RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/STR/Q1/TUR/1
1November 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4613)
Original: English Working Party onState Trading Enterprises
Replies toQuestions Posed bytheUNITED STATES1Concerning
theArticle XVII Notification ofTURKEY2
Thefollowing communication, dated 24September 1996, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofTurkey.
_______________
Question
WenotethatTurkey didnotinclude ETIBANK, TURKIYE TASKOMURU KURUMU, and
TURKIYE KOMUR ISLETMELERI initsArticle XVIInotification. Weunderstand thatthese entities
"enjoyspecialorexclusiverightsorprivileges"inthemeaningoftheUnderstandingontheInterpretation
ofArticle XVIIoftheGATT 1994. Could Turkey explain whythese entities werenotincluded inthe
notification?
Answer
According totheworking definition ofstatetrading enterprises assetoutinparagraph 1of
theUnderstanding ontheInterpretation ofArticle XVII oftheGATT 1994, enterprises tobenotified
are"Governmentalornon-governmentalenterprisesincludingmarketingboardswhichhavebeengranted
exclusive orspecial rights orprivileges, including statutory orconstitutional powers intheexercise
ofwhich theyinfluence through theirpurchases orsalesthelevelordirection ofimports orexports".
Inthisregard, Iwould liketostatethatEtibank andTürkiye Tas¸kömürü Kurumu (Turkish
Hard CoalEnterprise) donot"enjoy special orexclusive rights orprivileges" intheexercise ofwhich
theyinfluence through theirpurchases orsalesthelevelordirection ofimports orexports. Since there
wasnospecial rightorprivilege granted, these enterprises werenotincluded inTurkey 'snotification.
Theother enterprise inquestion, namely Türkiye Kömür Is¸letmeleri Kurumu (Turkish Coal
Enterprise) which isresponsible forlignite production andincharge ofmeeting theenergy needin
thecountry hastherighttoimport some oftheequipment exempt fromcustoms duties within thescope
oftheCouncil ofMinister 'sDecrees No.7/14849 of24March 1978andNo.7/15468 of6June1978
inorder tocomplete theinvestment projects onthermic powerhouses andcoalplants inSoma (Yatag an),
Seyitömer andOrhaneli (Çan) under theThird FiveYear Development Plan. With regard tothis
institution, Iwould liketostatethatthisrighttoimport some equipment exempt fromcustoms duties
islimited withtheinvestment project andthetotalvalue ofimports ofthisenterprise realized under
theproject isanegligible amount. After thecompletion oftheproject, theimports ofthisenterprise
1G/STR/W/2.
2G/STR/N/1/TUR.G/STR/Q1/TUR/1
Page2
exempted fromcustoms duties willcease. Itisexpected thatthisinvestment project willbecompleted
bytheendof1996.
ThestatisticalinformationconcerningtheimportsofTürkiyeKömürIs¸letmeleriKurumu(Turkish
CoalEnterprise), exempted fromcustoms duties, andthetotalimports ofother companies isprovided
intheAnnex.
Finally, since itwasconsidered under Article 1,paragraph 3oftheUnderstanding onthe
Interpretation ofArticle XVII oftheGATT 1994, theimport ofthisenterprise wasnotincluded in
Turkey 'snotification.G/STR/Q1/TUR/1
Page3
ANNEX
1995 IMPORTS OFTURKISH COAL ENTERPRISES
EXEMPT FROM CUSTOMS DUTIES
HSCode Description ofGoods Value ($) Quantity (kg.)
