitation Project: Restructuring, Report No. RES30675 (Dec. 18, 2017).

USAID, Trade and Accession Facilitation for Afghanistan (TAFA), Final Report (August 2013); see also ACD, Annual Progress Report 2016 (note 44), 51–53; USAID, Response to the Inquiry Letter on Afghan Customs Revenue, USAID Memorandum (Mar. 19, 2015).

See for example TAFA (note 45).

See MoF Website, http://mof.gov.af/en/page/421; see also WB, Afghanistan-Second Customs Reform and Trade Facilitation Project (note 44), 4; see also Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), Analysis of TAFA Final Report (April 2014), 16–18; UNECE, Strengthening Regional Cooperation in Central Asia: A contribution to long-term stability and sustainable development of Afghanistan (SPECA Economic Forum (2010).

ACD, Five Year Strategic Plan 2014–2018 (2014), 32; see also SIGAR (note 47).

ACD, Five Year Strategic (note 48), 36–37.

See WB, Afghanistan-Second Customs Reform and Trade Facilitation Project (note 44), 4.

ACD, Five Year Strategic (note 48), 49.

See ACD, Annual Progress Report 2016 (note 44), 30.

Ibid.

Ibid., 28–53; see also ACD, Five Year Strategic (note 48), 32–52.

Ibid.; see also SIGAR (note 47), 2.

WB, Second Customs Reform and Trade Facilitation Project: Project Information Document: Appraisal Stage, Report No. AB5364 (Apr. 14, 2010), para. 5.

ACD, Five Year Strategic (note 48), 48; SIGAR (note 47), 2.

ACD, Annual Review on Revenue and Trade (2016), 6–7.

The ACD which falls within the authority of Ministry of Finance, is the responsible body for the overall legal, administrative and technical activities in customs. Its main responsibilities, inter alia, include monitoring the overall border activities concerning imports and exports, collecting customs tariffs and other relevant duties and charges, processing customs valuation and administering customs administrative dispute settlement including administrative appeals. Parallel with the ACD, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) was established to represent the private sector and undertakes duties and responsibilities concerning tariff classification, customs valuation, registration of business invoices and issuance of customs documents such as certificate of origin and certificate of value. ACCI Website, http://www.acci.org.af/about-us/about-acci.html.

See Afghanistan Customs Tariffs Handbook: Strategic and Practical Information, vol. 20 (International Business Publications, DC., 2016).

The ACD has been ranked one of the top three corrupt financial institutions in the country. See WB, Eliminating Customs of Corruption: New Approaches in Cameroon & Afghanistan (2012); see also SIGAR, (note 47), 2.

For comparison, see for example Qanuni-i Gumrukat’i Afghanistan (Afghanistan’s Customs Law) 1321(1982); Qanuni-i Gumrukat’i Afghanistan (Afghanistan’s Customs Law) 1384 (2005).

Afghanistan adopted a Single Administrative Document (SAD) that aimed at harmonizing codification and simplification of customs procedures. See for example ACD, Annual Progress Report 2016 (note 44); see also ACD, Five Year Strategic (note 48).

USAID, Doing Business in Afghanistan (2014), 4–6; MoIC, An Inventory to Exporting Goods from Afghanistan (2013); In-person Interview with Mir Saeed Saeedy, Director General, International Trade Directorate, MoIC (Oct. 2–4, 2018); see also Parto et al. (2012), p. 15.

Arts. 15, 31, 38 Afghanistan’s Customs Law of 2005 [hereinafter 2005 Afghanistan Customs Law]; see also Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), 89.

Afghanistan Regulation on Production and Importation of Medicine and Medical Equipment of 2017.

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), 89.

Afghanistan National Trade Policy 2018–2023 (note 9), 45.

Ibid.

See MoIC Website, http://customs.mof.gov.af/Content/files/OSS%20One%20Pager%20English.pdf.

