RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/RO/W/106 
29 September 2006 
 (06-4664) 
Committee on Rules of Origin  
  
 
DRAFT 
 
TWELFTH 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 
twelve annual review of the implementation and oper ation of the Agreement, to be conducted at the 
meeting of the Committee on Rules of Origin on 19 October 2006.  
                                                     
 
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/106 
Page 2  
 
  Table of contents
 
 
1. Members and Observer status.................................................................................................3  
(a) WTO Members (149).............................................................................................................. ....3 
(b) Observer Govern ments (32)...................................................................................................... ..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/106 
 Page 3 
 
 
  1. Members and Observer status 
(a) WTO Members (149) 
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 Zealan d Trinidad and Tobago 
Chile Hong Kong, Chin a Nicaragua Tunisia 
China, Peoples's Rep. of  Hungary Niger Turkey 
Colombia Iceland Nigeria Uganda 
Congo India Norway United Arab Emirates Costa Rica Indonesia Oman United Kingdom 
Côte d'Ivoire Ireland Pakistan United States 
Croatia Israel Panama Uruguay Cuba Italy Papua New Guinea Venezuela 
Cyprus Jamaica Paraguay Zambia 
Czech Republic Japan Peru Zimbabwe Democratic Republic of  Jordan Philippines  
   the Congo Kenya Poland  
Denmark Korea Portugal  Djibouti Kuwait Qatar  
    
 G/RO/W/106 
Page 4  
 
  (b) Observer Governments (32) 
Afghanistan Holy See Serbia 
Algeria Iran Seychelles 
Andorra Iraq Sudan 
Azerbaijan Kazakhstan Tajikistan Bahamas Lao, People's Democratic Republic of Tonga 
Belarus Lebanon Ukraine 
Bhutan Libya Uzbekistan Bosnia and Herzegovina Montenegro Vanuatu 
Cape Verde Russian Federation Viet Nam 
Equatorial Guinea Samoa Yemen Ethiopia Sao Tome and Principe  
   
 
(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 [19 October 2006].  
The minutes of this meeting is contained in document G/RO/M/[48]. 
 
3.2 With regard to the work under Part II of th e Agreement on Rules of Origin (the Agreement), 
the CRO [carried out the transitional review under paragraph 18 of the Protocol of Accession of the 
People's Republic of China.]  
3.3 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 
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 matter has been in the hands of the General Council.  The General Council, at its meeting on 28 July 2006, 
agreed to continue its work with a view to co mpleting the negotiations on the core policy issues by 
July 2007.  The General Council also agreed th at the CRO would complete its remaining work 
concerning the overall architecture, technical issu es, the overall coherence exercise as well as 
rectifications of Harmonized Rules of Origin on the basis of HS 2007 by December 2007.   G/RO/W/106 
 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 19 October 2006.] 
 
 G/RO/W/106 
Page 6  
 
  ANNEX
 
 1. Members that have notified N on-Preferential Ru les of Origin 
(36) 
 
Albania (G/RO/N/47) Georgia (G/RO/N/37) Peru (G/RO/N/4 & 5) 
Argentina (G/RO/N/2, 10 & 16) Hong Kong, China (G/RO/N/1, 
10, 24, 30, 37 &46) Qatar (G/RO/N/25) 
Armenia (G/RO/N/41) Japan (G/RO/N/1) Romania (G/RO/N/1) 
Australia (G/RO/N/1) Korea (G /RO/N/1) Senegal (G/RO/N/10) 
Burkina Faso (G/RON/19) Jordan (G /RO/N/30) South Africa (G/RO/N/3) 
Bulgaria (G/RO/N/17 & 27) Madagascar (G/RO/N/11) Suriname (G/RO/N/24 & 43) 
Canada (G/RO/N/1) Mexico (G/RO/N/12) Switzerland (G/RO/N/4) 
China (G/RO/N/37/Rev.1) Moldova (G/RON/36) Chinese Taipei (G/RO/N/37) 
Colombia (G/RO/N/1) Morocco (G /RO/N/2) Tunisi a (G/RO/N/7) 
Cuba (G/ RO/N/3)  New Zealand (G/RO/N/1) Turkey (G/RO/N/8 & 28) 
EC (G/RO/N/1) Niger (G/R ON/19) US (G/RO/N/1 & 6) 
Former Yugoslav Rep. of  Norway (G/RO/N/8) Venezuela  (G/RO/N/1 & 10) 
Macedonia /G/RO/N/45)   
 
