G/L/1496  
G/STR/35  
 
20 October 202 3 
(23-7089) Page: 1/2 
   
 
  
REPORT (2023) OF THE WORKING PARTY ON  
STATE TRADING ENTERPRISES  
ADOPTED ON 20 OCTOBER 2023  
1  ORGANIZATION OF THE WORK OF THE WORKING PARTY  
1.  The Working Party on State Trading Enterprises (the Working Party) 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 (the Understanding). Membership of the Working Party is open to all Members indicating 
their wish to serve on it. Observer governments in the Gen eral Council of the WTO have observer 
status in the Working Party.  
2.  The mandate of the Working Party is set out in paragraph  5 of the Understanding. Pursuant to 
this mandate, the Working  Party completed an illustrative list of state trading relationships a nd 
activities, adopted by the Council for Trade in Goods on 15  October  1999 ( G/STR/4 ). Having also 
completed the mandated revision of the questionnaire on state trading, the Working Party now 
reviews notifications in light of the revised questionnaire adopted on 14  November  2003 
(G/STR/3/Rev. 1), as well as counter -notifications.  
3.  This report is submitted under paragraph  5 of the Understanding, which provides that the 
Working Group shall report annually to the Council for Trade in Goods. The report sets out th e 
activities of the Working Party during the review period, which runs from 22 October 2022 through 
20 October  2023. During this period, the Working Party held two formal meetings, on 28 April 2023 
and 20 October 2023. The minutes of the former were circul ated as document G/STR/M/42 , and 
minutes of the latter will be circulated as G/STR/M/43 . The Working Party also met in informal mode 
on 28 April 2023 and 9 June 2023 (see G/STR/34 ). 
4.  During the first part of the review period, Mr Agustín Navarro de Vicente -Gella (S pain) was Chair 
of the Working Party and Ms Lucille Veronique Brutus (Seychelles) was Vice -Chair. On 5 June 2023, 
the General Council elected Ms Laura Ulda CALLIGARO (Italy) as Chair of the Working Party.  
2  NOTIFICATION AND REVIEW OF MEMBERS' STATE TRADING A CTIVITIES  
5.  Article  XVII:4 of the GATT  1994 and paragraph  1 of the Understanding require Members to notify 
their state trading enterprises to the Council for Trade in Goods. New and full notifications were first 
required in 1995 and, subsequently, every thir d year thereafter, with updating notifications in the 
intervening years. Since 2004, new and full notifications have been due every two years and 
updating notifications have been eliminated.  
6.  During the period under review, the Working Party reviewed new and full notifications from: 
Albania, Burkina Faso, Chile, Costa Rica, Haiti, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, 
Mauritius, Panama, Philippines, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei a nd Uruguay. The Working Party also 
returned to the previously reviewed notifications of China, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Thailand and 
Viet Nam.  
7.  The Working Party also took up the following agenda item: continued non -notification of state 
trading enterpri ses by the Russian Federation (item requested by the United States).  G/L/1496 • G/STR/35  
 
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  8.  In addition, in the context of the implementation of the outcome of the Twelfth WTO Ministerial 
Conference, the Working Party took stock of its current functioning, discussed ways to imp rove it, 
and agreed on five steps to improve the functioning of the Working Party ( G/STR/33 ), as set out in 
more detail in the report to the CTG on this matter ( G/STR/34 ). 
3  COMPLIANCE WITH THE NOTIFICATION OBLIGATION  
9.  As of 20 October 2023, the Working Party has received 44 new and full notifications for the 
2020-2021 notification period. Between 22 October 2022 and 20 October 2023, the Working Party 
has also received 4 new and full notifications for earlier notification periods.  
10.  The following Members have not sub mitted any notification for the 2020 -2021 notification 
period: Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua  and Barbuda, Armenia, Kingdom of Bahrain, Bangladesh, 
Barbados, Belize, Benin, Plurinational State of Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, 
Cabo Verde, Cam eroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, 
Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, 
the Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea -Bissau, Guyana, India, Ja maica, Jordan, 
Kenya, the State of Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, 
Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, 
Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakis tan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, 
Peru, Qatar, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the 
Grenadines, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, 
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Trin idad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, 
Vanuatu, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.  
11.  An overview of the status of state trading notifications since 1995 will be circulated as document 
G/STR/36 .  
4  DATES OF T HE REGULAR MEETINGS IN 2024  
12.  As part of the steps agreed on by Members to improve the functioning of the Working Party, 
referred to at paragraph 8 above, Members set the dates of both regular meetings of 2024 during 
the autumn meeting of 2023.  
5  ADOPTION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT  
13.  The Working Party adopted its Annual Report to the Council for Trade in Goods for the 
year 2023.   
 
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