RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/RO/W/135 
14 October 2010 
 (10-5273) 
Committee on Rules of Origin  
  
 
DRAFT 
 
SIXTEENTH 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 
sixteenth 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 28 October 2010.  
                                                     
 
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/135 
Page 2  
 
  Table of contents
 
 
1. Members and Observer status.................................................................................................3  
(a) WTO Members (153).............................................................................................................. ....3 
(b) Observer Govern ments (31)...................................................................................................... ..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/135 
 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, Kingdom of 
Australia Estonia Macao, China Senegal Austria European Union 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, People'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, Bolivarian Rep. of 
Cuba Jamaica Peru Viet Nam 
Cyprus Japan Philippines Zambia Czech Republic Jordan  Poland Zimbabwe 
Democratic Republic of  Kenya Portugal  
   the Congo Korea, Republic of Qatar  Denmark Kuwait Romania  
Djibouti Kyrgyz Republic Rwanda  
 G/RO/W/135 
Page 4  
 
  (b) Observer Governments (31) 
Afghanistan Holy See Sao Tome and Principe 
Algeria Iran Serbia 
Andorra Iraq Seychelles 
Azerbaijan Kazakhstan Sudan Bahamas Lao, People's Democratic Republic of Syrian Arab Republic 
Belarus Lebanon Tajikistan 
Bhutan Liberia Uzbekistan Bosnia and Herzegovina Libyan  Arab Jamahiriya Vanuatu 
Comoros Montenegro Yemen 
Equatorial Guinea Russian Federation  Ethiopia Samoa  
 
(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. Jasmine Quah Zubair (Singapore) 
 
3. Meetings of the Committee on Rules of Origin 
3.1 The Committee on Rules of Origin (CRO) held two formal meetings on 25 March and 
28 October 2010.  The minutes of these meetings are contained in documents G/RO/M/54-[55]. 
 
3.2 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 [125] 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]. 
 3.3 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 
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 25 Marc h and 28 October 2010, 
[...].  G/RO/W/135 
 Page 5 
 
 
  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 28 October 2010]. 
 
 G/RO/W/135 
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) 
EU (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, Bolivarian Rep. of  
   Macedonia /G/RO/N/45) Niger (G/RO/N/19)    (G/RO/N/1 & 10) 
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, Kingdom of (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, Republic 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 the Congo Nepal  
Djibouti Nigeria   G/RO/W/135 
 Page 7 
 
 
  4. Members that have notified Preferential Rules of Origin (84) 
 
Albania (G/RO/N/47 & 53) Guatemala (G/RO/N/21) Niger (G/RO/N/19) 
Argentina (G/RO/N/16) Guyana (G/RO/N/42) Norway (G/RO/N/8, 22, 23 & 62) 
Armenia (G/RO/N/41) Haiti (G /RO/N/20) Oman (G/RO/N/32) 
Australia (G/RO/N/1 & 51) Honduras (G/RO/N/3 & 10) Pakistan (G/RO/N/16) 
Bolivia (G/RO/N/1, 22 & 23) Iceland (G/RO/N/15, 22 & 23) Panama (G/RO/N/23) 
Brazil (G/RO/N/12) India (G/RO/N/1) Paraguay (G/RO/N/12) 
Brunei Darussalam (G/RO/N/4) Indonesia (G /RO/N/4) Papua New Guinea (G/RO/N/32) 
Burkina Faso (G/RO/N/19) Israel (G/RO/N/13) Peru (G/RO/N/1 & 49) 
Canada (G/RO/N/1, 6 & 8) Jamaica (G/RO/N/4) Philippines (G/RO/N/4) 
Chad (G/RO/N/22) Japan (G/RO/N/6) Qatar (G/RO/N/25) 
Chile (G/RO/N/6 & 38) Jordan (G/RON/30) Senegal (G/RO/N/10) 
China (G/RO/N/37/Rev.1) Kenya (G/RO/N/9) Singapore (G/RO/N/3 & 4) 
Colombia (G/RO/N/1) Korea, Republic of (G/RO/N/7) Suriname (G/RO/N/24) 
Costa Rica (G/RO/N/20/Rev.1) Kyrgyz Republic (G/RO/N/39) Switzerland (G/RO/N/6, 22, 23, 29 & 30) 
Côte d'Ivoire (G/RO/N/11) Lesotho (G/RO/N/56) Tanzania, United Rep. of (G/RO/N/66) 
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) 
D. R. of the Congo (G/RO/N/48) Malaysia (G/RO/N/4) Tunisia (G/RO/N/7) 
Dominica (G/RO/N/24) Maldives (G/R O/N/22) Turkey (G/RO/N/8 & 28) 
Dominican Rep. (G/RO/N/5, 39 & 40) Mali (G/RON/35) Uganda (G/RO/N/12) 
EU (G/RO/N/1) Mauritius (G/RO/ N/1) Ukraine (G/RO/N/58 & 64) 
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, Bolivarian Rep. of (G/RO/N/1) 
Macedonia (G/RO/N/45) Myanmar (G/RO/N/36) Zambia (G/RO/N/15) 
Gabon (G/RO/N/65 Namibia (G/RO/N/26) Zimbabwe (G/RO/N/55) 
Georgia (G/RO/N/38) New Z ealand (G/RO/N/1 & 51)  
Ghana (G/RO/N/44) Nicar agua (G/RO/N/10)  
 
