On 29 May Morocco notified the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Committee on Safeguards that it had initiated a safeguard investigation on hot-rolled sheets of steel, classifiable under tariff heading and tariff subheadings 72.08, 72.11.13, 72.11.14, 72.11.19, 72.25.30, 72.25.40, 72.26.20.00.11, 72.26.20.00.21, 72.26.20.00.30, 72.26.20.00.40, 72.26.20.00.51, 72.26.20.00.52, 72.26.20.00.59, 72.26.91, 72.26.99.90.91 et 72.26.99.90.99.
According to the notice, in order to collect the information necessary for this investigation, the Minister responsible for trade remedies will send questionnaires to the Moroccan producers and importers of hot-rolled sheets of steel.
Other interested parties wishing to receive a questionnaire and participate in the survey must contact the Ministry by not later than 17 June.
Interested parties must, by no later than 04 July, make themselves known.
What is a safeguard investigation?
A safeguard investigation seeks to determine whether increased imports of a product are causing, or threatening to cause, serious injury to a domestic industry. During a safeguard investigation, importers, exporters and other interested parties may present evidence and views and respond to the presentations of other parties. A WTO member may take a safeguard action (i.e. restrict imports of a product temporarily) only if the increased imports of the product are found to be causing, or threatening to cause, serious injury.
Story by: Riaan de Lange