RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/RO/W/109 
26 September 2007 
 (07-4045) 
Committee on Rules of Origin  
  
 
DRAFT 
 
THIRTEENTH 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 
thirteenth 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 25 October 2007.  
                                                     
 
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/109 
Page 2  
 
  Table of contents
 
 
1. Members and Observer status.................................................................................................3  
(a) WTO Members (151).............................................................................................................. ....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/109 
 Page 3 
 
 
  1. Members and Observer status 
(a) WTO Members (151) 
Albania Dominica Kyrgyz Republic Romania 
Angola Dominican Republic Latvia Rwanda 
Antigua and Barbuda Ecuador Lesotho Saint Kitts and Nevis 
Argentina Egypt Libya Saint Lucia 
Armenia El Salvador Liechtenstein Saint Vincent and the 
Australia Estonia Lithuania    Grenadines Austria European Community Luxembourg Saudi Arabia 
Bahrain Fiji  Macao, China Senegal 
Bangladesh Finland Madagascar Sierra Leone Barbados Former Yugoslav Rep. of Malawi Singapore 
Belgium Macedonia Malaysia Slovak Republic 
Belize France Maldives Slovenia Benin Gabon Mali Solomon Islands 
Bolivia Gambia Malta South Africa 
Botswana Georgia Mauritania Spain Brazil Germany Mauritius Sri Lanka 
Brunei Darussalam Ghana Mexico Suriname 
Bulgaria Greece Moldova Swaziland Burkina Faso Grenada Mongolia Sweden 
Burundi Guatemala Mo rocco Switzerland 
Cambodia Guinea, Republic of Mozambique Chinese Taipei Cameroon Guinea-Bissau Myanmar Tanzania 
Canada Guyana Namibia Thailand 
Central African Republic Haiti Netherlands Togo Chad Honduras New Zealand Tonga 
Chile Hong Kong, China Nicaragua Trinidad and Tobago 
China, Peoples's Rep. of Hungary Niger Tunisia 
Colombia Iceland Nigeria Turkey 
Congo India Norway Uganda Costa Rica Indonesia Oman United Arab Emirates 
Côte d'Ivoire Ireland Pakistan United Kingdom 
Croatia Israel Panama United States Cuba Italy Papua New Guinea Uruguay 
Cyprus Jamaica Paraguay Venezuela 
Czech Republic Japan Peru Viet Nam Democratic Republic of  Jordan Philippines Zambia 
   the Congo Kenya Poland Zimbabwe 
Denmark Korea Portugal  Djibouti Kuwait Qatar  
    
 G/RO/W/109 
Page 4  
 
  (b) Observer Governments (30) 
Afghanistan Ethiopia Samoa 
Algeria Holy See Sao Tome and Principe 
Andorra Iran Serbia 
Azerbaijan Iraq Seychelles Bahamas Kazakhstan Sudan 
Belarus Lao, People's Democratic Republic of Tajikistan 
Bhutan Lebanon Ukraine Bosnia and Herzegovina Libya Uzbekistan 
Cape Verde Montenegro Vanuatu 
Equatorial Guinea Russian Federation 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 [25 October 2007].  
The minutes of this meeting is contained in document G/RO/M/[49]. 
 
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 [77] Members 
have made notifications of non-preferential rules of origin and [83] Members have made notifications 
of preferential rules of origin.  The Chairman expressed concern that a number of Members had not yet complied with the notification requirements.  He  urged Members who had not yet notified to do so 
as early as possible]. 
 
3.4 The Chairperson of the CRO, at the request and on behalf of the Chairman of the General 
Council, has conducted intense consultations with Members in order to resolve the 94 core policy 
issues with regard to the Harmonization Work Pr ogramme under Part IV of the Agreement.  The 
General Council, at its meetings  on 27 July 2007, recognized that, although important progress had 
been made over the last year, delegations in the CRO felt that the difficulties they had encountered on  G/RO/W/109 
 Page 5 
 
 
  the "implications" issue and in the sector of ma chinery was such that guidance from the General 
Council was now warranted on how to take these i ssues forward.  The recommendation of delegations 
in the CRO was that work on th ese issues be suspended until such guidance from the General Council 
would be forthcoming.  The General Council then ag reed that, in the meantime, the CRO continue its 
work with a view to resolving all technical issues, including the technical aspects of the overall 
architecture, as soon as possible.    
 3.5 The CRO, at its meeting on 25 October 2007 [....]  
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 25 October 2007.]  
 G/RO/W/109 
Page 6  
 