IMPORTS
40119131 Other pneumatic tyres ofrubber usedoncivil
engineering vehicles463,600 180,243
73129029 Other standard wire, ropes 80,000 41,338
73182200 Other washers 1,928 33
73202029 Other helical springs 3 1
84139199 Other parts ofpumps 15,905 180
84213939 Other filtering machinery forgases 6,384 505
84314995 Parts formachinery ofsubheading No.8429.51
A11andB18429.52B vet8429.59B4,775 77
84719221 Matrix typeprinter 591 5
84719233 Keyboard 1,733 5
84719341 Diskunits 180 6
84734099 Other parts ofmachinery ofheading No.8472 20,445 22.5
84749090 Other parts ofmachinery forshaping or
moulding solid mineral fuels1,219 4
84749094 Other parts ofmachinery forsorting, screening
earth stone, ores70,150 13,500
84814090 Other safety orrelief valves 7,181 50
84819000 Other taps,cocks, valves andsimilar appliances
forpipes291 74
84821090 Other ballbearings 5,206
84833039 Other bearing housings 1,813 60
84836032 Other couplings 5,347 210
84841029 Gaskets andsimilar joints 265 36
84859098 Oilfelt 1,815 44
85011010 Synchronous motors ofanoutput notexceeding
18W675 5
85030099 Other parts suitable forusesolely orprincipally
withthemachines ofheading No.8501 or85028,604 96.5
85069000 Parts ofprimary cellsandprimary batteries 5,666 10G/STR/Q1/TUR/1
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1995 IMPORTS OFTURKISH COAL ENTERPRISES
EXEMPT FROM CUSTOMS DUTIES
HSCode Description ofGoods Value ($) Quantity (kg.)
85332900 Other electrical resistors 315 5
85334039 Variable resistors: other 411 10
85364919 Contactor from other relays 4,128 6
85365039 Switches: other 323 4
85365049 Other switches 1,456 7
85389099 Other parts suitable forusesolely orprincipally
withapparatus ofheading No.8535, 8536 or
85371,767 9
85428000 Microassemblies 51,446 12
90200091 Parts ofbreathing appliances 17,017 5
OTHERS (Private)
40119131 Other pneumatic tyres ofrubber usedoncivil
engineering vehicles3,295,467 9,751,161
73129029 Other standard wire, ropes 755,561 780,990
73182200 Other washers 842,994 6,381,172
73202029 Other helical springs 448,304 5,171,466
84139199 Other parts ofpumps 779,988 22,159,034
84213939 Other filtering machinery forgases 334,181 6,389,560
84314995 Parts formachinery ofsubheading No.8429.51
A11andB18429.52B and8429.59B273,363 3,277,120
84719221 Matrix typeprinter 857,222 27,112,141
84719233 Keyboard 419,032 10,340,144
84719341 Diskunits 35,416 3,552,712
84734099 Other parts ofmachinery ofheading No.8472 14,802 2,707,162
84749090 Other parts ofmachinery forshaping or
moulding solid mineral fuels41,459 739,099
84749094 Other parts ofmachinery forsorting, screening
earth stone, ores39,485 777,446
84814090 Other safety orrelief valves 244,714 8,090,837
84819000 Other taps,cocks, valves andsimilar appliances
forpipes305,028 10,277,328
84821090 Other ballbearings 1,617,712 29,769,054G/STR/Q1/TUR/1
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1995 IMPORTS OFTURKISH COAL ENTERPRISES
EXEMPT FROM CUSTOMS DUTIES
HSCode Description ofGoods Value ($) Quantity (kg.)
84833039 Other bearing housings 381,780 10,322,648
84836032 Other couplings 49,661 1,384,910
84841029 Gaskets andsimilar joints 152,263 5,812,518
84859098 Oilfelt 264,666 7,633,711
85011010 Synchronous motors ofanoutput notexceeding
18W126,208 2,792,472
85030099 Other parts suitable forusesolely orprincipally
withthemachines ofheading No.8501 or8502263,883 7,511,896
85069000 Parts ofprimary cellsandprimary batteries 12,733 112,165
85332900 Other electrical resistors 29,629 884,731
85334039 Variable resistors: other 9,590 398,632
85364919 Contactor from other relays 143,382 8,760,293
85365039 Switches: other 98,404 2,734,680
85365049 Other switches 830,012 36,180,825
85389099 Other parts suitable forusesolely orprincipally
withapparatus ofheading No.8535, 8536 or
8537519,136 11,324,056
85428000 Microassemblies 41,086 6,310,620
90200091 Parts ofbreathing appliances 23,210 252,366