RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/RO/W/129 
28 September 2009 
 (09-4535) 
Committee on Rules of Origin  
  
 
DRAFT 
 
FIFTEENTH 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 
fourteenth annual review of the implementation a nd operation of the Agreement, to be conducted at 
the meeting of the Committee on Rules of Origin on 15 October 2009.  
                                                     
 
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/129 
Page 2  
 
  Table of contents
 
 
1. Members and Observer status.................................................................................................3  
(a) WTO Members (153).............................................................................................................. ....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/129 
 Page 3 
 
 
  1. Members and Observer status 
(a) WTO Members (153) 
Albania Dominica Latvia Saint Kitts and Nevis 
Angola Dominican Republic Lesotho Saint Lucia 
Antigua and Barbuda Ecuador Liechtenstein Saint Vincent and the 
Argentina Egypt Lithuania    Grenadines 
Armenia El Salvador Luxembourg Saudi Arabia 
Australia Estonia Macao, China Senegal Austria European Community Madagascar Sierra Leone 
Bahrain Fiji  Malawi Singapore 
Bangladesh Finland Malaysia Slovak Republic Barbados Former Yugoslav Rep. of Maldives Slovenia 
Belgium Macedonia Ma li Solomon Islands 
Belize France Malta South Africa Benin Gabon Mauritania Spain 
Bolivia Gambia Mauritius Sri Lanka 
Botswana Georgia Mexico Suriname Brazil Germany Moldova Swaziland 
Brunei Darussalam Gh ana Mongolia Sweden 
Bulgaria Greece Moro cco Switzerland 
Burkina Faso Grenada Mo zambique Chinese Taipei 
Burundi Guatemala Myanmar Tanzania 
Cambodia Guinea-Bissau Namibia Thailand Cameroon Guinea, Republic of Nepal Togo 
Canada Guyana Netherlands Tonga 
Cape Verde Haiti New Zealand Trinidad and Tobago Central African Republic Honduras Nicaragua Tunisia 
Chad Hong Kong, China Niger Turkey 
Chile Hungary Nigeria Uganda 
China, Peoples's Rep. of  Iceland Norway Ukraine 
Colombia India Oman United Arab Emirates Congo Indonesia Pakistan United Kingdom 
Costa Rica Ireland Panama United States 
Côte d'Ivoire Israel Papua New Guinea Uruguay Croatia Italy Paraguay Venezuela 
Cuba Jamaica Peru Viet Nam 
Cyprus Japan Philippines Zambia Czech Republic Jordan  Poland Zimbabwe 
Democratic Republic of  Kenya Portugal  
   the Congo Korea Qatar  Denmark Kuwait Romania  
Djibouti Kyrgyz Republic Rwanda  
 G/RO/W/129 
Page 4  
 
  (b) Observer Governments (30) 
Afghanistan Ethiopia Russian Federation 
Algeria Holy See Samoa 
Andorra Iran Sao Tome and Principe 
Azerbaijan Iraq Serbia Bahamas Kazakhstan Seychelles 
Belarus Lao, People's Democratic Republic of Sudan 
Bhutan Lebanon Tajikistan Bosnia and Herzegovina Liberia Uzbekistan 
Comoros Libya Vanuatu 
Equatorial Guinea Montenegro 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:     
3. Meetings of the Committee on Rules of Origin 
3.1 The Committee on Rules of Origin (CRO) held two formal meetings on 11 June and 
15 October 2009.  The minutes of these meetings are contained in documents G/RO/M/52-[53]. 
 3.2 With regard to the work under Part II of  the Agreement, the CRO discussed [the issue 
"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 [80] Members 
have made notifications of non-preferential ru les of origin and [114] Members have made 
notifications of preferential rules of origin.  The 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 With regard to the Harmonization Work Pr ogramme under Part IV of the Agreement, the 
General Council, at its meeting on 27 July 2007, re cognized that delegations in the CRO felt that the 
difficulties they had encountered on the "implications " issue and in the sector of machinery was such 
that guidance from the General Council was now warran ted on how to take these issues forward.  The 
recommendation of delegations in the CRO was that  work on these issues be suspended until such 
guidance from the General Council would be fort hcoming.  The General Council then agreed
 that "in 
the meantime the CRO continue its work with a vi ew to resolving all technical issues including the  G/RO/W/129 
 Page 5 
 
 
  technical aspects of the overall architecture, as soon as possible".  The General Council also took note  
of the statement that the General Council Chairman noted in this connection that "in terms of next 
steps, delegations had requested the CRO Chair to continue the technical and architecture discussions 
in the regular business of the CRO".  The CRO, at its  meetings on 11 June and 15 October 2009, [...]. 
 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 15 October 2009]. 
 
