RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SG/W/11
12July1995
ORGANIZATION(95-1941)
Original: English Committee onSafeguards
QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATIONS PROVIDED
BYCOLOMBIA OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS UNDER
ARTICLE 12.6OFTHE AGREEMENT
Thefollowingcommunication,dated4July1995,hasbeenreceivedfromthePermanentMission
ofKorea.
_______________
Pursuant tothedecision oftheCommittee onSafeguards, andinresponse toWTO/AIR/78,
paragraph 7,dated 10May1995, Ihavethehonour tosubmit totheSecretariat some written questions
andobservations addressed toColombia concerning theirsafeguard legislation.
./.G/SG/W/11
Page2
QUESTIONNAIRE ONTHE SAFEGUARDS LAWS
OFCOLOMBIA
WewouldliketoaskColombiatoclarifythefollowingthreepointswithregardtoitsNotification
ofLaws, Regulations andAdministration Procedures Relating toSafeguard Measures ascontained in
document G/SG/N/1/COL/1.
1. Consultation
Article 21oftheColombian Lawseems toexclude some members fromthenotification and
consultation process provided forintheAgreement byholding that"The procedure provided forin
thisArticle [concerning notification andconsultations] shallnotapply when themeasure adopted is
acustoms dutyaffecting aproduct inrespect ofwhich thecountry hasnotgranted concessions atthe
multilateral level, orwhen thedutylevied islessthansuchconcessions.
Theinvocationofsuchastipulationhowever,wouldbecontrarytoArticle12.3oftheSafeguards
Agreement, which provides that"AMember proposing toapply orextend asafeguard measure shall
provide adequate opportunity forpriorconsultations withthose Members having asubstantial interest
asexporters oftheproduct concerned".
2. Scope ofthemeasures
Article 22oftheColombian Lawappears toallow thepossibility thataquantitative restriction
could reduce thevolume ofimports below theaverage annual levelofimports overthepastthreeyears
if"itcanbedemonstrated thatitismore appropriate totakeadifferent level. Forthepurposes of
determining suchlevel, theperiod inwhich theproduct concerned wassubject toaprior licensing
system shallbedisregarded".
Article 5.1oftheSafeguards Agreement, however, requires thatquantitative restrictions shall
notreduce thequantity ofimports below thethree-year average "unless clearjustification isgiven that
adifferent levelisnecessary toprevent orremedy serious injury".
3. Theperiod ofnon-application
Article 24oftheColombian Lawstipulates that"Nosafeguard measure shallbeapplied again
totheimportation ofaproduct which hasbeensubject tosuchameasure foraperiod oftimeequal
tothatduring which suchmeasure hadbeenpreviously applied, provided thattheperiod ofnon-
application isatleastoneyear." Article 7.5oftheSafeguards Agreement, however, prescribes that
theperiod ofnon-application should beatleasttwoyears.
Given theabove observations, itwould seem thattheColombian Lawshould bepromptly
modified tobeconsistent withtheSafeguards Agreement. Wetherefore request tobeinformed of
thedetails concerning theColombian modification schedule.