Art. 9 Afghanistan Regulation on Determining Price of Goods in Customs of 2009 [hereinafter Regulation on Determining Price of Goods in Customs]; see also ACD, Customs Valuation, http://customs.mof.gov.af/en/page/1034/customs-valuation.

Afghanistan Regulation on Customs Valuation of 2006, Ministerial Regulation No. 38 [hereinafter Regulation on Customs Valuation]; see also MoIC, An Inventory to Exporting Goods from Afghanistan (note 64), 13.

Arts. 23, 24, 2005 Customs Law; Arts. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 Regulation on Determining Price of Goods in Customs.

Ibid.

Arts. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 Regulation on Determining Price of Goods in Customs.

Qanuni-i Gumrukat’i Afghanistan (Afghanistan Customs Law) 1395 (2016); ACD, Schedule of Tariffs (2014), www.customs.mof.gov.af; Presidential Decree, No. 28/Jan. 2010; Ministerial Cabinet Act, No. 1/Mar. 2011.

See Ministerial Cabinet Act (note 76).

Telephone Interview with Mir Saeed Saeedy (note 64), (Mar. 12, 2019).

Ibid.; see also Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), para. 28.

Art. 53 2016 Afghanistan Customs Law.

See generally 2004 Afghanistan Law on Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage; see also MoIC, An Inventory to Exporting Goods from Afghanistan (note 64), 8–9.

MoIC, An Inventory to Exporting Goods from Afghanistan (note 64), 8–9.

Schedule of Tariffs (note 76). Prior to the 2014 Tariffs schedule, Afghanistan introduced its first post-Taliban tariff schedule in 2012 and was designed in a way to be in line with tariffs schedule of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA). SAFTA requires member States to lower their tariffs rate to 0–5% from their existing tariffs line within a transitional period. Although Afghanistan received a transitional period until 2021 for a final reduction of its tariffs rates, the Afghan government brought its tariffs rates in line with SAFTA tariffs rates in 2012. See ACD, Schedule of Tariffs (2012); for information about SAFTA tariffs rates see SAARC Website, www.saarc.gov.org.

Harmonized System (HS) is a unified system of tariffs coding and classification adopted under the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding and Classification System of the World Customs Organization (WCO). WTO members and members of other international organizations apply the HS as coding method for their tariffs schedules.

Schedule of Tariffs (note 76); Afghanistan 2009–2013 Trade Review (note 9), 8–9; see also Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), 22.

See WTO Secretariat, Overview of Afghanistan’s Commitments to the WTO (2018), https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news15_e/afgancommitmentsmc10_e.pdf.

The fixed tax on imports with a trade license is 2% and for imports without a trade license is 3%. Arts. 69, 70 Qanuni-i Maliat bar Aáidat’i Afghanistan (Afghanistan Income Tax Law) 1388 (2009).

Previously the BRT was 2%. In order to increase domestic revenue, the government increased the BRT to 4% in 2015.

Arts. 64, 66 Afghanistan Income Tax Law; see also generally MoF, Afghanistan Revenue Department, Business Receipt Tax (BRT) Guide 03 (2012).

Art. 64 (3) & (4) Afghanistan Income Tax Law.

See Overview of Afghanistan’s Commitments to the WTO (note 87). The WTO agreements do not contain an explicit provision on VAT nor do they define the term. However, the OECD defines VAT as “[g]oods and services Tax”. In other words, VAT is a tax on consumption paid. OECD, OECD International VAT/GST Guidelines: Guidelines on Neutrality 3 (OECD, Center for Tax Policy and Administration, June 2011).

Article 2(1) of Afghanistan Law on Value Added Tax defines the VAT as an indirect tax levied on the supply of goods, services and taxable imports. Qanuni-i Maliat bar Arzush-i Afzooda’i Afghanistan (Afghanistan Law on Value Added Tax) 1395 (2016) [hereinafter Afghanistan VAT Law].

See for example Art. 33 Afghanistan VAT Law.

Art. 4 (2) Afghanistan VAT Law.

Chp. 11 Afghanistan Income Tax Law; see also Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), paras. 94–100.

