WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/RO/59 
10 December 2004 
 
 (04-5465) 
Committee on Rules of Origin  
  
 
TENTH ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION AND 
OPERATION OF THE AGREEM ENT ON RULES OF ORIGIN  
 
Note by the Secretariat
 
 
 
 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".  At its meeting on 21-22 Octobe r 2004, the Committee on Rules of Origin conducted 
its tenth annual review of the implemen tation and operation of the Agreement. 
 G/RO/59 
Page 2  
 
 Table of contents
 
 
1. Members and Observer status.................................................................................................3  
(a) WTO Members (148).............................................................................................................. ....3 
(b) Observer Govern ments (29)...................................................................................................... ..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/59 
 Page 3 
 
 
 1. Members and Observer status 
(a) WTO Members (148) 
Albania Dominica Kuwait Qatar 
Angola Dominican Republic Kyrgyz Republic Romania 
Antigua and Barbuda Ecuador Latvia Rwanda 
Argentina Egypt Lesotho Saint Kitts and Nevis 
Armenia El Salvador Libya Saint Lucia 
Australia Estonia Liechtenstein Saint Vincent and the Austria European Community Lithuania    Grenadines 
Bahrain Republic of the Fiji  Luxembourg Senegal 
Bangladesh    Islands Macao, China Sierra Leone Barbados Finland Madagascar Singapore 
Belgium Former Yugoslav Rep. of Malawi Slovak Republic 
Belize Macedonia Malaysia Slovenia Benin France Maldives Solomon Islands 
Bolivia Gabon Mali South Africa 
Botswana Gambia Malta Spain Brazil Georgia Mauritania Sri Lanka 
Brunei Darussalam Germany Mauritius Suriname 
Bulgaria Ghana Mexico Swaziland Burkina Faso Greece Moldova Sweden 
Burundi Grenada Mongolia Switzerland 
Cambodia Guatemala Morocco Chinese Taipei Cameroon Guinea, Republic of Mozambique Tanzania 
Canada Guinea-Bissau Myanmar Thailand 
Central African Republic Guyana Namibia Togo Chad Haiti Netherlands Trinidad and Tobago 
Chile Honduras New Zealand Tunisia 
China, Peoples's Rep. of Hong  Kong, China Nicaragua Turkey 
Colombia Hungary Niger Uganda 
Congo Iceland Nigeria United Arab Emirates Costa Rica India Norway United Kingdom 
Côte d'Ivoire Indonesia Oman United States 
Croatia Ireland Pakistan Uruguay Cuba Israel Panama Venezuela 
Cyprus Italy Papua New Guinea Zambia 
Czech Republic Jamaica Paraguay Zimbabwe Democratic Republic of  Japan Peru  
   the Congo Jordan Philippines  
Denmark Kenya Poland  Djibouti Korea Portugal  
 G/RO/59 
Page 4  
 
 (b) Observer Governments (29) 
Algeria Holy See Serbia and Montenegro 
Andorra Kazakhstan Sudan 
Azerbaijan Lao, People's Democratic Republic of Tajikistan 
Bahamas Lebanon Tonga Belarus Libya Ukraine 
Bhutan Russian Federation Uzbekistan 
Bosnia and Herzegovina Samoa Vanuatu Cape Verde Sao Tome and Principe Viet Nam 
Equatorial Guinea Saudi Arabia Yemen 
Ethiopia Seychelles  
 
(c) Observer International Organizations (9) 
ACP 
EFTA IADB IMF 
ITCB 
OECD UNCTAD WCO 
 World Bank  2. Officers of the Committee on Rules of Origin 
Chairman:  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 ) has held three formal meetings on 
17 November 2003, 14 May and 21-22 October 2004.  The minutes of th ese meetings are contained in 
documents G/RO/M/44-46.  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 pa ragraph 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 paragraph 4 of An nex II of the Agreement.  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 
General Council for discussion and decision at that level (G/RO/52;  WT/GC/M/75);  since then the  G/RO/59 
 Page 5 
 
 
 matter has been in the hands of the General Council.   The General Council, at its meeting on 27 July 
and 1 August 2004, extended the deadline for completi on of the 94 core policy issues to July 2005.  
The General Council also agreed that following reso lution of these core policy issues, the CRO would 
complete its remaining technical work by 31 December 2005.  4. Annual Report to the Council for Trade in Goods 
 The CRO adopted its report to the CTG (G/L/704). 
  
