RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/STR/Q1/JPN/3
8April 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1419)
Original: English Working Party on
State Trading Enterprises
STATE TRADING
Questions Posed byCANADA Concerning
theArticle XVII Notification ofJAPAN1
Thefollowingcommunication,dated6April1998,hasbeenreceivedfromthePermanentMission
ofCanada.
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Japan notified that,duetotherepeal oftheSaltMonopoly Law,theimport ofsaltintended
forcommon usewillbederegulated, effective 1April 2002. Asaresult, thereproduction, processing
andsales ofimported salt(which wasunder thecontrol oftheSTEJapan Tobacco Inc.)byprivate
importers would bepossible through registration withtheMinister ofFinance. However, until
31March 2002, theSaltIndustry Centre ofJapan willcontrol saltdistribution. Weunderstand that
theSaltIndustry Centre ofJapan would bedesignated bytheMinister ofFinance tocontrol salt
distribution during thetransition period (i.e.until31March 2002). Thedistribution ofsaltforthe
sodaindustry wasderegulated inApril 1997. Could Japan please clarify thefollowing:
- Please clarify ifpotential importers willneedtomeetcertain criteria inorder toregister as
asaltimporter withtheMinister ofFinance.
- Could Japan confirm whether theSaltIndustry Centre ofJapan would begranted anexclusive
orspecial privilege toimport saltduring thistransition period?
- Byvirtueofitsexclusiverighttoimportanddistributesaltforcommonuseuntil31March2002,
doesJapan consider theSaltIndustry Centre ofJapan tobeastatetrading enterprise under
GATT Article XVII?
- Please expand onthemeasures putinplace fortheimportation anddistribution ofsaltforthe
sodaindustry byprivate importers, andwhen these changes willcome intoeffect.
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1G/STR/N/3/JPN.