Art. 27 2016 Afghanistan Customs Law.

WTO, Committee on Agriculture, Export Subsidy: Afghanistan, G/AG/N/AFG/2, Notification Doc No. 16-4244 (Aug. 8, 2016) [hereinafter WTO, Export Subsidy: Afghanistan].

MoIC, Exports Tariffs List of Goods (December 2012); see also WB, Afghanistan Development Update (2018), (note 40), 18.

Overview of Afghanistan’s Commitments to the WTO (note 87).

100

In person Interview with Mir Saeed Saeedy (note 64).

101

WTO, Export Subsidy: Afghanistan (note 98); see also Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan, Domestic Support and Export Subsidies in the Agricultural Sector, WT/ACC/SPEC/AFG/2 (Oct. 29, 2012).

102

See Afghanistan Central Business Registry Website, http://www.acbr.gov.af/index.html.

103

In Afghanistan, to start any business, besides other official registrations, a person needs to obtain a verification certificate from security bodies verifying that the person does not carry criminal background.

104

Afghanistan National Trade Policy 2018–2023 (note 9), 45.

105

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), 28.

106

WTO, Glossary of Terms.

107

See Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), paras. 122–129.

108

See ibid.; see also MoF, Procedures on Advance Ruling on Binding Decisions (August 2017). For WTO provisions on advance rulings on origin see Art. 3(b) & Annex 2, para 3(d) WTO, Agreement on Rules of Origin, 1868 U.N.T.C. 397.

109

Art. 17 2016 Afghanistan Customs Law.

110

Ibid., Art. 56 (a).

111

Annex 1, para 2 WTO, Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, 1868 U.N.T.S. 120.

112

Ibid., Annex 1, para 1.

113

According to ISO, a standard is “a document that provides the requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for purpose.” International Standard Organization (ISO), http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards.htm. The Standards and Technical Regulations Law of Afghanistan provides a similar definition. Art. 3 (2) Qanuni-i Standard wa Muqararat’i Takhnik’i (Afghanistan Law on Standards and Technical Regulations) 1396 (2017), [hereinafter Afghanistan Law on Standards and Technical Regulations].

114

Art. 14 Qanuni-i Mili’i Standard’i Afghanistan (Afghanistan National Standard Law) 1392 (2013).

115

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministerial Council Resolution, No. 20 (September 2007).

116

Art. 5 Afghanistan Law on Standards and Technical Regulations.

117

Ibid., Arts. 6, 7, 10, 24, 27.

118

Ibid., Art. 37.

119

MoIC, Afghanistan National Standards Authority (ANSA), Standards Adopted by the Afghan National Standards Authority (December 2012), http://moci.gov.af/Content/files/ANSA%20standards%20EN.pdf.

120

Articles 9 and 13 of the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations recognize international standards and guides for adopting and applying technical regulations and conformity assessment.

121

Ibid., Arts. 5(2), 13, 14(2).

122

Ibid., Art 11.

123

Ibid., Art 22.

124

Ibid., Arts 11, 12, 13.

125

Ibid. Art. 4.

126

Ibid. Art. 9.

127

Ibid. Arts. 7, 9, 13, 14(1)(2).

128

Ibid. Arts. 11, 14.

129

Ibid. Arts. 11, 13.

130

WTO, Glossary of Terms.

131

Qanuni-i Hefazat’i Nabatat wa Qaranti’i Afghanistan (Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine of Afghanistan) (1395) (2016) [hereinafter Afghanistan Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine]; Qanuni-i Amni’a t’i Ghazai’i of Afghanistan (Law on Food Safety of Afghanistan) (1395) (2016) [hereinafter Afghanistan Food Safety Law].

