G/L/1090  
 
6 November 2014  
(14-6477)  Page: 1/2  
   
 
 REPORT (2014) OF THE WORKING PARTY ON 
STATE TRADING ENTERPRISES 
(ADOPTED 9 OCTOBER 2014) 
1  ORGANIZATION OF THE WORK OF THE WORKING PARTY 
1.  The Working Party on State Trading Enterpri ses was established by the Council for Trade in 
Goods at its meeting of 20 February 1995, pursua nt to paragraph 5 of the Understanding on the 
Interpretation of Article XVII of the General Agr eement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (hereinafter "the 
Understanding"). Membership of the Working Party 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 year under review, the Working Party held one formal meeting under 
the Chairmanship of Mr Mohammed Al Mardhoof Al Saadi (Oman). 
2.  The mandate of the Working Party is set out in paragraph 5 of the Understanding. The Working 
Party completed its mandate to develop an illustrative list of state trading relationships and 
activities with the adoption of the Illustrative List 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 noti fications in light of the revised questionnaire 
adopted on 14 November 2003 (G/STR/3/Rev.1). 
3.  This Report is submitted under paragraph 5 of the Understanding. It sets out the activities of 
the Working Party during the year under review. 
4.  In 2014, the Working Party held a formal meet ing on 9 October. The minutes of this meeting 
will be circulated as document G/STR/M/26. The next regular meeting of the Working Party is 
scheduled for 12 October 2015. 
2  NOTIFICATION AND REVIEW OF MEMBERS' STATE TRADING ACTIVITIES 
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 third year thereafter, while updating 
notifications were to be made in the intervening years. On 11 November 2003, the Working Party 
adopted the recommendation contained in docu ment G/STR/5 regarding the frequency of 
notifications. This recommendation, approved by the Council for Trade in Goods on 26 November 2003, modified the frequency of notifications on state trading enterprises to new and 
full notifications on a biannual basis only. The new frequency of notifications was to be 
implemented for a trial phase of four years, commencing on 30 June 2004. On 3 October 2008 and again on 16 June 2010, the Working Party extended the new frequency of notifications for two 
additional years.
1 On 8 June 2012, the Working Party adopted the recommendation contained in 
document G/STR/8 to extend the current frequenc y of notification on an indefinite basis. 
6.  In the period under review, 64 new and full notifications and 13 updating notifications were 
received. The Working Party reviewed all of these notifications at its regular meeting on 
9 October 2014. The new and full notifications included: (a) the 2014 notifications from Albania; Australia; Burkina Faso; Canada; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Egypt; European Union; Georgia; 
                                               
1 G/STR/6 and G/STR/7. G/L/1090 
 
- 2 - 
 
  Honduras; Hong Kong, China; Japan; Kuwait, the State of; Liechtenstein; Macao, China; Mali; 
Mauritius; New Zealand; Norway; Oman; Peru; Se negal; Singapore; South Africa; Switzerland; 
Chinese Taipei; Ukraine and the United States of America; (b) the 2012 notifications from Albania; 
Burkina Faso; Costa Rica; Mauritius; Oman; Senegal; the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 
and Togo; (c) the 2010 notifications from Albania; Burkina Faso; Cabo Verde; Costa Rica; Oman; 
Senegal and the Former Yugoslav Republic of  Macedonia; (d) the 2008 notifications from 
Burkina Faso; Costa Rica; Oman; Senegal; and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; 
(e) the 2006 notifications from Burkina Faso; Co sta Rica; Oman; Senegal and the Former Yugoslav 
Republic of Macedonia; (f) the 2004 notificati ons from Burkina Faso; Costa Rica; Oman and 
Senegal; (g) the 2001 notifications from Burkina Faso and Senegal; (h) the 1998 notifications from 
Burkina Faso and Senegal; (i) and the 1995 noti fication from Burkina Faso and Senegal.  
7.  The updating notifications reviewed were  as follows: (a) the 2003 notifications from 
Burkina Faso; Costa Rica and Senegal; (b) the 2002, 2000, 1999, 1997 and 1996 notifications from Burkina Faso and Senegal. 
8.  At the October 2014 meeting of the Working Party, both the European Union and Chile posed 
questions regarding New Zealand's notification in G/STR/N/15/NZL.
2 In addition, the 
European Union submitted again a prior written question to India regarding its notifications in 
G/STR/N/14/IND, G/STR/N/13/IND and G/STR/N/12/IND.3 
9.  At the same meeting, the Working Party reviewed a Counter-Notification, submitted by the 
United States, of the state trading enterprises of China pursuant to paragraph 4 of the Understanding on the Interpretation of Article XVII.
4 Furthermore, upon a joint request by the 
European Union and the United States, the Working Party discussed the issue of the notification of 
Gazprom by Russia as a state trading enterprise. Upon a joint request by Australia, Canada, the European Union and the United States, the Working Party also addressed the issue of non-
notification and overdue notifications. 
10.  Finally, the Working Party adopted its Annual Report to the Council for Trade in Goods for the 
year 2014. 
3  COMPLIANCE WITH THE NOTIFICATION OBLIGATION  
11.  During the year under review and up to 5 November 2014, 33 new and full notifications have 
been received for the 2014 notification period (G/STR/N/15).  
12.  The following Members have not submitted an y notification for the current period: Angola; 
Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Armenia; Ba hrain, the Kingdom of; Bangladesh; Barbados; 
Belize; Benin; Bolivia, the Plurinational State of; Botswana; Brazil; Brunei Darussalam; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Congo; Côte d'Ivoire; 
Cuba; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; El Salvador; 
Fiji; Gabon; The Gambia; Ghana; Grenada; Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; Iceland; India; Indonesia; Israel; Jamaica; Jordan; Kenya; Kyrgyz Republic; Lao People's 
Democratic Republic; Lesotho; Madagascar; Malawi; Maldives; Mauritania; Mexico; Moldova, 
Republic of; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Nicaragua; Niger; Pakistan; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Philippines; Qatar; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; 
Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of; Sierra Leone; Solomon Islands; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Swaziland; 
Tajikistan; Tanzania; Thailand; The former Yugoslav  Republic of Macedonia; Tonga; Trinidad and 
Tobago; Tunisia; Turkey; Uganda; United Arab Emirates; Uruguay; Vanuatu; Venezuela, the 
Bolivarian Republic of; Viet Na m; Yemen; Zambia and Zimbabwe. 
13.  Information on the status of state trading notifications since 1995 is set out in document 
G/STR/11. 
__________  
                                               
2 G/STR/Q1/NZL/8 and G/STR/Q1/NZL/9. 
3 G/STR/Q1/IND/5. 
4 G/STR/Q1/CHN/2.