RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/STR/Q1/MLT/2
21February 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0724)
Original: English Working Party onState Trading Enterprises
Replies toQuestions Posed byNEW ZEALAND1Concerning
theArticle XVII Notification ofMALTA2
Thefollowing communication, dated 17February 1997, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofMalta.
_______________
Q1. Wenotetheadvice inMalta 'snotification thatMedigrain Ltd.istheexclusive importer ofmilling
wheat andmajor feedgrains. Thenotification alsostates thatimports byprivate traders areprohibited.
Weassume, therefore, thatitisnotpossible forexporters toselldirectly intothedomestic market,
evenifthetariff ispaid.
Answer
Anyexporter isabletoexport intothedomestic market through Medigrain Ltd.whose tendering
procedures areobjective andtransparent.
Q2. Could Malta confirm that,inspiteofthecommitments made onmarket access under theWTO
Agreement onAgriculture, itcontinues tomaintain anon-tariff measure ontheimport ofmilling wheat
andmajor feedgrains through theoperations ofMedigrain Ltd.
Answer
Malta doesnotconsider thattheoperations ofMedigrain Ltd.constitute anon-tariff measure.
Medigrain Ltd.conducts itsoperations inaccordance withArticle XVII:1(b) ofGATT 1994andeffects
itspurchases orsalesinaccordance withcommercial considerations.
1G/STR/Q1/MLT/1.
2G/STR/N/1/MLT.