132

Biotechnology is a specific technology that ensures the safety of those food products such as agricultural products and animal products that their production process is escalated by biological scientific methods such as genetic changes. In broad sense, biotechnology refers to “the use of living systems to develop products” such as improving “selected attributes of microbes, plants, or animals for human use by making precise genetic changes that were not possible with traditional methods.” Kevin Keener & Thomas Hoban, Biotechnology: Answers to Common Questions, vol. 1, North Carolina State University, Department of Food Science, https://fbns.ncsu.edu//extension_program/documents/biotech_QA.pdf; see also Hoban et al. (2002), pp. 1384–1385.

133

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), 44.

134

See for example Law Art. 18 Afghanistan Food Safety Law; Art. 16(1) Afghanistan Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine; see also Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (NOTE 25), paras. 172–183; for Afghanistan’s membership to the Codex Alimentarius, OIE and IPPC consult their official websites, http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/about-codex/members/en/; http://www.oie.int/; https://www.ippc.int/en/countries/all/list-countries/.

135

Art. 20 Afghanistan Food Safety Law; Art. 16(3) Afghanistan Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine.

136

See for example Law Art. 21 Afghanistan Food Safety Law; Arts. 38, 40 Afghanistan Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine.

137

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), paras. 175–177.

138

Ibid.

139

Art. 31 Afghanistan Food Safety Law; Art. 12(5) Afghanistan Law on Plan Protection and Quarantine.

140

See for example Law Art. 4 Afghanistan Food Safety Law.

141

See for example ibid., Arts. 19, 31; Arts. 16, 12(5) Afghanistan Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine.

142

Art. 31 Afghanistan Food Safety Law; Art. 12(5) Afghanistan Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine.

143

WTO, Glossary of Terms.

144

Ibid.

145

Ibid.; Art. 2(1) WTO Agreement on Anti-Dumping Measures.

146

WTO, Glossary of Terms.

147

Art. 2 Qanuni-i Hemayat az Mostahlik’i Afghanistan (Law on Consumer Protection of Afghanistan) (1395) (2016).

148

See WTO, Committee on Anti-Dumping Practices, notifications under Articles 16.4 and 16.5—Afghanistan, G/ADP/N/193/AFG/1 (June 6, 2018).

149

Overview of Afghanistan’s Commitments to the WTO (note 87). Afghanistan has committed to notify the WTO on the status of its ongoing activities in this regard. In June 2018, Afghanistan notified to the WTO that it did still not have any relevant law. See WTO, Committee on Anti-Dumping Practices—Afghanistan (note 149).

150

Qanuni-i Tijarat’i Khariji’i Kala’i Afghanistan (Law on Foreign Trade in Goods of Afghanistan) 1395 (2016) [hereinafter Afghanistan Law on Foreign Trade in Goods].

151

Arts. 2(3), 21, 45 Qanuni-i Hemayat az Sana’ai Dakhli’i Afghanistan (Law on Safeguards Measures on Domestic Production of Afghanistan) (1396) (2017) [hereinafter Law on Safeguards Measures on Domestic Production].

152

Arts. 27, 28 Law on Safeguards Measures on Domestic Production.

153

Ibid.

154

Ibid.

155

WTO, Glossary of Terms.

156

Ibid.

157

See WTO, Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, Notification of Laws and Regulations under Article 32.6 of the relevant Agreement—Afghanistan; G/SCM/N/1/AFG/1 (June 4, 2018); see also Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, Notification under articles 25.11 and 25.12 of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures—Afghanistan, G/SCM/N/202/AFG (June 11, 2018).

158

MoIC, Draft Law on Anti-Subsidy Measures for Domestic Industries of Afghanistan (2019).

159

Ibid., Art. 61.

160

Ibid., Arts. 14, 15, 16.

Ibid., Art. 20.

Ibid., Arts. 20–22.

Ibid., Arts. 20–25.

Ibid., Arts. 53, 57.

Ibid.

The draft law provides for a Trade Defense Authority to be established within the MoIC and carry out activities related to investigation of subsidy and adoption, revision, extension, suspension, and removal of countervailing measures.

167

Ibid., Art. 65.

168

Ibid., Arts. 103, 104.

