RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/RO/W/103 
14 September 2005 
 (05-4012) 
Committee on Rules of Origin  
  
 
DRAFT 
 
ELEVENTH ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION AND 
OPERATION OF THE AGREEM ENT ON RULES OF ORIGIN  
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
  
 Article 6.1 of the Agreement on Rules of Orig in provides that "the Committee shall review 
annually the implementation and opera tion of Part II and Part III of this Agreement having regard to 
its objectives".  This background document is circul ated by the Secretariat in preparation for the 
eleventh annual review of the impl ementation and operation of the Ag reement, to be conducted at the 
meeting of the Committee on Rules of Origin on 23 September 2005.  
                                                     
 
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and without prejudice to 
the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO. G/RO/W/103 
Page 2  
 
Table of contents
 
 
1. Members and Observer status.................................................................................................3  
(a) WTO Members (148).............................................................................................................. ....3 
(b) Observer Govern ments (30)...................................................................................................... ..4 
(c) Observer International Organizations (9) ...................................................................................4  
2. Officers of the Committee on Rules of Origin........................................................................4  
3. Meetings of the Committe e on Rules of Origin ......................................................................4  
4. Annual Report to the Council for Trade in Goods ................................................................5   G/RO/W/103 
 Page 3 
 
 
1. Members and Observer status 
(a) WTO Members (148) 
Albania Dominican Republic Lesotho Saint Lucia 
Angola Ecuador Libya Saint Vincent and the 
Antigua and Barbuda Egypt Liechtenstein    Grenadines 
Argentina El Salvador Lithuania Senegal 
Armenia Estonia Luxembourg Sierra Leone 
Australia European Commun ity Macao, China Singapore 
Austria Fiji  Madagascar Slovak Republic 
Bahrain Finland Malawi Slovenia 
Bangladesh Former Yugoslav Rep. of Malaysia Solomon Islands Barbados Macedonia Maldives South Africa 
Belgium France Mali Spain 
Belize Gabon Malta Sri Lanka Benin Gambia Mauritania Suriname 
Bolivia Georgia Mauritius Swaziland 
Botswana Germany Mexico Sweden Brazil Ghana Moldova Switzerland 
Brunei Darussalam Greece Mo ngolia Chinese Taipei 
Bulgaria Grenada Morocco Tanzania Burkina Faso Guatemal a Mozambique Thailand 
Burundi Guinea, Republic of Myanmar Togo 
Cambodia Guinea-Bissau Namibia Trinidad and Tobago Cameroon Guyana Netherlands Tunisia 
Canada Haiti New Zealand Turkey 
Central African Republic Honduras Nicaragua Uganda Chad Hong Kong, China Niger United Arab Emirates 
Chile Hungary Nigeria United Kingdom 
China, Peoples's Rep. of I celand Norway United States 
Colombia India Oman Uruguay 
Congo Indonesia Pakistan Venezuela Costa Rica Ireland Panama Zambia 
Côte d'Ivoire Israel Papua New Guinea Zimbabwe 
Croatia Italy Paraguay  Cuba Jamaica Peru  
Cyprus Japan Philippines  
Czech Republic Jo rdan Poland  
Democratic Republic of  Kenya Portugal  
   the Congo Korea Qatar  
Denmark Kuwait Romania  Djibouti Kyrgyz Republic Rwanda  
Dominica Latvia Saint Kitts and Nevis  
 G/RO/W/103 
Page 4  
 
(b) Observer Governments (39) 
Afghanistan Ethiopia San Marino 
Algeria Holy See Sao Tome and Principe 
Andorra Iran Saudi Arabia 
Azerbaijan Iraq Serbia Bahamas Kazakhstan Seychelles 
Belarus Lao, People's Democratic Republic of Sudan 
Bhutan Lebanon Tajikistan Bosnia and Herzegovina Liberia Tonga 
Cape Verde Libya Ukraine 
Comoros Montenegro Uzbekistan Cook Island Niue Vanuatu 
Equatorial Guinea Russian  Federation Viet Nam 
Eritrea  Samoa Yemen 
 
(c) Observer International Organizations (9) 
ACP 
EFTA IADB IMF 
ITCB 
OECD UNCTAD WCO 
 World Bank  2. Officers of the Committee on Rules of Origin 
Chairperson:  Ms. Vera Thorstensen (Brazil) 
 Vice-Chairman:  Mr. Tomoyoshi Watanabe (Japan)   
3. Meetings of the Committee on Rules of Origin 
3.1 The Committee on Rules of Origin (CRO) held one formal meeting on [23 September 2005].  
The minutes of these meeting is contained in document G/RO/M/[47].  3.2 With regard to the work under Part II  of the Agreement on Rules of Origin (the Agreement), 
the CRO [carried out the transitional review under paragraph 18 of the Protocol of Accession of the 
People's Republic of China.] 
      3.3 With regard to the work under Part III  of the Agreement, [the CRO took note of the 
notifications under Article 5 and pa ragraph 4 of Annex II of the Agre ement.  To date [77] Members 
have made notifications of non-preferential rules of origin and [83] Members have made notifications 
of preferential rules of origin (see Annex).  Th e Chairperson expressed concern that a number of 
Members had not yet complied with the notificati on requirements.  She urged Members who had not 
yet notified to do so as early as possible.]  3.4 Apart from the above-summarized  implementation and operation of Parts II and III  of the 
Agreement, the Chairperson and Vi ce-Chairman of the CRO, at the re quest of the Chairman of the 
General Council, have conduc ted intense consultations with Member s in order to resolve the 94 core 
policy issues with regard to the Harmonization Work Programme under Part IV  of the Agreement.  
The CRO, in July 2002, forwarded 93 core policy issues as well as the implications issue to the  G/RO/W/103 
 Page 5 
 
