G/RO/ 90 
 
1 November 2019  
(19-7361) Page: 1/7 
Committee on Rules of Origin    
 
TWENTY FIFTH  ANNUAL REVIEW OF TH E IMPLEMENTATION AND  
OPERATION OF THE AGR EEMENT ON RULES OF O RIGIN  
BACKGROUND NOTE BY THE SECRETAR IAT1 
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1  This note was prepared by the Secretariat to assist Members in conducting the 25th Annual 
Review of the implementation and operation of the Agreement. The review is to be conducted under 
Article 6.1 of the Agreement on Rules of Origin which provides that:  "the Committee shall review 
annually the implementation and operation of Parts II and III of this Agreement having regard to its 
objectives". The outcome of such a review will be incorporated to the Committee's Annual report to 
the Council for Trade in Go ods on the implementation and operation of the Agreement on Rules of 
Origin.  
2  MEMBERS AND OBSERVER S OF THE COMMITTEE O N RULES OF ORIGIN  
2.1 Government representatives of all WTO Members and Observers are also Members and 
Observers to the CRO. In addition, t he following international organizations also have observer 
status at the Committee on Rules of Origin ( CRO): ACP, EFTA, IADB, IMF, OECD, UNCTAD, WCO and 
World Bank.  
3  RULES OF PROCEDURE O F THE COMMITTEE ON R ULES OF ORIGIN  
3.1 The rules of procedure for meet ings of the CRO were adopted by the Committee in 
February  1997 (G/L/149 and WT/L/161 ). 
4  OFFICERS OF THE COMM ITTEE ON RULES OF OR IGIN  
4.1 Ms Uma MUNIANDY (Singapore) was elected Chairperson of the Committee in June  2019. 
She followed Mrs  Thembekile MLANGENI (South Africa) as Chairperson of the Committee.  
5  MEETINGS OF THE COMM ITTEE ON RULES OF OR IGIN  
5.1 The CRO held two formal meetings in 2019: on 15 -16 May  and on 17 -18 October. The minutes 
of these meetings are contained in documents G/RO/M/72 and [G/RO/M/73]  respectively. 
In addition, the Committee held informal meetings as well as several small -group and bilateral 
consultations on several matters, in particular on the proposal on enhancing transparency on 
non-preferential rules of origin (G/RO/W/182/Rev.1).  
6  NOTIFICATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 5 (NON -PREFE RENTIAL RULES OF ORI GIN)  
6.1 Two new notifications under Article 5  of the Agreement were received in 2019 . First, one 
concerning revised non -preferential rules of origin adopted by the Russian Federation in the conte xt 
of the Euro -Asian Economic Union (G/RO/N/179). Second, the first notification from Ecuador 
                                                
