RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/STR/Q1/BRA/6
8April 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1422)
Original: English Working Party on
State Trading Enterprises
STATE TRADING
Question Posed byCANADA Concerning
theArticle XVII Notification ofBRAZIL1
Thefollowingcommunication,dated6April1998,hasbeenreceivedfromthePermanentMission
ofCanada.
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Inits1996 notification, Brazil indicated thatCONAB isnotinvolved inimports andexports,
butrather isastateinstrument insupport oftheformulation andexecution ofagricultural andsupply
policies, andsimulating market mechanisms (including themanagement ofminimum priceguarantees
andfortheadministration ofpublic stockholding forfoodsecurity purposes). Brazil states thatCONAB
engages inimports andexports onlyinexceptional circumstances justifiable forsecurity reasons and
authorized bythefederal government (thispossibility hadnever beenresorted to).
Q. Could Brazil please clarify whether alicence orpermit needs tobesought fromCONAB before
aprivate trader canimport orexport agricultural products.
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1G/STR/N/3/BRA.