 
General Council for discussion and decision at that level (G/RO/52;  WT/GC/M/75);  since then the matter has been in the hands of the General Council.   The General Council, at its meeting on 27 July 
and 1 August 2004, agreed to continue its work with  a view to completing the negotiations on the core 
policy issues by July 2006.  The General Council al so agreed that following resolution of these core 
policy issues, the CRO would complete its remaining technical work by 31 December 2006. 
 
4. Annual Report to the Council for Trade in Goods 
[The CRO adopted its report to the CTG (G/L/--).] 
  
[To be completed in light of the discussion at the meeting of 23 September 2005.] 
 
 G/RO/W/103 
Page 6  
 
ANNEX
 
 1. Members that have notified N on-Preferential Ru les of Origin 
(36) 
 
Argentina (G/RO/N/2, 10 & 16) Hong Kong, China (G/RO/N/1, 
10, 24, 30, Qatar (G/RO/N/25) 
Armenia (G/RO/N/41) 37 &46) Romania (G/RO/N/1) 
Australia (G/RO/N/1) Japan (G/RO/N/1) Senegal (G/RO/N/10) 
Burkina Faso (G/RON/19) Korea (G/R O/N/1) South A frica (G/RO/N/3) 
Bulgaria (G/RO/N/17 & 27) Jordan (G/RO/N/30) Suriname (G/RO/N/24 & 43) 
Canada (G/RO/N/1) Madagascar (G/RO/N/11) Switzerland (G/RO/N/4) 
China (G/RO/N/37/Rev.1) Mexico (G/RO/N/12) Chinese Taipei (G/RO/N/37) 
Colombia (G/RO/N/1) Moldova (G/RON/36) Tunisia (G/RO/N/7) 
Cuba (G/ RO/N/3)  Morocco (G/R O/N/2) Turkey (G/RO/N/8 & 28) 
EC (G/RO/N/1) New Zealand (G /RO/N/1) US (G/RO/N/1 & 6) 
Former Yugoslav Rep. of  Niger (G/RON/19) Venezuela  (G/RO/N/1 & 10) 
Macedonia Norway (G/RO/N/8)  
Georgia (G/RO/N/37) Peru (G/RO/N/4 & 5)  
 
2. Members that have notified that they do not have Non-Preferential Rules of Origin (41) 
 
Bolivia (G/RO/N/9) Haiti (G/R O/N/20) Nicaragua  (G/RO/N/10) 
Brazil (G/RO/N/14) Honduras (G/RO/N/3) Oman (G/RO/N/32) 
Brunei Darussalam (G/RO/N/5) Iceland (G/RO/N/5) Pakistan (G/RO/N/16) 
Burundi (G/RO/N/33) India (G/RO/N/1) Panama (G/RO/N/23) 
Chad (G/RO/N22) Indonesia (G/RO/N/16) Papua New Guinea (G/RO/N/32) 
Chile (G/RO/N/6) Israel (G/R O/N/13) Paraguay (G/RO/N/21) 
Costa Rica (G/RO/N/1) Jamaica (G/R O/N/4) Philippines (G/RO/N/6) 
Dominica (G/RO/N/24) Kenya (G/RO/N/9) Singapore (G/RO/N/3) 
Dominican Rep. (G/RO/N/9) Macao, Ch ina (G/RO/N/21) Th ailand (G/RO/N/1) 
El Salvador (G/RO/N/10) Malaysia (G/RO/N/6) Trinidad & Tobago (G/RO/N/7) 
Fiji (G/RO/N/17) Maldives (G /RO/N/22) Uganda  (G/RO/N/12) 
Ghana (G/RO/N/44) Mauritius (G/RO/N/1)  United Arab Emirates (G/RO/N/17) 
Guatemala (G/RO/N/21) Mongolia (G/RO/N/20) Uruguay (G/RO/N/12) 
Guyana (G/RO/N/42) Na mibia (G/RO/N/26)  
 
