WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/L/591
21 November 2002
(02-6474)
REPORT (2002) OF THE WORKING PARTY ON
STATE TRADING ENTERPRISES
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 theInterpretation 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 the
Working Party.  During the period under review (9 October 2001 – 19 November 2002), first
Ms. Maija Manika (Latvia), and then Mr. Aliyu Abuba kar (Nigeria), served as Chair 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 the
coverage of state trading enterprises notified under paragraph 1 of the Understanding;  and (iii) todevelop 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.  Regarding the review of notifications, the Working Party having
completed the mandated revision of the questionnair e on state trading, now reviews notifications in
light of the revised questionnaire adopted on 2 April 1998 (G/STR/3).  Regarding the Illustrative List
of State Trading Relationships and Activities, the Working Party completed its mandate with the
adoption of the illustrative list by the Council for trade in Goods on 15 October 1999 (G/STR/4).
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; China; 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; Lithuania; Malaysia;
Malta; Mauritius; Mexico; Morocco; New Zealand; Norway; Pakistan; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines;
Poland; Romania; the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu; Singapore;
Slovak Republic; South Africa; Switzerland; Thailand; Trinidad and Tobago; Turkey; United States;
Uruguay; Venezuela; and Zambia. Ethiopia; Jordan; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Sudan; andVietnam participated as observers.
5. The Working Party held one formal meeting during the period under review, on
19 November 2002.  The Minutes of this meeting will be circulated in document G/STR/M/12.G/L/591
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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 last new andfull notification.  At the formal meeting held during the period under review, the Chairman made a
statement concerning the need for timely compliance with notification requirements.
7. Updating notifications for 2002 have been received from 21 Members. New and full
notifications for 2001 have been received from 43 Members and for 1998 from 49 Members.
1  (See
Annex to this Report.)
8. At its meeting of 19 November 2002, the Working Party reviewed 50 notifications: 2002
updating notifications of Bulgaria; Chinese Taipei; Czech Republic; Estonia; Georgia; Guatemala;Hong Kong, China; Hungary; Indonesia; Jordan; Liechtenstein; Macao, China; Malta; Mauritius;
Nigeria; Pakistan; Panama; Romania; South Africa; Switzerland and Zambia; 2001 new and full
notifications of Argentina; Bulgaria; Chile; Costa Rica; the European Community; Georgia;
Honduras; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Jordan; Lit huania; Moldova; Nigeria; Norway; Pakistan;
Philippines; Poland; Venezuela; and Zambia; 2000 updating notifications of Argentina; Costa Rica;the European Community; Nigeria; Philippines; and Tunisia; 1999 updating notifications of Costa
Rica; the European Community; Nigeria; Philippines;  and Tunisia; 1998 new and full notifications of
Canada; Nigeria; Philippines; and Tunisia; 1997 updating notifications of the European Community
and Tunisia.  At that meeting, the Working Party also adopted its Annual Report to the Council for
Trade in Goods for the year 2002.
9. At its meeting held on 19 November 2002, the Working Party reflected on the situation
regarding notifications in the area of state trading enterprises and their review.  Following a proposal
by the Chairman, the Working Party decided to under take a process of identifying solutions to the
problem of compliance with notification obligations and as first step in this process decided to hold an
informal meeting in the month of February 2003 where this issue would be thoroughly discussed.
                                                     
1 The European Communities and its Member States are counted as one Member.G/L/591
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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 OF GATT 1994
Status as of 19 November 20022
Member New and Full
Notification
(1998)
G/STR/N/4Updating
Notification
(1999)
G/STR/N/5Updating
Notification
(2000)
G/STR/N/6New and Full
Notification
(2001)
G/STR/N/7Updating
Notification
(2002)
G/STR/N/8
Albania n.a. n.a.
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
A r g e n t i n a XXXX
Australia X X
B a h r a i n XXX
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Benin
B o l i v i a XXX
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria XX
Burkina Faso
Burundi X
Cameroon
Canada X
Central African Republic
C h a d XXXX
C h i l e XXXX
China n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Colombia X
Congo
C o s t a  R i c a XXXX
Côte d'Ivoire
                                                     