169

Art. 16 Afghanistan Private Investment Law (amended 2012).

170

Ibid., Art. 43.

171

See for example WB, Investment Climate in Afghanistan (2014).

172

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan, Initial Offer on Specific Commitments in Services, WT/ACC/SPEC/AFG/1 (June 13, 2012), 2; Overview of Afghanistan’s Commitments to the WTO (note 86), 2.

173

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), 8–13.

174

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan, Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime, WT/ACC/4 (2009), 39.

175

Qanuni-i Ma’adin’i Afghanistan (Afghanistan Mining and Hydrocarbon Law) (1393) (2014).

176

Art. 7 Qanuni-i Tadarikat’i Afghanistan (Afghanistan Procurement Law) (1395) (2016); Art. 98 Qanuni-i Mineral’i Afghanistan (Afghanistan Mineral Law) (1393) (2014); see also Afghanistan Overview of Commitments to the WTO (note 87), 1; Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), paras. 279, 280, 283.

177

Art. 7 Afghanistan Procurement Law; Art. 98 Afghanistan Mineral Law; see also Overview of Afghanistan’s Commitments to the WTO (note 86), 1; Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), paras. 279, 280, 283.

178

Ch.3 Afghanistan Private Investment Law; for more information see also ASIA Website, http://www.aisa.org.af/en; MoIC Business Licensing Directorate, http://moci.gov.af/en/page/6926.

179

Overview of Afghanistan’s Commitments to the WTO (note 86), 1.

180

Ibid.; see also Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan, Initial Offer on Specific Commitments in Services (note 173), 2.

181

Arts. 8, 9 Afghanistan Private Investment Law.

182

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan, Initial Offer on Specific Commitments in Services (note 172), 2.

183

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), 9.

184

Arts. 6, 7 Afghanistan Private Investment Law.

185

Afghanistan National Trade Policy 2018–2023 (note 9), 26.

186

Art. 20 Afghanistan Private Investment Law.

187

See Qanuni-i Istikhda’mi Atba’i Khariji Afghansitan (Afghanistan Law on Foreigners Employment) (1394) (2005); see also Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), 60.

188

Ibid.

189

Art. 3(9) Qanuni-i Hemayat az Riqabat’i Afghanistan (Afghanistan Law on Supporting Competition) (1389) (2010).

190

Ibid., Arts. 18, 19.

191

Ibid., Art. 20. The old version of the provision does not specify the activity prevention period, while the amended version determines it 90 years. See Official Gazette of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Addition to, Amendment and Omission of some Articles of Law on supporting Competition, 1259 (2017), Art 1.

192

Art. 4 Afghanistan Law on Supporting Competition.

193

Ibid., Arts. 14–17.

194

Ibid., Arts. 21, 24.

195

MoF, Privatization Policy (2004).

196

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), 13; see also IMF (May 2018), (note 8), 8–10; WB, Investment Climate in Afghanistan (2003), 113.

197

IMF (May 2018), (note 8), 10.

198

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), paras. 42, 45.

199

See generally Qanuni-i Sherkat ha’i Dawlati’i Afghanistan (Afghanistan State-Owned Enterprises Law) (1334) (1955), amended 2005 [hereinafter Afghanistan SOEs Law].

200

Ibid.

201

Arts. 45, 46 2016 Afghanistan Customs Law.

202

Arts. 14, 56(1) Qanuni-I Hakami’at Tijarati’i Afghanistan (Afghanistan Commercial Arbitration Law) (1386) (2007).

203

See for example ibid., Arts. 35, 43.

204

Art. 46, 2016 Afghanistan Customs Law.

205

For ICSID member States see https://icsid.worldbank.org/apps/ICSIDWEB/icsiddocs/Pages/List-of-Member-States.aspx; for New York Convention see http://www.newyorkconvention.org/countries.

206

Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (New York Convention), June 10, 1958, 330 U.N.T.S. 38. Afghanistan acceded to the New York Convention in 2005, https://treaties.un.org/Pages/showDetails.aspx?objid=080000028002a36b.

