The Agreement on Agriculture entered into force under the Marrakesh Agreement on 1 January 1995. It deals only with trade in agricultural products although the commitments on agricultural products are to be found in each Member State’s schedule of concessions which it attached to the GATT 1994. To understand each Member State’s commitments on agricultural products, both the Agreement on Agriculture and the Member State’s schedule of commitments must be consulted.

Agricultural products are defined in Annex 1 to the Agreement on Agriculture. It is defined with reference to the Harmonised System, which is the standardised numerical method of classifying traded products administered by the World Customs Organisation. It covers Chapters 1 to 24 of the Harmonised System as well as limited parts of Chapters 29 to 53. Agricultural products include:

1. •

   live animal and animal products

2. •

   vegetables and vegetable products

3. •

   fruits and fruit products

4. •

   fats and oils

5. •

   prepared foodstuff, beverages, wines, spirits and vinegar, tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes, and

6. •

   raw hides, skins, silk, wool, cotton, flax and hemp

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