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  G/RO/90  
 
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  informing Members that Ecuador does not apply non -preferential rules of origin nor non -preferential 
origin requirements.  
6.2 Following these notifications , 50 WTO Members  have notified the Secretariat that they  apply 
non-preferential rules of origin (counting the EU and its member states as one) . Fifty-nine Members 
have informed the Secretariat that they do not apply any non -preferential rules of origin. 
The remai ning 27 WTO Members have not yet submitted any notification under Article 5. The full list 
of Members under each of these categories as well as the relevant information notified to the 
WTO Secretariat is listed in 3 tables in Annex 1  to this note . All notifications and the related 
legislation or references  can, in addition,  be accessed through the section "Notifications" of the Rules 
of Origin webpage of the WTO website ( https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/roi_e/roi_e.htm ).  
7  NOTIFICATIONS UNDER ANNEX II (PREFERENTI AL RULES OF ORIGIN)  
7.1 As agreed by the Committee (G/RO/M/59), notifications made to the Com mittee on Regional 
Trade Agreements (CRTA) or to the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) are deemed to 
discharge Members' notification obligations under the Agreement on Rules of Origin. The Committee 
therefore agreed that notifications which had init ially been received by the CRTA or the CTD should 
be circulated by the Secretariat to the CRO. The information contained in  such notifications, including 
information about preferential rules of origin, can be accessed through the WTO database of regional 
trade agreements ( http://rtais.wto.org ) and the WTO database of preferential trade agreements 
(http://ptadb.wto.org ). 
7.2 In addition, it should be noted that the Committee adopted a specific template for notifications 
of preferential rules of origin applied to least -developed countries in the context of non -reciprocal 
preferences (G/RO/84). All WTO preference -granting Members agreed to submit detailed information 
about their preferent ial rules of origin using the template. To date, 20 preference -granting Members 
submitted such notifications. These were circulated under the G/RO/LDC/N/ document series. 
A detailed  overview of these notifications is available in document G/RO/W/163/Rev. 6. 
8  WORK OF THE COMMITTE E RELATED TO PARTS I , II AND III OF THE AGREEMENT  
8.1. Part II of the Agreement relates to the multilateral disciplines which govern the application of  
non-preferential rules of origin by WTO Members  during the "transitional period" . This period refers 
to the time before the implementation of fully harmonized non -preferential rules of origin (Article 
2). Since no harmonized non -preferential rules of origin have been adopted yet, these are the 
disciplines which currently apply to WTO Mem bers. 
8.2 As had been noted in the Committee's 2013 Annual Report to the CTG (G/L/1047), the 
implementation and operation of the Agreement is not satisfactory as the stalemate in the 
Harmonization Work Programme (HWP) compromises the attainment of the core  objectives of the 
Agreement (i.e. the facilitation of global trade through the international harmonization of 
non-preferential rules of origin).  The draft results of the HWP are contained in documents 
G/RO/W/111/Rev.6 (in HS96) ; JOB/RO/5/Rev.1 and JOB/RO/ 5/Rev.1/Corr.1  (rectified to reflect the 
2002, 2007, and 2012 versions of the HS nomenclature).  
8.3 In the period of this annual review, the Committee did not consider any item specifically 
related to the HWP.  
8.4 Pending the continuation of the HWP, the C ommittee agreed, in 2015, to engage in an 
"educational exercise" to exchange information about non -preferential rules of origin and better 
understand the impact that existing rules have on international trade. No such information sessions 
were held in 2019 . However, Members have engaged actively in a discussion about ways to enhance 
transparency of non -preferential rules of origin and non -preferential origin requirements. 
In particular, Members have been considering a proposal to adopt a template that would  standardize 
and update notifications on non -preferential rules of origin and related requirements 
(G/RO/W/182/Rev.1).  
9  AMENDMENTS, INTERPRE TATIONS AND RECTIFIC ATIONS TO THE AGREEM ENT 
9.1 During the year under review the Committee has not dealt with any of these matters.  G/RO/90  
 
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  10  CONSULTATION AND DIS PUTE SETTLEMENT  
10.1.  The Secretariat is not aware of any Member that has requested consultations under Article 7 
of the Agreement on Rules of Origin. Similarly, there are currently no disputes with respect to the 
Agreement on Rules of Origin (Article 8  of the Agreement ). 
11  OTHER AREAS OF WORK OF THE CRO  
11.1.  In 2019, t he CRO continued to work extensively on additional  areas of work , namely 
preferential rules of origin applicable to LDCs under non -reciprocal preferen tial trade arrangements 
(PTA). This is a result of the implementation of the 2013 and 2015 Ministerial Decisions on 
preferential rules of origin for LDCs (WT/L/917 and WT/L/917/Add.1 respectively). According to the 
requirements of these Decisions, a separa te report o f recent developments in this area was prepared 
for the General Council  (G/RO/ 89). 
12  REPORT TO THE COUNCI L FOR TRADE IN GOODS  
12.1.  During its meeting on 17 and 18  October 201 9, the CRO adopted its annual report to the CTG 
(G/L/1331).G/RO/90  
 
