WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/L/418
21 November 2000
(00-4950)
REPORT (2000) OF THE WORKING PARTY ON
STATE TRADING ENTERPRISES1
I. ORGANIZATION OF THE WORK OF THE WORKING PARTY
1. The Working Party on State Trading Enterprises was established by the Council for Trade in
Goods at its meeting of 20 February 1995, pursuant to paragraph 5 of the Understanding on the
Interpretation of Article XVII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (hereinafter "the
Understanding").  Membership of the Working Part y is open to all Members indicating their wish to
serve on it.  Observer governments in the General Council of the WTO have observer status in theWorking Party.  During the period under review (21 October 1999 – 20 November 2000),
Mr. Breffini Carpenter (Ireland) served as Chairman of the Working Party.
2. The mandate of the Working Party, as set out in paragraph 5 of the Understanding, is: (i) to
review notifications and counter-notifications on stat e trading;  (ii) to review, in the light of the
notifications received, the adequacy of the questionnaire on state trading (BISD 9S/184) and thecoverage of state trading enterprises notified under paragraph 1 of the Understanding;  and (iii) to
develop an illustrative list showing the kinds of  relationships between governments and enterprises,
and the kinds of activities engaged in by these enterprises, which may be relevant for the purposes of
Article XVII of GATT 1994.
3. This Report is submitted under paragraph 5 of the Understanding.   It sets out the activities of
the Working Party during the period under review.
4. Participants in the Working Party's meetings to date are: Argentina; Australia; Bangladesh;
Brazil; Brunei Darussalam; Burundi; Canada; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Cyprus;
Czech Republic; Egypt; El Salvador; European Communities; Guatemala; Hong Kong, China;
Honduras; Hungary; Iceland; India; Indonesia; Israel; Japan; Korea; Latvia; Malaysia; Malta;
Mauritius; Mexico; Morocco; New Zealand; Norway; Pakistan; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Poland;
Romania; Singapore; Slovak Republic; South Africa; Switzerland; Thailand; Trinidad & Tobago;Turkey; United States; Uruguay; Venezuela; and Zambia.  China,  P.R.; Chinese Taipei; Ethiopia;
Jordan; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Sudan; and Vietnam participated as observers.
5. The Working Party held two formal meetings during the period under review:  On
14 July 2000 and on 20 November 2000.  The Minutes of these meetings are contained in documents
G/STR/M/17-18.
                                                     
1 Please note that this report is being forwarded directly to the General Council following adoption by
the Working Party on State Trading Enterprises at its meeting of 20 November 2000.G/L/418
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II. NOTIFICATION AND REVIEW OF MEMBERS' STATE TRADING ACTIVITIES
6. Under Article XVII of GATT 1994 and paragraph 1 of the Understanding, all Members of the
WTO are required to submit annual notifications of their state trading activities.  New and full
notifications were first required in 1995 and, subsequently, every third year thereafter, while updating
notifications are to be made in the intervening years, indicating any changes since the new and fullnotification.  At both formal meetings held during the period under review, the Chairman made a
statement concerning the need for timely compliance with notification requirements.
7. New and full notifications for 1995 have been received from 59 Members and for 1998 from
39 Members.  Updating notifications for 1996 have been received from 32 Members, for 1997 from
33 Members, for 1999 from 31 Members, and for 2000 from 20 Members.  (See Annex to this
Report.)
 2
8. At its meeting of 14 July 2000, the Working Party reviewed 23 notifications: 2000 updating
notifications of Bolivia; Haiti; Hong Kong, China; Hungary; Macau, China; Malta; Mongolia; and
Slovenia; 1999 updating notifications of Argentina;  Chile; Guatemala; Haiti; Hungary; Mongolia;
Singapore; and Turkey; 1998 new and full notifications of Argentina; Chile; Guatemala; Haiti; and
Singapore; 1997 updating notification of Guatemal a; and 1996 updating notification of Guatemala.
9. In light of the poor compliance record since 1995, it was decided at the July 2000 meeting of
the Working Party that the Chairman would write to those Members who had made no state trading
notification thus far in order to urge them to do so.  On 15 November 2000, such a letter was sent by
the Chairman to the 53 Members who had made no state trading notification to date.  Those Members,
in order of date of accession, are: Antigua and Barbuda; Bangladesh; Belize; Brunei Darussalam;
Dominica; Gabon; Ghana; Guyana; Kenya; Kuwa it; Myanmar; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Swaziland; Tanzania; Zimbabwe; Dominican Republic;
Cuba; El Salvador; Burkina Faso; Central African Republic; Djibouti; Guinea Bissau; Lesotho;
Malawi; Mali; Maldives; Mauritania; Togo; Bur undi; Sierra Leone; Mozambique; Nicaragua;
Madagascar; Cameroon; Benin; Rwanda; Solomon Islands; Angola; Niger; Democratic
Republic of Congo; Republic of Congo; Ecuador; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Grenada; Papua New
Guinea; Panama; Kyrgyz Republic; Estonia; Jordan; and Georgia .
10. At its meeting of 20 November 2000, the Working Party reviewed 26 notifications: 2000
updating notifications of Bahrain; Chad; Chile;  Czech Republic; Mexico; Namibia; New Zealand;
Norway; Turkey; and Venezuela; 1999 updating notifications of Australia; Bahrain; Chad; Czech
Republic; Liechtenstein; Mexico; Switzerland; and Venezuela; 1998 new and full notifications of
Australia; Bahrain; Chad; Czech Republic; Liechtenstein; and Switzerland; 1997 updating notification
of Czech Republic; and 1996 updating notification of Czech Republic.  At that meeting, the WorkingParty also adopted its Annual Report for the year 2000 to the Council for Trade in Goods.
                                                     
