RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/RO/W/122 
23 September 2008 
 (08-4455) 
Committee on Rules of Origin  
  
 
DRAFT 
 
FOURTEENTH 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 9 October 2008.  
                                                     
 
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/122 
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/122 
 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 Libya Saint Vincent and the 
Argentina Egypt Liechtenstein    Grenadines 
Armenia El Salvador Lithuania Saudi Arabia 
Australia Estonia Luxembourg Senegal Austria European Community Macao, China Sierra Leone 
Bahrain Fiji  Madagascar Singapore 
Bangladesh Finland Malawi Slovak Republic Barbados Former Yugoslav Rep. of Malaysia Slovenia 
Belgium   Macedonia Maldives Solomon Islands 
Belize France Mali South Africa Benin Gabon Malta Spain 
Bolivia Gambia Mauritania Sri Lanka 
Botswana Georgia Mauritius Suriname Brazil Germany Mexico Swaziland 
Brunei Darussalam Ghana Moldova Sweden 
Bulgaria Greece Mon golia Switzerland 
Burkina Faso Grenada Mo rocco Chinese Taipei 
Burundi Guatemala Mozambique Tanzania 
Cambodia Guinea, Republic of Myanmar Thailand Cameroon Guinea-Bissau Namibia 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/122 
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:  Mr. Yoshitomo Kondo (Japan)   
3. Meetings of the Committee on Rules of Origin 
3.1 The Committee on Rules of Origin (CRO) held two formal meetings on 24 April and 
9 October 2008.  The minutes of these meetings  are contained in docum ents G/RO/M/50-[51]. 
 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 [79] Members 
have made notifications of non-preferential rules of origin and [86] Members have made notifications 
of preferential rules of origin.  The Chairperson expressed concern that a number of Members had not 
yet complied with the notification requirements.  She urged Members who had not yet notified to do 
so as early as possible].  3.4 With regard to the work under part IV of th e Agreement, the General Council, at its meeting 
on 27 July 2007, recognized that , although important progress had been made over the last year, 
delegations in the CRO felt that the difficulties th ey had encountered on the "implications" issue and 
in the sector of machinery was such that guida nce from the General Council was now warranted on 
how to take these issues forward.  The recommenda tion of delegations in the CRO was that work on 
these issues be suspended until such guidance from the General Council would be forthcoming.  The 
General Council then agreed that, in the meantime, the CRO conti nue its work with a view to  G/RO/W/122 
 Page 5 
 
 
  resolving all technical issues, including the techni cal aspects of the overall ar chitecture, as soon as 
possible.  The CRO, at its meetings on 24 April and 9 October 2008, [...]   
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 9 October 2008].   G/RO/W/122 
Page 6  
 
  ANNEX
 
 1. Members that have notified N on-Preferential Ru les of Origin 
(37) 
 
Albania (G/RO/N/47) Georgia (G /RO/N/37) Norway (G/RO/N/8) 
Argentina (G/RO/N/2, 10 & 16) Hong Kong, China (G/RO/N/1, Peru (G/RO/N/4 & 5, 49, 50 & 52) 
Armenia (G/RO/N/41 & 53) 10, 24, 30, 37, 46 & 59) Qatar (G/RO/N/25) 
Australia (G/RO/N/1) Japan (G/RO/N/1) Senegal (G/RO/N/10) 
Burkina Faso (G/RON/19) Jordan (G/R O/N/30)  South Africa (G/RO/N/3) 
Canada (G/RO/N/1) Korea (G/RO/N/1) Suriname (G/RO/N/24 & 43) 
China (G/RO/N/37/Rev.1) Lesotho (G/RO/N/56) Switzerland (G/RO/N/4) 
Colombia (G/RO/N/1) Madagascar (G/RO/N/11) Chinese Taipei (G/RO/N/37) 
Croatia /G/RO/N/36) Mexico (G/RO/N/12) Tunisia (G/RO/N/7) 
Cuba (G/RO/N/3) Moldova (G/RON/36) Turkey (G/RO/N/8 & 28) 
EC (G/RO/N/1) Morocco (G/R O/N/2) Ukraine (G/RO/N/57) 
Former Yugoslav Rep. of  New Zealand (G/RO/N/1) US (G/RO/N/1 & 6) 
Macedonia /G/RO/N/45) Niger (G/RO/N/19) Venezuela (G/RO/N/1 & 10) 
 
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 (47) 
 
Angola Ecuador Nigeria 
Antigua & Barbuda Egypt Rwanda 
Bahrain Gabon Saint Kitts & Nevis 
Bangladesh Gambia Saint Lucia 
Barbados Grenada Saint Vincent & Grenadines 
Belize Guinea Bissau Sierra Leone 
Benin Guinea, Rep. of Solomon Islands 
Botswana Kuwait Sri Lanka 
Cambodia Kyrgyz Rep. Swaziland 
Cameroon Liechtenstein Tanzania 
Cape Verde Malawi Togo 
Central African Rep Mali Tonga 
Congo  Mauritania Viet Nam 
Côte d'Ivoire  Mozambique Zambia 
D.R. of Congo Myanmar Zimbabwe 
Djibouti Nepal   G/RO/W/122 
 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) 
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) Tunisia (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. Members that have not notified Preferential Rules of Origin  (40) 
 
Angola Egypt Saint Lucia 
Antigua & Barbuda Gabon Saint Vincent & Grenadines 
Bahrain Gambia Saudi Arabia 
Bangladesh Grenada Sierra Leone 
Barbados Guinea Bissau Solomon Islands 
Belize Guinea, Rep. of South Africa 
Benin Kuwait Sri Lanka 
Botswana Malawi Swaziland 
Cambodia Mauritania Tanzania 
Cameroon Mozambique Togo  
Cape Verde Nepal Tonga 
Cent. African Rep. Nigeria Viet Nam 
Congo Rwanda  
Djibouti St. Kitts & Nevis  
__________