WTO members review, and note increasing resort to, safeguard actions
The meeting was chaired by Ms Carly Stevens of Australia.
Review of legislative notifications
The Committee reviewed notifications of new or amended national safeguard legislation or regulations from Comoros, Malawi and Tajikistan and continued its review of legislative notifications from Liberia and the Solomon Islands.
Notifications of safeguard action
The Committee also reviewed notifications of safeguard actions submitted by members since the last Committee meeting in April. Eighteen members submitted notifications, including notifications submitted by Indonesia (four), Madagascar (eight), Morocco (three), South Africa (five) and Türkiye (three). These constituted almost 60% of the actions reviewed. Safeguard actions notified by the European Union (grain oriented electrical steel) and the United Kingdom (polyethylene terephthalate) attracted the most interventions.
Increasing resort to safeguard actions
Switzerland and Japan commented on the growing use of safeguard measures. Switzerland noted that the agenda contained 48 agenda items relating to safeguard actions, a record for the Committee.
EU and UK measures on steel products
Referring to the expiry of the EU's steel safeguard measure and subsequent modification of its tariff concessions regarding certain steel products in July 2026, Japan was concerned that the EU's modification appeared to be intended to maintain restrictions equivalent to the expired safeguard measure. Japan and Indonesia questioned the consistency of the EU's approach with the Agreement on Safeguards. China and Australia also expressed concerns regarding the restrictiveness of the measure. The EU responded that its new measure did not constitute a safeguard measure.
Japan and the Republic of Korea also raised concerns regarding the UK's recent modification of its tariff concessions on steel imports after the expiry of the UK's safeguard measure on steel products. The UK responded that its steel trade measure did not constitute a safeguard measure.
Potential EU investigation on hybrid electric vehicles
The UK, referring to an "anticipated" global safeguard investigation by the EU into imports of certain hybrid electric vehicles, urged the EU to ensure that any such investigation complies with the Agreement on Safeguards. Japan, the Republic of Korea and Türkiye also commented on reports of an anticipated investigation and the potential quantitative restrictions which might follow, highlighting the need to ensure that the investigation is conducted in accordance with WTO rules. The EU responded by explaining that should any such investigation be initiated, it would be notified to the Committee, and the EU would answer any member's substantive questions if that were to happen.
Non-application of safeguard measures to developing members
Brazil urged members to improve the transparency of their notifications under Article 9.1 of the Agreement on Safeguards concerning the non-application of safeguard measures to developing members.
Next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee on Safeguards is scheduled for the week of 26 April 2027.
Background
Under the 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.
More background on safeguards is available here.
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