REPORT
(2021) OF THE WORKING PARTY ON
STATE TRADING ENTERPRISES
(adopted 5 october 2021)
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 3 November 2020 through
5 October 2021. During this period, the Working Party held two formal
meetings, one under the Chairmanship of Ms Johana Méndez (Panama) on 3 May
2021, and a second one under the Chairmanship of Mr Sultan Alsharif (Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia), on 5 October 2021. The minutes of the former have been
circulated as document G/STR/M/38, while minutes of the latter will be
circulated as G/STR/M/39.
4. During the first part of the review period, Ms Johana Méndez
(Panama) was Chair of the Working Party, and in November 2020 the Working Party
elected Ms Laura Gauer (Switzerland) as Vice-Chair. On 28 July 2021 the General
Council elected Mr Sultan Alsharif (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) as Chair of the
Working Party, and in October 2021 the Working Party elected Ms Bing Lou (New
Zealand) as Vice-Chair.