 G/RO/59 
Page 6  
 
 ANNEX
 
 1. Members that have notified N on-Preferential Ru les of Origin 
(37) 
 
Argentina (G/RO/N/2, 10 & 16) Hong Kong, China (G/RO/N/1, 10, 24, 30 Peru (G/RO/N/4 & 5) 
Armenia (G/RO/N/41) & 37) Qatar (G/RO/N/25) 
Australia (G/RO/N/1) Israel (G /RO/N/13) Romania (G/RO/N/1) 
Burkina Faso (G/RON/19) Japan (G/RO/N/1) Senegal (G/RO/N/10) 
Bulgaria (G/RO/N/17 & 27) Korea (G /RO/N/1) South A frica (G/RO/N/3) 
Canada (G/RO/N/1) Jordan (G/RO/N/30) Suriname (G/RO/N/24 & 43) 
China (G/RO/N/37/Rev.1) Madagascar (G/RO/N/11) Switzerland (G/RO/N/4) 
Colombia (G/RO/N/1) Mexico (G/RO/ N/12) Taipei, Chinese (G/RO/N/37) 
Croatia (G/RNO/N/36) 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) 
FYROM (G/RO/N/45) Niger (G/RON/19)  Venezuela  (G/RO/N/1 & 10) 
Georgia (G/RO/N/37) No rway (G/RO/N/8)  
 
2. Members that have notified that they do not have Non-Preferential Rules of Origin (40) 
 
Bolivia (G/RO/N/9) Haiti (G /RO/N/20) Oman (G/RO/N/32) 
Brazil (G/RO/N/14) Honduras (G/RO/N/3) Pakistan (G/RO/N/16) Brunei Darussalam (G/RO/N/5) Iceland (G/RO/N/5) Panama (G/RO/N/23) 
Burundi (G/RO/N/33) India (G/RO/N/1) Papua New Guinea (G/RO/N/32) 
Chad (G/RO/N22) Indonesia (G/RO/N/16) Paraguay (G/RO/N/21) Chile (G/RO/N/6) Jamaica (G/RO/N/4) Philippines (G/RO/N/6) 
Costa Rica (G/RO/N/1) Kenya (G/RO/N/9) Singapore (G/RO/N/3) 
Dominica (G/RO/N/24) Macao, China (G/RO/N/21) Thai land (G/RO/N/1) 
Dominican Rep. (G/RO/N/9) Malaysia (G/RO/N/6) Trinidad & Tobago (G/RO/N/7) 
El Salvador (G/RO/N/10) Maldives (G/RO/N/22) Uganda (G/RO/N/12) 
Fiji (G/RO/N/17) Mauritiu s (G/RO/N/1) United Arab Emirates (G/RO/N/17) 
Ghana (G/RO/N/44) Mongolia (G/RO/N/20) Uruguay (G/RO/N/12) 
Guatemala (G/RO/N/21) Namibia (G/RO/N/26)  
Guyana (G/RO/N/42) Nicaragua (G/RO/N/10)  
 
3. Members that have not notified Non-Preferential Rules of Origin (46) 
 
Albania Djibouti Mozambique 
Angola Ecuador Myanmar 
Antigua & Barbuda Egypt Nepal 
Bahrain Gabon Nigeria Bangladesh Gambia Rwanda 
Barbados Grenada Saint Kitts & Nevis 
Belize Guinea Bissau Saint Lucia Benin Guinea, Rep. of Sa int Vincent & Grenadines 
Botswana Kuwait Sierra Leone 
Cambodia Kyrgyz Rep. Solomon Islands 
Cameroon Lesotho Sri Lanka 
Central African Rep Liechtenstein Swaziland Congo  Malawi Tanzania 
Côte d'Ivoire  Mali Togo 
D.R. of Congo Mauritania Zambia   Zimbabwe 
  G/RO/59 
 Page 7 
 