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  ANNEX 1  
A. List of Members that have notified to the Secretariat that they apply non -preferential 
rules of origi n1 
Member  HAVE NP RO  Date  Link to the legislation/  
scanned copy of the legislation  
1. Afghanistan  G/RO/N/143  05.08.2016  http://customs.mof.gov.af/en  
2. Albania  G/RO/N/47  06.07.2005  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/53  18.09.2007  Scanned copy available  
3. Argentina  G/RO/N/2  22.06.1995  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/10  16.08.1996  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/16  05.03.1997  Scanned copy available  
4. Armenia  G/RO/N/41  21.08.2003  Scanned copy available  
5. Australia  G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  n/a 
Scanned copy available  
6. Brazil  G/RO/N/14  02.12.1996  Formerly notified of non -application of 
NPROO  
G/RO/N/78  16.04.2012  http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_Ato20
11-2014/2011/Lei/L12546.htm  
7. Burkina Faso  G/RO/N/19  23.01.1998  n/a 
8. Canada  G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  n/a 
Scanned copy available  
9. China  G/RO/N/37  
G/RO/N/37/Rev.1  
G/RO/N/132  03.06.2002  
02.08.2002  
07.09.2015  n/a 
Scanned copy available  
Electronic copy available  
10. Colombia  G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  n/a 
Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/172  05.07.2018  http://www.mincit.gov.co/loader.php?lServici
o=Documentos&lFuncion=verPdf&id=5263&n
ame=DECRETO_637_DEL_11_DE_ABRIL_DE
_2018.pdf   
11. Cuba G/RO/N/3  27.07.1995  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/125  13.01.2015  Scanned copy available  
12. European Union2 G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  n/a 
Scanned copy available  
13. Georgia  G/RO/N/37  
G/RO/N/37 Rev.1  03.06.2002  
02.08.2002  n/a 
Scanned copy available  
14. Hong Kong, China  G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  n/a 
Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/10  16.08.1996  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/24  15.01.1999  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/30  21.11.2000  n/a 
G/RO/N/37  
G/RO/N/37 Rev.1  03.06.2002  
02.08.2002  n/a 
Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/46  15.02.2005  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/59  23.09.2008  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/67  02.12.2010  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/73  15.09.2011  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/86  01.10.2012  Scanned copy available  
15. Japan  G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  n/a 
Scanned copy available  
16. Jordan  G/RO/N/30  21.11.2000  Scanned copy available  
17. Kazakhstan  G/RO/N/148  
G/RO/N/148/Rev.1  12.09.2016  
27.10.2016  Unofficial translation available  
Unofficial translation available  
G/RO/N/175  15.11.2018  http://www.eurasiancommission.org/en/act/t
rade/dotp/prav_proish/Pages/default.aspx  
18. Kyrgyz Republic  G/RO/N/177  28.11.2018  http://www.eurasiancommission.org/en/act/t
rade/dotp/prav_proish/Pages/default.aspx  
                                                
1 All documents notified to the Secretariat and the relevant Internet links ar e available for consultation 
through the "Notifications" section of the rules of origin page of the WTO website: 
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/roi_e/roi_e.htm . 
2 All notifications received from countries prior to joining the EU do not appear in the table . 
 G/RO/90  
 
