On 27 May 2026, New Zealand notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards of the initiation on 28 May 2026 of a safeguard investigation on imports of certain aluminium extrusions, classifiable in tariff subheadings 7604.21.00 and 7604.29.09, on which comment is due by 27 June 2026.
To obtain the information it deems necessary for its review, the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) will send questionnaires to the known domestic producers of the product concerned. Interested persons, including international interested persons, have been encouraged to fill in the questionnaires and information sheets. MBIE has published its questionnaires and information sheets on the website.
Submission of an information sheet will automatically register the provider as an interested person and add them to a distribution list. All interested persons, including exporters, producers, importers and users of the products concerned, and their associations, as well as third-country governments, are invited to make known their views in writing, submit information, and provide supporting evidence.
Interested persons may request information from the public file at any time during the investigation period. MBIE will not release any confidential information unless MBIE has consent to do so by the provider of the information. Alongside a confidential submission, interested persons are encouraged to submit a non-confidential version or to indicate whether it is suitable for publication in the public file.
Point of contact
The point of contact for the investigation and correspondence is the MBIE: Trade Remedies:
Email address: TradeRemedies@mbie.govt.nz
The trade remedy notice is accessible at:
https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/SG/N6NZL1.pdf&Open=True
What is a safeguard investigation?
A safeguard investigation seeks to determine whether increased imports of a product are causing, or are 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 presentations by 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.