 
 4. Members that have notified Preferential Rules of Origin  (79) 
 
Argentina (G/RO/N/16) Guatemala (G /RO/N/21) New Zeal and (G/RO/N/1) 
Armenia (G/RO/N/41) Guyana (G/R O/N/42) Nicaragua (G/RO/N/10) 
Australia (G/RO/N/1) Haiti (G /RO/N/20) Nige r (G/RO/N/19) 
Bolivia (G/RO/N/1, 22&23) Honduras (G/RO/N/3 & 10) Norway (G/RO/N/8, 22 & 23) 
Brazil (G/RO/N/12) Iceland (G/RO/N/15, 22 & 23) Oman (G/RO/N/32) 
Brunei Darussalam (G/RO/N/4) India (G/RO/N/1) Pakistan (G/RO/N/16) Bulgaria (G/RO/N/15, 22, 23 & 27) Indonesia (G/RO/N/4) Panama (G/RO/N/23) 
Burkina Faso (G/RO/N/19) Israel (G/RO/N/13) Paraguay (G/RO/N/12) 
Canada (G/RO/N/1, 6 & 8) Jamaica (G/RO/N/4) Papua New Guinea (G/RO/N/32) Chad (G/RO/N/22) Japan (G/RO/N/6) Peru (G/RO/N/1) 
Chile (G/RO/N/6&38) Jordan (G/RON/30) Philippines (G/RO/N/4) 
China (G/RO/N/37/Rev.1) Kenya (G/RO/N/9) Qatar (G/RO/N/25) Colombia (G/RO/N/1) Korea (G/RO/N/ 7) Romania (G/RO/N/14, 22 & 23)  
Costa Rica (G/RO/N/20/Rev.1) Kyrgyz Republic (G/RO/N/39) Senegal (G/RO/N/10) 
Côte d'Ivoire (G/RO/N/11) Liechtenstein (G/RO/N/22) Singapore (G/RO/N/3 & 4) Croatia (G/RO/N/36) Madagascar (G/RO/N/11) Suriname (G/RO/N/24) 
Cuba (G/RO/N/3) Malaysia (G/RO/N/4) Switzerland (G/RO/N/6, 22, 23, 29 & 30) 
Dominica(G/RO/N/24) Maldives (G/RO/N/22) Thailand (G/RO/N/1 & 4) Dominican Rep. (G/RO/N/5, 39 & 40) Mali (G/RON/35) Trinidad &Tob. (G/RO/N/7 & 24) 
EC (G/RO/N/1) Mauritius (G/R O/N/1) Tunisi a (G/RO/N/7) 
Ecuador (G/RO/N/12) Mexico (G/RO/N/12) Turkey (G/RO/N/8 & 28) El Salvador (G/RO/N/10, 11&30) Moldova (G/RO/N/36) Uganda (G/RO/N/12) 
Fiji (G/RO/N/17) Mongolia (G/RO/N/20) United Arab Emirates (G/RO/N/17) 
FYROM (G/RO/N/45) Morocco (G/RO/ N/2) US (G/RO/N/1 , 6 & 18) 
Georgia (G/RO/N/38) Myanmar (G/RO/N/36) Uruguay (G/RO/N/5) 
Ghana (G/RO/N/44) Namibia (G/R O/N/26) Venezuel a (G/RO/N/1) 
  Zambia (G/RO/N/15) 
 
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 D.R. of Congo Mozambique 
Angola Djibouti Nigeria 
Antigua & Barbuda Egypt Rwanda Bahrain Gabon St. Kitts & Nevis 
Bangladesh Gambia Saint Lucia 
Barbados Grenada Saint Vincent & Grenadines 
Belize Guinea Bissau Sierra Leone 
Benin Guinea, Rep. of Solomon Islands 
Botswana Kuwait South Africa 
Cambodia Lesotho Sri Lanka 
Cameroon Malawi Swaziland Cent. African Rep. Mauritania Tanzania 
Congo Nepal Togo  
  Zimbabwe 
 
__________