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  Member  HAVE NP RO  Date  Link to the legislation/  
scanned copy of the legislation  
19. Korea, Rep. of  G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  n/a 
Scanned co py available  
G/RO/N/63  18.09.2009  Scanned copy available  
20. Lao People's Dem. 
Rep. G/RO/N/96  24.07.2013  Scanned copy available  
21. Lesotho  G/RO/N/56  27.05.2008  n/a 
22. Liechtenstein  G/RO/N/60/Rev.1  08.04.2009  http://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -
compilation/19820160/index.html  
http://www.admin .ch/opc/fr/classified -
compilation/20072514/index.html  
http://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -
compilation/20072515/index.html  
23. Madagascar  G/RO/N/11  10.09.1996  Scanned copy available  
24. Mexico  G/RO/N/12  01.10.1996  n/a 
25. Moldova, Rep. of  G/RO/N/36  12.03.2002  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/110  14.02.2014  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/110/Add.1  10.10.2014  Scanned copy available  
26. Mongolia  G/RO/N/20  
G/RO/N/20/Rev.1  14.05.1998  
27.07.1998  Formerly notified of non -application of 
NPROO  
G/RO/N/164  03.04.2018  http://www.customs.gov.mn/en/images/publ
ishers/Customs_law_and_Customs_Tariff_an
d_Tax_law.pdf  
http://customs.gov.mn/2012 -03-14-03-12-
51/2017 -12-12-03-51-09 
www.legalinfo.mn/law/details/208  
27. Montenegro  G/RO/N/126  20.02.2015  Electronic copy available  
28. Morocco  G/RO/N/2  22.06.1995  n/a 
29. New Zealand  G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  n/a 
n/a 
30. Niger  G/RO/N/19  23.01.1998  n/a 
31. North Macedonia  G/RO/N/45  09.11.2004  Scanned copy available  
32. Norway  G/RO/N/8  05.03.1996  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/62  26.05.2009  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/149  22.09.2016  http://www.toll.no/PageFiles/4684/Regulatio
ns_to_the_act_on_customs_duti es_and_mov
ement_of_goods_july2016.pdf  
33. Peru G/RO/N/4  07.08.1995  Formerly notified no NPROO  
G/RO/N/5  01.11.1995  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/49  02.03.2007  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/50  10.05.2007  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/52  01.06.2007  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/77  12.03.2012  Scanned copy available  
34. Qatar  G/RO/N/25  13.04.1999  n/a 
35. Russian Federation  G/RO/N/84  
G/RO/N/84/Corr.1  
G/RO/N/179  27.09.2012  
13.12.2012  
22.01.2019   
Electronic and scanned copy available  
http://www.eurasiancommission.org/en/act/t
rade/dotp/prav_proish/Pages/default.aspx  
36. Rwanda  G/RO/N/75  24.02.2012  http://www.comesa.int/attachments/article/
28/COMESA_Treaty.pdf  
http://www.eac.int/customs/index.php?optio
n=com_content&view=article&id=3:rules -of-
origin&catid=3:key -documents  
37. Senegal  G/RO/N/10  16.08.1996  n/a 
38. Seychelles  G/RO/N/141  02.05.2016  Description of obligations available in the 
notification & scanned copy available  
39. South Africa  G/RO/N/3  27.07.1995  Scanned copy available  
40. Suriname  G/RO/N/24  15.01.1999  Formerly notified of non -application of 
NPROO  
G/RO/N/43  15.03.2004  Scanned copy available  
41. Switzerland  G/RO/N/4  07.08.1995  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/60  
G/RO/N/60/Rev.1  26.01.2009  
08.04.2009  http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/c946_201.html  
http://www.admi n.ch/ch/f/rs/c946_31.html  
http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/c946_311.html  
42. Chinese Taipei  G/RO/N/37  
G/RO/N/37 Rev.1  03.06.2002  
02.08.2002  n/a 
Scanned copy available  
43. Togo G/RO/N/70  16.06.2011  n/a G/RO/90  
 
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  Member  HAVE NP RO  Date  Link to the legislation/  
scanned copy of the legislation  
44. Tunisia  G/RO/N/7  12.02.1996  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/61  19.02.2009  Scanned copy available  
45. Turkey  G/RO/N/8  05.03.1996  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/28  30.05.2000  Scanned copy available  
46. Ukraine  G/RO/N/57  07.07.2008  n/a 
G/RO/N/81  10.08.2012  Scanned copy available  
47. United States  G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  n/a 
Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/6  19.12.1995  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/12  01.10.1996  n/a 
48. Venezuela, Bolivarian 
Rep. of  G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  Formerly notified of non -application of 
NPROO  
Formerly notified of non -application of 
NPROO  
G/RO/N/10  16.08.1996  Scanned copy available  
G/RO/N/14  02.12.1996  Scanned copy available  
49. Yemen  G/RO/N/140  08.04.2016  Original available  
50. Zimbabwe  G/RO/N/80  18.07.2012  Scanned copy available  
 
