3June 2020

26/ South Africa launches safeguard investigation on bolts with hexagon heads of iron or steel

On 21 May 2020, South Africa notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it initiated on 15 May 2020 a safeguard investigation on bolts with hexagon heads of iron or steel.

In the notification South Africa indicated, among other things, as follows:

“Interested parties must make themselves known within a period of 20 days after the initiation of the investigation.

Any information which the interested parties may wish to submit in writing and any request for a hearing before the Commission that they may wish to put forward should be submitted within 20 days following the initiation of this investigation to the Directorate: Trade Remedies II at the following address: The DTI Campus, 77 Meintjies Street, Sunnyside Pretoria, Block E, Ground Floor, tel: +27 12 394 3600, fax +27 12 394 0518.”

Further information is available in G/SG/N/6/ZAF/8.

What is a safeguard investigation?

A safeguard investigation seeks to determine whether increased imports of a product are causing, or is 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.

 Source: wto.org