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
 
 (37)  
1. Angola  
  [SADC] http://www.sadc.int/fta 
2. Antigua & 
Barbuda  [CARICOM] http://www.caricom.org/jsp/comm unity/revised_treaty.jsp?menu=community 
[EC-CARIFORUM] http://trade.ec. europa.eu/doclib/docs/2008/february/tradoc_137971.pdf 
3. Bahrain  
 [GCC] [PAFTA]  
[US-Bahrain] http://www.ustr.go v/trade-agreements/free-trade- agreements/bahrain-fta/final-
text 
4. 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 
[SAPTA] http://www.saarc-sec.org G/RO/W/135 
Page 8  
 
   
5. Barbados [CARICOM] http://www.caricom.org/jsp/ community/revised_treaty.jsp?menu=community 
[EC-CARIFORUM] http://trade.ec. europa.eu/doclib/docs/2008/february/tradoc_137971.pdf 
6. Belize [CARICOM] http://www.car icom.org/jsp/communi ty/revised_treaty.jsp?menu=community 
7. 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 
8. Botswana  
 [EFTA-SACU] http://www.efta.int/c ontent/free-trade/fta-countries/southern-african-customs-
union-sacu 
[SACU] 
[SADC] http://www.sadc.int/fta 
9. Cambodia 
 [ASEAN] http://www.aseansec.org/17293.pdf 
[ASEAN-China] http://www.a seansec.org/22204.pdf 
10. Cameroon  
 [CEMAC] http://www.droit-afrique.com/images/textes/Afrique_centre/CEMAC%20-
%20Tarif%20des%20douanes.pdf 
[GSTP] http://www.unctadxi.org/Secured/GSTP/LegalInstruments/gstp_en.pdf 
11. Cape Verde [ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
12. Cent. African 
Rep. [CEMAC] http://www.droit-afrique.com/images/textes/Afrique_centre/CEMAC%20-
%20Tarif%20des%20douanes.pdf 
13. Congo [CEMAC] http://www.droit-afrique.com/images/textes/Afrique_centre/CEMAC%20-
%20Tarif%20des%20douanes.pdf 
14. Djibouti [COMESA] http://programmes.comesa.int/i ndex.php?option=com_content&view=article&id= 
56&Itemid=63&lang=en 
15. Egypt 
 [COMESA] 
http://programmes.comesa.int/index.php?opti on=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=
63&lang=en  [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  
16. Gambia [ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
17. Grenada  
 [CARICOM] http://www.caricom.org/jsp/comm unity/revised_treaty.jsp?menu=community 
[EC-CARIFORUM] http://trade.ec. europa.eu/doclib/docs/2008/february/tradoc_137971.pdf 
18. Guinea Bissau 
 [ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
[WAEMU] WT/COMTD/23 
19. 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 
20. Kuwait [GCC] [PAFTA]  
21. Malawi  
 [COMESA] 
http://programmes.comesa.int/index.php?opti on=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=
63&lang=en 
[SADC] http://www.sadc.int/fta 
22. Mozambique 
 [GSTP] http://www.unctadxi.org/Secured/GSTP/LegalInstruments/gstp_en.pdf 
[SADC] http://www.sadc.int/fta 
23. Nepal [SAFTA] http: //www.saarc-sec.org 
[SAPTA] http://www.saarc-sec.org 
24. 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 
25. Rwanda [COMESA] 
http://programmes.comesa.int/index.php?opti on=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=
63&lang=en 
26. St. Kitts & Nevis [CARICOM] http://www.caricom.org/ jsp/community/revised_treaty.jsp?menu=community 
[EC-CARIFORUM] http://trade.ec. europa.eu/doclib/docs/2008/february/tradoc_137971.pdf  G/RO/W/135 
 Page 9 
 
 
   
27. St. Lucia [CARICOM] http://www.caricom.org/jsp/ community/revised_treaty.jsp?menu=community 
[EC-CARIFORUM] http://trade.ec. europa.eu/doclib/docs/2008/february/tradoc_137971.pdf 
28. St Vincent & 
Grenadines  [CARICOM] http://www.caricom .org/jsp/community/revise d_treaty.jsp?menu=community 
29. Saudi Arabia [GCC] [PAFTA]  
30. Sierra Leone [ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
31. Solomon Islands [MSG] WT/COMTD/21 
[PICTA] http://rtais.wto.org/rtadocs/ 582/TOA/English/PICTA-text.pdf 
[SPARTECA] L/5100 
32. 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.sadc.int/fta 
33. 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 
[SAPTA] http://www.saarc-sec.org 
34. Swaziland [COMESA] 
http://programmes.comesa.int/index.php?opti on=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=
63&lang=en  
[EFTA-SACU] http://www.efta.int/c ontent/free-trade/fta-countries/southern-african-customs-
union-sacu 
[SACU] 
[SADC] http://www.sadc.int/fta 
35. Togo [ECOWAS] http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=ap051176def&lang=en 
[WAEMU] WT/COMTD/23 
36. Tonga [PICTA] http://rtais.wto.org/rta docs/582/TOA/English/PICTA-text.pdf 
[SPARTECA] L/5100 
37. 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  (1) 
 Mauritania 
 
__________