B. List of Members that have notified to the Secretariat that they do NOT apply non -
preferential rules of origin  
Member  Document Symbol  Date  
1. Angola  G/RO/N/176  27.11.2018  
2. Belize  G/RO/N/147  01.09.2016  
3. Benin  G/RO/N/150  10.11.2016  
4. Bolivia, Plurinational State of  G/RO/N/9  19.04.1996  
5. Brunei Darussalam  G/RO/N/5  01.11.1995  
6. Burundi  G/RO/N/33  02.05.2001  
7. Cameroon  G/RO/N/99  22.08.2013  
8. Chad G/RO/N/22  16.09.1998  
9. Chile G/RO/N/6  19.12.1995  
10. Congo  G/RO/N/118  18.09.2014  
11. Costa Rica  G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  
12. Côte d'Ivoire  G/NO/N/117  25.08.2014  
13. Dominica  G/RO/N/24  15.01.1999  
14. Dominican Republic  G/RO/N/9  19.04.1996  
15. Ecuador  G/RO/N/180  18.03.2019  
16. El Salvador  G/RO/N/10  16.08.1996  
17. Eswatini  G/RO/N/128  24.04.2015  
18. Fiji G/RO/N/17  10.04.1997  
19. The Gambia  G/RO/N/109  31.01.2014  
20. Ghana  G/RO/N/44  06.05.2004  
21. Guatemala  G/RO/N/21  20.07.1998  
22. Guyana  G/RO/N/42  
G/RO/N/42/Rev.1  10.12.2003  
12.09.2016  
23. Haiti G/RO/N/20/  
G/RO/N/20/Rev.1  14.05.1998  
27.07 1998  
24. Honduras  G/RO/N/3  27.07.1995  
25. Iceland  G/RO/N/5  01.11.1995  
26. India G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  
27. Indonesia  G/RO/N/16  05.03.1997  
28. Israel  G/RO/N/13  19.11.1996  
G/RO/N/163  15.02.2018  
29. Jamaica  G/RO/N/4  07.08.1995  
30. Kenya  G/RO/N/9  19.04.1996  
31. Kuwait, the State of  G/RO/N/100  19.09.2013  
32. Liberia  G/RO/N/173  05.07.2018  
33. Macao, China  G/RO/N/21  20.07.1998  
34. Malawi  G/RO/N/129  04.06.2015  
35. Malaysia  G/RO/N/6  19.12.1995  
36. Maldives  G/RO/N/22  16.09.1998  G/RO/90  
 
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  Member  Document Symbol  Date  
37. Mali G/RO/N/116  
G/RO/N/146  11.07.2014  
12.09.2016  
38. Mauritius  G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  
39. Myanmar  G/RO/N/151  23.05.2017 
40. Namibia  G/RO/N/26  02.09.1999  
41. Nepal  G/RO/N/165  03.04.2018  
42. Nicaragua  G/RO/N/10  16.08.1996  
43. Oman  G/RO/N/32  30.04.2001  
44. Pakistan  G/RO/N/16  05.03.1997  
45. Panama  G/RO/N/23  05.10.1998  
46. Papua New Guinea  G/RO/N/32  30.04.2001  
47. Paraguay  G/RO/N/21  20.07.1998  
48. Philippines  G/RO/N/6  19.12.1995  
49. Samoa  G/RO/N/97  02.08.2013  
50. Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of  G/RO/N/48  08.11.2006  
51. Singapore  G/RO/N/3  27.07.1995  
52. Sri Lanka  G/RO/N/178  28.11.2018  
53. Thailand  G/RO/N/1  
G/RO/N/1/Add.1  09.05.1995  
22.06.1995  
54. Trinidad and Tobago  G/RO/N/7  12.02.1996  
55. Uganda  G/RO/N/13  19.01.1996  
56. United Arab Emirates  G/RO/N/13  19.11.1996  
G/RO/N/17  10.04.1997  
57. Uruguay  G/RO/N/12  01.10.1996  
58. Viet Nam G/RO/N/68  22.02.2011  
G/RO/N/79  01.06.2012  
59. Zambia  G/RO/N/142  17.06.2016  
 
C. Members who have not yet submitted notifications under article 5 of the Agreement 
on Rules of Origin  
1. Antigua and Barbuda   
2. Bahrain, Kingdom of   
3. Bangladesh   
4. Barbados   
5. Botswana   
6. Cabo Verde  
7. Cambodia  
8. Central African Republic  
9. Democratic Republic of 
the Congo  
10. Djibouti  11. Egypt  
12. Gabon  
13. Grenada  
14. Guinea  
15. Guinea Bissau  
16. Mauritania  
17. Mozambique  
18. Nigeria  
19. Saint Kitts and Nevis  
20. Saint Lucia  
21. Saint Vincent and the 
Grenadines  22. Sierra Leone  
23. Solomon Islands  
24. Tajikistan  
25. Tanzania  
26. Tonga  
27. Vanuatu  
 
__________