  ANNEX
 
 1. Members that have notified N on-Preferential Ru les of Origin 
(35) 
 
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) 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) Korea (G/R O/N/1) South A frica (G/RO/N/3) 
Burkina Faso (G/RON/19) 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) 
Croatia /G/RO/N/36) Morocco (G/RO/N/2) Turkey (G/RO/N/8 & 28) 
Cuba (G/ RO/N/3) New Zealand (G /RO/N/1) US (G/RO/N/1 & 6) 
EC (G/RO/N/1) Niger (G/RON/19)  Venezuela  (G/RO/N/1 & 10) 
Former Yugoslav Rep. of  Norway (G/RO/N/8)  
Macedonia /G/RO/N/45)   
 
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 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 Tonga 
Côte d'Ivoire  Mauritania Viet Nam 
D.R. of Congo Mozambique Zambia 
Djibouti Myanmar Zimbabwe 
Ecuador Nepal   G/RO/W/109 
 Page 7 
 
 
  4. Members that have notified Preferential Rules of Origin  (79) 
 
Albania (G/RO/N/47 & 53) Ghana (G/RO/ N/44) New Zealand (G/RO/N/1 & 51) 
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 & 51) Haiti (G/R O/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) 
Burkina Faso (G/RO/N/19) Indonesia (G/RO/N/4) Paraguay (G/RO/N/12) 
Canada (G/RO/N/1, 6 & 8) Israel (G/RO/N/13) Papua New Guinea (G/RO/N/32) 
Chad (G/RO/N/22) Jamaica (G/R O/N/4) Peru (G/RO/N/1 & 49) 
Chile (G/RO/N/6&38) Japan (G/RO/N/6) Philippines (G/RO/N/4) 
China (G/RO/N/37/Rev.1) Jordan (G/RON/30) Qatar (G/RO/N/25) 
Colombia (G/RO/N/1) Kenya (G/RO/N/9) Senegal (G/RO/N/10) 
Costa Rica (G/RO/N/20/Rev.1) Korea (G/RO/N/7) Singapore (G/RO/N/3 & 4) 
Côte d'Ivoire (G/RO/N/11) Kyrgyz Republic (G/RO/N/39) Suriname (G/RO/N/24) 
Croatia (G/RO/N/36) Liechtenstein (G/RO/N/22) Switzerland (G/RO/N/6, 22, 23, 29 & 30) 
Cuba (G/RO/N/3) Madagascar (G/RO/N/11) Thailand (G/RO/N/1 & 4) 
Dominica(G/RO/N/24) Malaysia (G/RO/N/4) Trinidad &Tobago (G/RO/N/7, 24 & 54) 
Dominican Rep.  
(G/RO/N/5, 39 & 40) Maldives (G/RO/N/22) Tunisia (G/RO/N/7) 
D.R. of Congo (G/RO/N/48) Mali (G/RON/35) Turkey (G/RO/N/8 & 28) 
EC (G/RO/N/1) Mauritius (G/R O/N/1) Uganda  (G/RO/N/12) 
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) US (G/RO/N/1 , 6 & 18) 
Fiji (G/RO/N/17) Mongolia (G/RO/N/20) Uruguay (G/RO/N/5) 
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) Na mibia (G/RO/N/26)  
 
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  (41) 
 
Angola Gabon Saint Lucia 
Antigua & Barbuda Gambia Saint Vincent & Grenadines 
Bahrain Grenada Saudi Arabia 
Bangladesh Guinea Bissau Sierra Leone 
Barbados Guinea, Rep. of Solomon Islands 
Belize Kuwait South Africa 
Benin Lesotho Sri Lanka 
Botswana Malawi Swaziland 
Cambodia Mauritania Tanzania 
Cameroon Mozambique Togo  
Cent. African Rep. Nepal Tonga 
Congo Nigeria Viet Nam 
Djibouti Rwanda Zimbabwe 
Egypt St. Kitts & Nevis  
__________