3. Members that have not notified Non-Preferential Rules of Origin (46) 
 
Albania Ecuador Nepal 
Angola Egypt Nigeria 
Antigua & Barbuda Gabon Rwanda 
Bahrain Gambia Saint Kitts & Nevis 
Bangladesh Grenada Saint Lucia 
Barbados Guinea Bissau Sain t Vincent & Grenadines 
Belize Guinea, Rep. of Sierra Leone 
Benin Kuwait Solomon Islands 
Botswana Kyrgyz Rep. Sri Lanka 
Cambodia Lesotho Swaziland 
Cameroon Liechtenstein Tanzania 
Central African Rep Malawi Togo 
Congo  Mali Zambia 
Côte d'Ivoire  Mauritania Zimbabwe 
D.R. of Congo Mozambique  
Djibouti Myanmar   G/RO/W/103 
 Page 7 
 
 
4. Members that have notified Preferential Rules of Origin  (79) 
 
Argentina (G/RO/N/16) Guatemala (G /RO/N/21) Nicara gua (G/RO/N/10) 
Armenia (G/RO/N/41) Guyana (G/RO/N/42) Niger (G/RO/N/19) 
Australia (G/RO/N/1) Ha iti (G/RO/N/20) Norway (G/RO/N/8, 22 & 23) 
Bolivia (G/RO/N/1, 22&23) Honduras (G/RO/N/3 & 10) Oman (G/RO/N/32) 
Brazil (G/RO/N/12) Iceland (G/RO/N/15, 22 & 23) Pakistan (G/RO/N/16) 
Brunei Darussalam (G/RO/N/4) India (G/RO/N/1) Panama (G/RO/N/23) 
Bulgaria (G/RO/N/15, 22, 23 & 27) Indonesia (G/RO/N/4) Paraguay (G/RO/N/12) 
Burkina Faso (G/RO/N/19) Israel (G/R O/N/13) Papua New Guinea (G/RO/N/32) 
Canada (G/RO/N/1, 6 & 8) Jamaica (G/RO/N/4) Peru (G/RO/N/1) 
Chad (G/RO/N/22) Japan (G/RO/N/6) Philippines (G/RO/N/4) 
Chile (G/RO/N/6&38) Jordan (G/RON/30) Qatar (G/RO/N/25) 
China (G/RO/N/37/Rev.1) Kenya (G/RO/N/9) Romania (G/RO/N/14, 22 & 23)  
Colombia (G/RO/N/1) Korea (G /RO/N/7) Senegal (G/RO/N/10) 
Costa Rica (G/RO/N/20/Rev.1) Kyrgyz Republic (G/RO/N/39) Singapore (G/RO/N/3 & 4) 
Côte d'Ivoire (G/RO/N/11) Liechtenstein (G/RO/N/22) Suriname (G/RO/N/24) 
Croatia (G/RO/N/36) Madagascar (G/RO/N/11) Switzerland (G/RO/N/6, 22, 23, 29 & 30) 
Cuba (G/RO/N/3) Malaysia (G/RO/N/4) Thailand (G/RO/N/1 & 4) 
Dominica(G/RO/N/24) Maldives (G/RO/N/22) Trinidad &Tob. (G/RO/N/7 & 24) 
Dominican Rep. (G/RO/N/5, 39 & 
40) Mali (G/RON/35) Tunisia (G/RO/N/7) 
EC (G/RO/N/1) Mauritius (G/RO/ N/1) Turkey (G/RO/N/8 & 28) 
Ecuador (G/RO/N/12) Mexico (G/RO/N/12) Uganda (G/RO/N/12) 
El Salvador (G/RO/N/10, 11&30) Moldova (G/RO/N/36) United Arab Emirates (G/RO/N/17) 
Fiji (G/RO/N/17) Mongolia (G/RO/N/20) US (G/RO/N/1 , 6 & 18) 
Former Yugoslav Rep. of  Morocco (G/RO/N/2) Uruguay (G/RO/N/5) 
Macedonia (G/RON/44) Myanmar (G/RO/N/36) Venezuela (G/RO/N/1) 
Georgia (G/RO/N/38) Namibia (G /RO/N/26) Zambia  (G/RO/N/15) 
Ghana (G/RO/N/44) New Zealand (G/RO/N/1)  
 
5. Members that have notified that they do not have Preferential Rules of Origin  (4) 
 
Burundi (G/RO/N/34) 
Chinese Taipei (G/RO/N/37) 
Hong Kong, China (G/RO/N/1) 
Macao, China (G/RO/N/21) 
 
6. Members that have not notified Preferential Rules of Origin  (40) 
 
Albania Djibouti Rwanda 
Angola Egypt St. Kitts & Nevis 
Antigua & Barbuda Gabon Saint Lucia 
Bahrain Gambia Saint Vincent & Grenadines 
Bangladesh Grenada Sierra Leone 
Barbados Guinea Bissau Solomon Islands 
Belize Guinea, Rep. of South Africa 
Benin Kuwait Sri Lanka 
Botswana Lesotho Swaziland 
Cambodia Malawi Tanzania 
Cameroon Mauritania Togo  
Cent. African Rep. Nepal Zimbabwe 
Congo Mozambique  
D.R. of Congo Nigeria  
__________