207

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), paras. 60–64.

208

Afghanistan Accession Proposal to the WTO, WT/ACC/AFG/1 (April 2003) & WT/ACC/AFG/2 (November 2004); see also Request for Observer Status at the Cancun Ministerial Conference, WT/L/538 (August 2003).

209

WTO General Council Meeting, Afghanistan Accession Proposal, WT/GC/M/90 (February 2005), 5–8.

210

Working Party on the Accession Afghanistan (note 25). The MFTR provides a “comprehensive summary of the acceding Government’s foreign trade regime, including relevant statistical data”. WTO Secretariat, User Guide to WTO Accession, Accessions Division Note 14-25/Rev.1, 2.

211

See MoIC Website, https://moci.gov.af/en/directorates.

212

Working Party on the Accession Afghanistan (note 25), paras. 293–299.

213

The report of the Working Party however does not state anything about the review of Afghanistan’s RTAs. The statement was made by Anna Varyanik of the WTO Secretariat who was a member of the Working Party on Afghanistan Accession to the WTO. Interview with Anna Varyanik, WTO Secretariat (WTO Headquarter, June 10–11, 2016).

214

WTO, Protocol on the Accession of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Part I, WT/MIN (15)/39. WT/L/974; see also Working Party on the Accession Afghanistan (note 25), para. 301; WTO, Afghanistan Schedule of Specific Commitment on Goods and Services, WT/ACC/AFG/36/Add.1, WT/ACC/AFG/36/Add.2.

215

See Overview of Afghanistan’s Commitments to the WTO (note 86).

216

The WTO Agreement entered into force for Afghanistan in July 2016.

217

For Afghanistan list of MFN exemptions on Services see WT/ACC/AFG/36/Add.2.

218

For more details see WTO, Afghanistan’s Schedule of Commitments on Services, WT/ACC/AFG/36/Add.2.

219

Annex on GATS Article II Exemptions, paras. 3 & 4.

220

Annex on GATS Article II Exemptions, para. 5.

221

See generally Xinru (2010); see also Glassner (1967), p. 10.

222

However, available data suggests that Afghanistan has had non-trade regional and cross regional agreements with other countries, which is not relevant to this work. See The Official Gazette of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, http://moj.gov.af/content/files/Pages/OfficialGazetteIndex_D-header.htm.

223

The Official Gazette of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA) 57, (1965) [Abolished].

224

Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), 5.

225

Overview of Afghanistan’s Commitments to the WTO (note 86).

226

The Official Gazette of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, South Asian Free Trade Area Agreement (SAFTA) 1019 (2004) [Ratification date for Afghanistan: 2010].

227

Ibid.

228

Ibid., Art. 7(3)(a).

229

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Secretariat, Afghanistan Accession Protocol of SAFTA (Colombo, 2008).

230

The Official Gazette of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, SAARC Agreement on Trade in Service (SATIS), 1147 (2010) [Ratification date for Afghanistan: 2012]; for Afghanistan membership to the SAARC see www.saarc-sec.org.

231

See generally SATIS.

232

Arts. 3(b), 5 SAFTA; Arts. 2, 11 (5), 20 SATIS; Annex I SATIS.

233

Art. 3(2) SAFTA.

234

Ibid., Art. 7(3)(a)(b).

235

Art. XXIV (8) GATT; for literature review see Islam (2010), p. 8–1.

236

SAARC, 17th Ministerial Council Summit (Addu, Maldives, November 2011).

237

SAARC Secretariat, Afghanistan revised sensitive list: Phase II, http://saarcsec.org/uploads/document/01%20Afghanistan%20%20Revised%20Sensitive%20List%20(PhaseII)_20120318113525.pdf.

238

Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Website, http://www.eco.int/general_content/85059-MemberStates.html?t=General-content.

239

ECO Secretariat, ECO Trade Agreement (Islamabad. July 2003), http://www.ecosecretariat.org/ftproot/Documents/Agreements/ECOTA.htm.

