WTO Members Review Safeguard Actions on 19
Products at Committee Meeting
·
Safeguard (SG) actions received since the committee's April 2022
meeting covering 19 products were reviewed
·
Numerous extensions of measures
·
A member may apply measures to imports of a product temporarily
(take “safeguard” actions) through higher tariffs or other measures if it
determines through an Investigation that increased imports of a product are
causing or threatening to cause serious injury to its domestic industry.
·
New or amended SG legislation or regulations from Brazil, Canada,
Djibouti, Liberia, Myanmar and the United Kingdom
·
The European Union; India; Indonesia (five investigations);
Madagascar; Morocco (two investigations); the Philippines; South Africa;
Tunisia; Türkiye; Ukraine (three investigations); the
United Kingdom; and the United States on the mat.
·
Steel
industry in focus, EU, UK named
·
Japan raises concerns regarding safeguard measures imposed by
Indonesia, one on carpet products, and the other on articles of apparel and
clothing accessories.
At
the biannual meeting of the Committee on Safeguards on 24 October, WTO members reviewed
safeguard actions taken by fellow members with regard to 19 investigations. While
the number of new initiations of investigations and applications of new measures
have decreased, several members reiterated their general concern regarding the way
this instrument was used.
Notifications of various safeguard (SG) actions
received since the committee's April 2022 meeting covering 19 products were reviewed
and a number of general issues were raised at the 24 October meeting, which
was chaired by Ms Maryam A. Aldoseri (Bahrain).
China, Japan and Australia reiterated their general concern regarding
the way this instrument was used, including concerns on the timeliness of notifications,
the effect of existing safeguard measures on trade, and the numerous extensions of measures.
Under WTO rules, a member may apply measures
to imports of a product temporarily (take “safeguard” actions) through higher tariffs
or other measures if it determines through an investigation that increased imports
of a product are causing or threatening to cause serious injury to its domestic
industry. Unlike anti-dumping duties, safeguard measures cover imports from
all sources, although imports from developing country members with a small share
of imports are exempted through special and differential treatment provisions.
The committee reviewed notifications of new
or amended SG legislation or regulations from Brazil, Canada, Djibouti, Liberia,
Myanmar and the United Kingdom, and continued its review of the legislative
notifications from Cameroon, Ghana and Zimbabwe.
Notifications of various safeguard actions from the following members
were reviewed by the committee: the European Union; India; Indonesia (five investigations);
Madagascar; Morocco (two investigations); the Philippines; South Africa; Tunisia;
Türkiye; Ukraine (three investigations); the United
Kingdom; and the United States.
Eight members took the floor in respect of the latest status of the
European
Union's safeguard measure on certain steel products.
Five members took the floor in respect of the United Kingdom's
latest status of its safeguard measure on certain steel products.
Ukraine notified the committee that three safeguard investigations had been
terminated, with a main reason being the inability of domestic producers to participate,
as they were situated in the area occupied by Russia, or were under attack by Russia.
Nine members took the floor to thank Ukraine for its efforts to notify, and condemned
Russia's actions in Ukraine. Russia contested Ukraine's explanations and the other
members' statements which it considered to be outside the WTO's mandate.
Two specific agenda items requested by Japan
were on the agenda, both raising concerns regarding safeguard
measures imposed by Indonesia, one on carpet products, and the other on articles
of apparel and clothing accessories.