 G/RO/W/129 
Page 6  
 
  ANNEX
 
 1. Members that have notified N on-Preferential Ru les of Origin 
(38) 
 
Albania (G/RO/N/47) Hong Kong, China (G/RO/N/1, Peru (G/RO/N/4 & 5, 49, 50 & 52) 
Argentina (G/RO/N/2, 10 & 16) 10, 24, 30, 37, 46 & 59) Qatar (G/RO/N/25) 
Armenia (G/RO/N/41 & 53) Japan (G/RO/N/1) Senegal (G/RO/N/10) 
Australia (G/RO/N/1) Jordan (G/R O/N/30)  South Africa (G/RO/N/3) 
Burkina Faso (G/RO/N/19) Korea (G/RO/N/1 & 63) Suriname (G/RO/N/24 & 43) 
Canada (G/RO/N/1) Lesotho (G/RO/N/56) Switzerland (G/RO/N/4 & 60/Rev.1) 
China (G/RO/N/37/Rev.1) Liechtenstein (G/RO/N/60/Rev.1) Chinese Taipei (G/RO/N/37) 
Colombia (G/RO/N/1) Madagascar (G/RO/N/11) Tunisia (G/RO/N/7 & 61) 
Croatia /G/RO/N/36) Mexico (G/RO/N/12) Turkey (G/RO/N/8 & 28) 
Cuba (G/RO/N/3) Moldova (G/RON/36) Ukraine (G/RO/N/57) 
EC (G/RO/N/1) Morocco (G/R O/N/2) US (G/RO/N/1 & 6) 
Former Yugoslav Rep. of  New Zealand (G/RO/N/1) Venezuela (G/RO/N/1 & 10) 
Macedonia /G/RO/N/45) Niger (G/RO/N/19)  
Georgia (G/RO/N/37) Norw ay (G/RO/N/8 & 62)  
 
2. Members that have notified that they do not have Non-Preferential Rules of Origin (42) 
 
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) Saudi Arabia  (G/RO/N/48) 
Dominican Rep. (G/RO/N/9) Macao, Ch ina (G/RO/N/21) Si ngapore (G/RO/N/3) 
El Salvador (G/RO/N/10) Malaysia (G/RO/N/6) Thailand (G/RO/N/1) 
Fiji (G/RO/N/17) Maldives (G/RO/N/ 22) Trinidad & Tobago (G/RO/N/7) 
Ghana (G/RO/N/44) Mauritius (G /RO/N/1) Uganda  (G/RO/N/12) 
Guatemala (G/RO/N/21) Mongolia (G/RO/N/20) United Arab Emirates (G/RO/N/17) 
Guyana (G/RO/N/42) Namibia (G/RO/N/26) Uruguay (G/RO/N/12) 
 
3. Members that have not notified Non-Preferential Rules of Origin (46) 
 
Angola Ecuador Rwanda 
Antigua & Barbuda Egypt Saint Kitts & Nevis 
Bahrain Gabon Saint Lucia 
Bangladesh Gambia Saint Vincent & Grenadines 
Barbados Grenada Sierra Leone 
Belize Guinea Bissau Solomon Islands 
Benin Guinea, Rep. of Sri Lanka 
Botswana Kuwait Swaziland 
Cambodia Kyrgyz Rep. Tanzania 
Cameroon Malawi Togo 
Cape Verde Mali Tonga 
Central African Rep Mauritania Viet Nam 
Congo  Mozambique Zambia 
Côte d'Ivoire  Myanmar Zimbabwe 
D.R. of Congo Nepal  
Djibouti Nigeria   G/RO/W/129 
 Page 7 
 