240

MoIC, Trade Agreements, http://moci.gov.af/en.

241

ECO, http://www.ecosecretariat.org/Detail_info/About_ECO_D.htm.

242

Art. 13(2) ECOTA.

243

ECOTA Cooperation Council, 6th Meeting Report (2015).

244

Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA), Fifth Conference (RECCA V), Progress Report for November 2010–March 2012, 23; see also Central Asian Economic Cooperation (CAREC), http://www.carecprogram.org/index.php?page=carec-countries.

245

CAREC, http://www.carecprogram.org/index.php?page=carec-countries.

246

See CAREC Secretariat, Trade Policy Strategic Action Plan for 2013–2017 (2013), 24.

247

See Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan (note 25), para. 295; Overview of Afghanistan’s Commitments to the WTO (note 86); see also EC, European Union Preferential Imports Schemes, http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/index.cfm?id=840; Office of the United States of Trade Representative, Generalized System of Preferences: Country Specific Information, https://ustr.gov/issueareas/trade-development/preference-programs/generalized-system-preferences-gsp/gsp-use-%E2%80%93-coun.

248

See EC, Preferential Imports Schemes (note 247).

249

Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India, India-Afghanistan Preferential Trade Agreement (March 2003). [Entry into force: May 2003], http://commerce.nic.in/trade/international_ta_indafg.asp.

250

MoF, Brief Report on Three Years 2015–2017 Main Activities and Achievements of Ministry of Finance, (2018), 23; see also MoF, 3rd Joint Economic and Trade Commission between Afghanistan and China and Signing Cooperation Agreements, http://mof.gov.af/en/news/the-3rd-joint-economic-and-trade-commission-betweenafghanistan-and-china-and-signing-cooperation-agreements.

251

MoF, Brief Report (note 250), 19–29.

252

See generally for example SAFTA & ECOTA.

253

See generally for example WBG, Afghanistan Development Update: Building Confidence Amid Uncertainty (July 2019); see also Akseer and Rieger (2019), p. 84.

Afghanistan Business Law Handbook, vol 1. International Business Publications, DC, 2013, pp 29–30

Akseer T, Rieger J (eds) (2019) Afghanistan in 2019: a survey of the Afghan people. 15th Annual Opinion Survey, The Asia Foundation, 2 December 2019, p 84

Aldosari A (2007) World and its politics: Middle East, Western Asia, and Northern Africa, vol 3. Marshall Cavendish Corp., p 341

Dowdy J, Erdmann A (2013) After the war economy: the role of private sector in Afghanistan future. Aspen Institute, DC, pp 261–281

Eltizam ZA (1996) Afghanistan foreign trade. Middle East J 20:95–103

Glassner MI (1967) Transit problems of three Asian land-locked countries: Afghanistan, Nepal and Laos. Reprint Ser Contemp Asian Stud 57:10

Goodhand J (2004) From war economy to peach economy? Reconstruction and state building in Afghanistan. J Int Aff 58:155–160

Hoban T et al (2002) Food biotechnology: benefits and concerns. J Nutr 132:1384–1385CrossRef

Islam R (2010) Constraint of the agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area and SAARC Agreement on trade in service. Brigham Young Univ Int Law Rev 7:8–1

Maxwell FJ (1974) The Afghan economy: money, finance, and the critical constraints to economic development. Brill, ch. 3

Parto S et al (2012) Afghanistan and regional trade: more, or less, imports from Central Asia. Working Paper 3, University of Central Asia, Institute of Public Policy, p 15

Xinru L (2010) The silk road in world history, 1st edn. Oxford University Press

Titel: Current State of the Afghan Foreign Trade Legal Regime
verfasst von: Suhailah Akbari
Verlag: Springer International Publishing
Buch: The WTO Transit Regime for Landlocked Countries and its Impacts on Members’ Regional Transit Agreements
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-73463-3

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-030-73464-0

Copyright-Jahr: 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73464-0_3

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