REPORT
(2019) OF THE WORKING PARTY ON
STATE TRADING ENTERPRISES
(Adopted 1 November 2019)
1 OrganiZation of the work
of the Working Party
1. The Working Party on State Trading Enterprises (the Working Party) was
established by the Council for Trade in Goods at its meeting of 20 February 1995,
pursuant to paragraph 5 of the Understanding on the Interpretation of
Article XVII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (the
Understanding). Membership of the Working Party is open to all Members indicating
their wish to serve on it. Observer governments in the General Council of the
WTO have observer status in the Working Party.
2. The mandate of the Working Party is set out in paragraph 5 of
the Understanding. The Working Party completed its mandate to develop an
illustrative list of state trading relationships and activities with the
adoption of the Illustrative List by the Council for Trade in Goods on
15 October 1999 (G/STR/4).
Having also completed the mandated revision of the questionnaire on state
trading, the Working Party now reviews notifications, in light of the revised
questionnaire adopted on 14 November 2003 (G/STR/3/Rev.1),
as well as counter-notifications.
3. This Report is submitted under paragraph 5 of the
Understanding, which provides that the Working Group shall report annually to
the Council for Trade in Goods. It sets out the activities of the Working Party
during the review period, which runs from 20 October 2018 through
1 November 2019. During this period, the Working Party held two
formal meetings under the Chairmanship of Mr. Kristian Henk (Austria), on 16
July and 1 November 2019, respectively. The minutes of the former have been
circulated as document G/STR/M/35, while minutes of the latter will be
circulated as G/STR/M/36.