 
  4. Members that have notified Preferential Rules of Origin (82) 
 
Albania (G/RO/N/47 & 53) Guatemala (G/RO/N/21) Nicaragua (G/RO/N/10) 
Argentina (G/RO/N/16) Guyana (G/RO/N/42) Niger (G/RO/N/19) 
Armenia (G/RO/N/41) Haiti (G/RO/N/20) Norway (G/RO/N/8, 22 & 23 & 62) 
Australia (G/RO/N/1 & 51) Honduras (G/RO/N/3 & 10) Oman (G/RO/N/32) 
Bolivia (G/RO/N/1, 22 & 23) Iceland (G/RO/N/15, 22 & 23) Pakistan (G/RO/N/16) 
Brazil (G/RO/N/12) India (G/RO/N/1) Panama (G/RO/N/23) 
Brunei Darussalam (G/RO/N/4) 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 & 49) 
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) Senegal (G/RO/N/10) 
Colombia (G/RO/N/1) Korea (G/R O/N/7) Singapore (G/RO/N/3 & 4) 
Costa Rica (G/RO/N/20/Rev.1) Kyrgyz Republic (G/RO/N/39) Suriname (G/RO/N/24) 
Côte d'Ivoire (G/RO/N/11) Lesotho (G/RO/N/56) Switzerland (G/RO/N/6, 22, 23, 29 & 30) 
Croatia (G/RO/N/36) Liechtenstein (G/RO/N/22) Thailand (G/RO/N/1 & 4) 
Cuba (G/RO/N/3) Madagascar (G/RO/N/11) Trinidad &Tobago (G/RO/N/7, 24 & 54) 
Dominica (G/RO/N/24) Malaysia (G /RO/N/4) Tunisi a (G/RO/N/7) 
Dominican Rep. (G/RO/N/5, 39 & 40) Maldives (G/RO/N/22) Turkey (G/RO/N/8 & 28) 
D.R. of Congo (G/RO/N/48) Mali (G/RON/35) Uganda (G/RO/N/12) 
EC (G/RO/N/1) Mauritius (G/R O/N/1) Ukraine (G/RO/N/58) 
Ecuador (G/RO/N/12) Mexico (G/RO/N/12) United Arab Emirates (G/RO/N/17) 
El Salvador (G/RO/N/10, 11 & 30) Moldova (G/RO/N/36) Uruguay (G/RO/N/5) 
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) Venezuela (G/RO/N/1) 
Macedonia (G/RO/N/45) Myanmar (G/RO/N/36) Zambia (G/RO/N/15) 
Georgia (G/RO/N/38) Namibia (G/R O/N/26) Zimbabwe  (G/RO/N/55) 
Ghana (G/RO/N/44) New Z ealand (G/RO/N/1 & 51)  
 
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. Preferential Rules of Origin notified to other WTO bodies or available with the Secretariat
 
 (36)  
Angola  
 [COMESA] http://www.tralac.org/cgi-
bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&news_id=46669&cause_id=1694 
[SADC] http://www.tralac.org/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_id=1694&news_id=46654&cat_id=1074 
Antigua & 
Barbuda  [CARICOM] http://www.sice.oas.or g/trade/caricom/caricind.asp 
[EC-CARIFORUM] http://trade.ec. europa.eu/doclib/docs/2008/february/tradoc_137971.pdf 
Bahrain  
 [GCC] [PAFTA]  
[US-Bahrain] http://www.ustr.gov /trade-agreements/free- trade-agreements/bahrain-fta/final-text 
Bangladesh  
 [APTA] http://www.unescap.org/tid/aptaro.pdf  
[GSTP] http://www.unctadxi.org/Secured/GSTP/LegalInstruments/gstp_en.pdf  
[PTN] L/3598 
[SAFTA] http://www.saarc-sec.org/?t=2.1.6 [SAPTA] http://www.saarc-sec.org/?t=2.1.5 G/RO/W/129 
Page 8  
 