2An "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/591
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Member New and Full
Notification
(1998)
G/STR/N/4Updating
Notification
(1999)
G/STR/N/5Updating
Notification
(2000)
G/STR/N/6New and Full
Notification
(2001)
G/STR/N/7Updating
Notification
(2002)
G/STR/N/8
Croatia n.a. n.a. n.a.
Cuba
Cyprus
C z e c h  R e p u b l i c XXXXX
Democratic Republic of
the Congo
Djibouti
D o m i n i c a XXX
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt X
E l  S a l v a d o r XXX
Estonia n.a. n.a. X X
E u r o p e a n  C o m m u n i t i e s XXXX
Fiji X
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia n.a. n.a. X X
Ghana X
Grenada
G u a t e m a l a XXXXX
Guinea Bissau
Guinea, Republic of
Guyana
H a i t i XXX
Honduras X
H o n g  K o n g ,  C h i n a XXXXX
H u n g a r y XXXXX
Iceland X X
India X
Indonesia X X X
Israel
Jamaica X
Japan X X
Jordan n.a. n.a. X X X
KenyaG/L/591
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Member New and Full
Notification
(1998)
G/STR/N/4Updating
Notification
(1999)
G/STR/N/5Updating
Notification
(2000)
G/STR/N/6New and Full
Notification
(2001)
G/STR/N/7Updating
Notification
(2002)
G/STR/N/8
Korea, Republic of X
Kuwait
Kyrgyz Republic n.a.
L a t v i a XXXX
Lesotho
L i e c h t e n s t e i n XXXXX
Lithuania n.a. n.a. n.a. X
M a c a o ,  C h i n a XXXXX
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali X
M a l t a X XXX
Mauritania
Mauritius X
M e x i c o XXX
Moldova n.a. n.a. n.a. X
M o n g o l i a XXXX
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
N a m i b i a XXX
N e w  Z e a l a n d XXXX
Nicaragua
Niger
N i g e r i a XXXXX
N o r w a y XXXX
Oman n.a. n.a. X
P a k i s t a n XXXXX
P a n a m a XXXXX
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay X
Peru
P h i l i p p i n e s XXXX
P o l a n d XXXXG/L/591
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Member New and Full
Notification
(1998)
G/STR/N/4Updating
Notification
(1999)
G/STR/N/5Updating
Notification
(2000)
G/STR/N/6New and Full
Notification
(2001)
G/STR/N/7Updating
Notification
(2002)
G/STR/N/8
Qatar X
R o m a n i a XXXXX
Rwanda
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent &
GrenadinesXXX
Senegal
Separate Customs
Territory of Taiwan,
Penghu, Kinmen and
Matsun.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. X
Sierra Leone
S i n g a p o r e XXX
Slovak Republic X X X
S l o v e n i a XXXX
Solomon Islands
S o u t h  A f r i c a XXXXX
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Swaziland
S w i t z e r l a n d XXXXX
Tanzania
Thailand X
Togo
Trinidad & Tobago X
Tunisia X X X
T u r k e y XXX
U g a n d a XXX
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uruguay
V e n e z u e l a XXXX
Z a m b i a XX XXG/L/591
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Member New and Full
Notification
(1998)
G/STR/N/4Updating
Notification
(1999)
G/STR/N/5Updating
Notification
(2000)
G/STR/N/6New and Full
Notification
(2001)
G/STR/N/7Updating
Notification
(2002)
G/STR/N/8
Zimbabwe
Number of Notifying
Members/Total Numberof Members
349/117 43/119 40/124 43/127 21/144
__________
                                                     
3 The numerator and denominator used here reflect 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 (144 as of the adoption of thi s report on
26 September 2002) includes the European Communities plus the 15 Member States.