2. Members that have notified that they do not have Non-Preferential Rules of Origin (41) 
 
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) Singapore (G/RO/N/3) 
Dominican Rep. (G/RO/N/9) Macao, Ch ina (G/RO/N/21) Th ailand (G/RO/N/1) 
El Salvador (G/RO/N/10) Malaysia (G/RO/N/6) Trinidad & Tobago (G/RO/N/7) 
Fiji (G/RO/N/17) Maldives (G /RO/N/22) Uganda  (G/RO/N/12) 
Ghana (G/RO/N/44) Mauritius (G/RO/N/1)  United Arab Emirates (G/RO/N/17) 
Guatemala (G/RO/N/21) Mongolia (G/RO/N/20) Uruguay (G/RO/N/12) 
Guyana (G/RO/N/42) Na mibia (G/RO/N/26)  
 
3. Members that have not notified Non-Preferential Rules of Origin (46) 
 
Angola Egypt Nepal 
Antigua & Barbuda Gabon Nigeria 
Bahrain Gambia Rwanda 
Bangladesh Grenada Saint Kitts & Nevis 
Barbados Guinea Bissau Saint Lucia 
Belize Guinea, Rep. of Sa int Vincent & Grenadines 
Benin Kuwait Saudi Arabia 
Botswana Kyrgyz Rep. Sierra Leone 
Cambodia Lesotho Solomon Islands 
Cameroon Liechtenstein Sri Lanka 
Central African Rep Malawi Swaziland 
Congo  Mali Tanzania 
Côte d'Ivoire  Mauritania Togo 
D.R. of Congo Mozambique Zambia 
Djibouti Myanmar Zimbabwe 
Ecuador    G/RO/W/106 
 Page 7 
 
 
  4. Members that have notified Preferential Rules of Origin  (80) 
 
Albania (G/RO/N/47) Gh ana (G/RO/N/44) New Zealand (G/RO/N/1) 
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) Ha iti (G/RO/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) 
Bulgaria (G/RO/N/15, 22, 23 & 27) 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) 
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) Romania (G/RO/N/14, 22 & 23)  
Colombia (G/RO/N/1) Korea (G /RO/N/7) Senegal (G/RO/N/10) 
Costa Rica (G/RO/N/20/Rev.1) Kyrgyz Republic (G/RO/N/39) Singapore (G/RO/N/3 & 4) 
Côte d'Ivoire (G/RO/N/11) Liechtenstein (G/RO/N/22) Suriname (G/RO/N/24) 
Croatia (G/RO/N/36) Madagascar (G/RO/N/11) Switzerland (G/RO/N/6, 22, 23, 29 & 30) 
Cuba (G/RO/N/3) Malaysia (G/RO/N/4) Thailand (G/RO/N/1 & 4) 
Dominica(G/RO/N/24) Maldives (G/RO/N/22) Trinidad &Tob. (G/RO/N/7 & 24) 
Dominican Rep.  
(G/RO/N/5, 39 & 40) Mali (G/RON/35) Tunisia (G/RO/N/7) 
EC (G/RO/N/1) Mauritius (G/RO/ N/1) Turkey (G/RO/N/8 & 28) 
Ecuador (G/RO/N/12) Mexico (G/RO/N/12) Uganda (G/RO/N/12) 
El Salvador (G/RO/N/10, 11&30) Moldova (G/RO/N/36) United Arab Emirates (G/RO/N/17) 
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) Uruguay (G/RO/N/5) 
Macedonia (G/RO/N/45) Myanmar (G/RO/N/36) Venezuela (G/RO/N/1) 
Georgia (G/RO/N/38) Namibia (G /RO/N/26) 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) 
 
Angola Egypt St. Kitts & Nevis 
Antigua & Barbuda Gabon Saint Lucia 
Bahrain Gambia Saint Vincent & Grenadines 
Bangladesh Grenada Saudi Arabia 
Barbados Guinea Bissau Sierra Leone 
Belize Guinea, Rep. of Solomon Islands 
Benin Kuwait South Africa 
Botswana Lesotho Sri Lanka 
Cambodia Malawi Swaziland 
Cameroon Mauritania Tanzania 
Cent. African Rep. Mozambique Togo  
Congo Nepal Zimbabwe 
D.R. of Congo Nigeria  
Djibouti Rwanda  
__________