   
Barbados [CARICOM] http://www.sice.oas.or g/trade/caricom/caric8a.asp#SCHEIPARTB 
[EC-CARIFORUM] http://trade.ec. europa.eu/doclib/docs/2008/february/tradoc_137971.pdf 
Benin 
 [ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
[GSTP] http://www.unctadxi.org/Secured/GSTP/LegalInstruments/gstp_en.pdf 
[WAEMU] WT/COMTD/23 
Botswana   [EFTA-SACU] http://www.efta.int/c ontent/free-trade/fta-countries/southern-african-customs-
union-sacu 
[SACU] 
[SADC] http://www.tralac.org/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_id=1694&news_id=46654&cat_id=1074 
Cambodia 
 [ASEAN] http://www.aseansec.org/17293.pdf 
[ASEAN-China] http://www.a seansec.org/22204.pdf 
Cameroon  
 [CEMAC]  
[GSTP] http://www.unctadxi.org/Secured/GSTP/LegalInstruments/gstp_en.pdf 
Cape Verde [ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
Cent. African 
Rep. [CEMAC]  
Congo [CEMAC]  
Egypt 
 [EC-Egypt] WT/REG177/1 
[EFTA-Egypt] http://www.efta.int/cont ent/free-trade/fta-countries/egypt 
[Egypt-Turkey]  http://rtais.wto.org/rtado cs/2/AnnexAndRelatedDocs/English/Egypt%20-
%20Turkey%20Annexes.zip 
[GSTP] http://www.unctadxi.org/Secured/GSTP/LegalInstruments/gstp_en.pdf [PAFTA]  
[PTN] L/3598  
Gabon [CEMAC]  
Gambia [ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
Grenada  
 [CARICOM] http://www.sice.oas.or g/trade/caricom/caricind.asp 
[EC-CARIFORUM] http://trade.ec. europa.eu/doclib/docs/2008/february/tradoc_137971.pdf 
Guinea Bissau 
 [ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
[WAEMU] WT/COMTD/23 
Guinea, Rep. 
of [ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
[GSTP] http://www.unctadxi.org/Secured/GSTP/LegalInstruments/gstp_en.pdf 
Kuwait [GCC] [PAFTA]  
Malawi  
 [COMESA] http://www.tralac.org/cgi-
bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&news_id=46669&cause_id=1694 
[SADC] http://www.tralac.org/cgi-
bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_id=1694&news_id=46654&cat_id=1074 
Mozambique  [GSTP] http://www.unctadxi.org/Secured/GSTP/LegalInstruments/gstp_en.pdf 
[SADC] http://www.tralac.org/cgi-
bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_id=1694&news_id=46654&cat_id=1074 
Nepal [SAFTA] http://www .saarc-sec.org/?t=2.1.6 
[SAPTA] http://www.saarc-sec.org/?t=2.1.5 
Nigeria [GSTP] http://www.unctadxi.org/Secured/GSTP/LegalInstruments/gstp_en.pdf 
[ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
Rwanda [COMESA] http://www.tralac.org/cgi-
bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&news_id=46669&cause_id=1694 
St. Kitts & 
Nevis [CARICOM] http://www.sice.oas.org /trade/caricom/caricind.asp  
[EC-CARIFORUM] http://trade.ec. europa.eu/doclib/docs/2008/february/tradoc_137971.pdf 
St. Lucia [CARICOM] http://www.sice.oa s.org/trade/caricom/caricind.asp 
[EC-CARIFORUM] http://trade.ec. europa.eu/doclib/docs/2008/february/tradoc_137971.pdf 
Saudi Arabia [GCC] [PAFTA]  
Sierra Leone [ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
Solomon 
Islands [MSG] WT/COMTD/21 
[PICTA] http://rtais.wto.org/rtadocs/ 582/TOA/English/PICTA-text.pdf 
[SPARTECA] L/5100  G/RO/W/129 
 Page 9 
 
 
  South Africa  
 [EC-South Africa] http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:1999:311:0298:0400:EN:PDF  [EFTA-SACU] http://www.efta.int/c ontent/free-trade/fta-countries/southern-african-customs-
union-sacu  
[SACU]  [SADC] http://www.tralac.org/cgi-
bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_id=1694&news_id=46654&cat_id=1074 
Sri Lanka [APTA] http://www .unescap.org/tid/aptaro.pdf 
[GSTP] http://www.unctadxi.org/Secured/GSTP/LegalInstruments/gstp_en.pdf 
[India-Sri Lanka] http://www.doc.gov.lk/web/indusrilanka_freetrade.php 
[Pakistan-Sri Lanka] http://www.doc.gov .lk/web/pakissrilanka_freetrade.php 
[SAFTA] http://www.saarc-sec.org/?t=2.1.6 
[SAPTA] http://www.saarc-sec.org/?t=2.1.5 
Swaziland [COMESA] http://www.tralac.org/cgi-
bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&news_id=46669&cause_id=1694 [EFTA-SACU] http://www.efta.int/c ontent/free-trade/fta-countries/southern-african-customs-
union-sacu 
[SACU] [SADC] http://www.tralac.org/cgi-
bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_id=1694&news_id=46654&cat_id=1074 
Tanzania [COMESA] http://www.tralac.org/cgi-
bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&news_id=46669&cause_id=1694 [EAC] http://www.eac.int/customs/componen t/docman/doc_download/2-eac-rules-of-
origin.html  
[GSTP] http://www.unctadxi.org/Secured/GSTP/LegalInstruments/gstp_en.pdf  [SADC] http://www.tralac.org/cgi-
bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_id=1694&news_id=46654&cat_id=1074  
Togo [ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
[WAEMU] WT/COMTD/23 
Tonga [PICTA] http://rtais.wto.org/rta docs/582/TOA/English/PICTA-text.pdf 
[SPARTECA] L/5100 
Vietnam [ASEAN] http://www.aseansec.org/17293.pdf 
[ASEAN-China] http://www.a seansec.org/22204.pdf 
[GSTP] http://www.unctadxi.org/Secured/GSTP/LegalInstruments/gstp_en.pdf 
 
7. Members that have not notified Preferential Rules of Origin  (4) 
 
Belize  
Djibouti Mauritania Saint Vincent & Grenadines 
__________