2 The European Communities and its Member States are counted as one Member.G/L/418
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ANNEX
NOTIFICATIONS SUBMITTED BY WTO MEMBERS UNDER
ARTICLE XVII:4(A) OF GATT 1994 AND PARAGRAPH 1 OF THE
UNDERSTANDING ON THE INTERPRETATION OF ARTICLE XVII
Status as of 20 November 20003
Member New and Full
Notification
(1995)
G/STR/N/1Updating
Notification
(1996)
G/STR/N/2Updating
Notification
(1997)
G/STR/N/3New and Full
Notification
(1998)
G/STR/N/4Updating
Notification
(1999)
G/STR/N/5Updating
Notification
(2000)
G/STR/N/6
Albania n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Angola n.a.
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina X X X X
Australia X X X X X
Bahrain XX X
Bangladesh
Barbados X
Belize
Benin n.a.
Bolivia XX
Botswana X
Brazil X X
Brunei Darussalam n.a.
Bulgaria X
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Canada X X X
Central African
Republic
Chad XX X
Chile X X X X X X
Colombia X X X
Congo
Costa Rica X X X X
Côte d'Ivoire X
                                                     
3An "X" indicates that a notification has been made.  An "n.a." indicates that the notification obligation
did not apply to the country in question as it was not a WTO Member at the time.G/L/418
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Member New and Full
Notification
(1995)
G/STR/N/1Updating
Notification
(1996)
G/STR/N/2Updating
Notification
(1997)
G/STR/N/3New and Full
Notification
(1998)
G/STR/N/4Updating
Notification
(1999)
G/STR/N/5Updating
Notification
(2000)
G/STR/N/6
Cuba
Cyprus X
Czech Republic X X X X X X
Democratic Republic of
the Congon.a. n.a.
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador n.a.
Egypt X
El Salvador X
Estonia n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
European Communities X X X
Fiji n.a. X
Gabon
Gambia X
Georgia n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Ghana
Grenada n.a.
Guatemala X X X X X
Guinea Bissau
Guinea, Republic of X
Guyana
Haiti X X X X X X
Honduras X
Hong Kong, China X X X X X X
Hungary X X X X X X
Iceland X X X
India X
Indonesia X X X
Israel X
Jamaica X X
Japan X X X X
Jordan n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
KenyaG/L/418
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Member New and Full
Notification
(1995)
G/STR/N/1Updating
Notification
(1996)
G/STR/N/2Updating
Notification
(1997)
G/STR/N/3New and Full
Notification
(1998)
G/STR/N/4Updating
Notification
(1999)
G/STR/N/5Updating
Notification
(2000)
G/STR/N/6
Korea, Republic of X X X
Kuwait
Kyrgyz Republic n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Latvia n.a. n.a. n.a X X
Lesotho
Liechtenstein X X X X X
Macau, China X X X X X X
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia X
Maldives
Mali X
Malta X X X
Mauritania
Mauritius X X X
Mexico X X X X X X
Mongolia n.a. n.a X X X
Morocco X
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia X X X X
New Zealand X X X X X X
Nicaragua
Niger n.a. n.a. n.a.
Nigeria X X X
Norway X X X X X X
Oman n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Pakistan X X
Panama n.a. n.a.
Papua New Guinea n.a.
Paraguay X
Peru X X X
Philippines X X
Poland X
Qatar X XG/L/418
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Member New and Full
Notification
(1995)
G/STR/N/1Updating
Notification
(1996)
G/STR/N/2Updating
Notification
(1997)
G/STR/N/3New and Full
Notification
(1998)
G/STR/N/4Updating
Notification
(1999)
G/STR/N/5Updating
Notification
(2000)
G/STR/N/6
Romania X X X
Rwanda n.a.
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent &
Grenadines
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Singapore X X X X X
Slovak Republic X X X X X
Slovenia X X X X X X
Solomon Islands n.a.
South Africa X X X X X X
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Swaziland
Switzerland X X X X X
Tanzania
Thailand X X X
Togo
Trinidad & Tobago X
Tunisia X
Turkey X X X X X
Uganda XX X
United Arab Emirates X
United States X X X
Uruguay X X
Venezuela, Bolivarian
Republic ofXXXXX X
Zambia X X X
Zimbabwe
Total*59/108 32/108 33/117 39/117 31/119 20/124
* The denominator used here reflects the fact that, for each notification obligation, the European Communities submits a single
notification that covers all 15 Member States.  The total membership of the WTO (139 at present) includes the European Communit ies plus
the 15 Member States.
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