Training on STE notifications

State trading enterprises (STEs): How to comply with the notification requirements

All WTO members are required to submit a notification of state trading enterprises every two years. If the member has no state trading enterprise, this will be a so-called "nil notification" (see this training document), whereas if the member has one or more state trading enterprises, the notification will consist of the completed STE questionnaire (G/STR/3/Rev.1).

On 19 December 2023, a hybrid training activity discussed who must notify and when, what constitutes a state trading enterprise that must be notified, and how to complete the STE questionnaire. It ended with an introduction to the functioning of the Working Party on State Trading Enterprises.

For members' convenience, a recording of the training is available below. The presentation slides, including the live hyperlinks, are also available here (please note that slides 31 and 35 are slightly different from those shown during the training activity).

The recording of the training is divided into four parts;

I. Who must notify, when?

The first part of the training activity provided an introduction and discussed who must make STE notifications, and when, as well as how to make a nil notification. A recording of the first part of the training is available here.

Notes:

(a) The training document referred to in slide 3 ("Nil notifications") is available here. This is not an official document but was prepared for members' convenience should members find it useful when preparing a nil notification.

(b) The training document referred to in slide 5 ("STE notifications – periodicity and symbols") is available here. This is not an official document but was prepared for members' convenience. It provides an overview of which document symbol corresponds to which notification period and deadline, and of relevant reference documents.

II. What entities must members notify as state trading enterprises (STEs)?

The second part of the training activity discussed what constitutes a state trading enterprise that must be notified to the WTO. A recording of the second part of the training is available here.

III. How to complete the STE notification questionnaire (G/STR/3/Rev.1)

The third part of the training activity discussed how to complete the STE notification questionnaire contained in document G/STR/3/Rev.1. This part is relevant for members that maintain STEs (members that do not maintain STEs need to provide "nil notifications" instead: see part I above). A recording of the third part is available here.

IV. Introduction to the functioning of the Working Party on State Trading Enterprises

The fourth and last part of the training activity provided an introduction to the functioning of the Working Party on State Trading Enterprises, which is where members' STE notifications are reviewed. A recording of the fourth part is available here.