. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SG/31
1 March 2001
(01-1016)
Committee on Safeguards Original:  English
INITIATION OF INVESTIGATION AND IMPOSITION OF PROVISIONAL
MEASURES BY THE CZECH REPUBLIC ON ISOGLUCOSE,
ISOGLUCOSE SYRUPS, GLUCOSE SYRUPS AND OTHER SUGARS
Request for Consultations under Article 12.4 of the
Agreement on Safeguards
The following communication, dated 27 February 2001, has been received from the
Permanent Mission of Poland.
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On 22 December 2000 the Czech Republic notified the WTO, in document G/SG/N/6/CZE/3,
that the Ministry of Industry and Trade had initiated an investigation on isoglucose, isoglucose syrups,glucose syrups and other sugars.  On 8 January 2001, the Czech Republic notified its intention of
applying a safeguard measure (document G/SG/N/7/CZE/2) and on 10 January 2001 imposed the
provisional safeguard measure in the form of a tariff increase by the introduction of the additional
import duty at the levels as follows:
Isoglucose -   70 per cent
Isoglucose syrups - 100 per centGlucose syrups -   60 per cent
Other sugars -   90 per cent
Poland is of the opinion that this measure is inconsistent with Article XIX GATT and the
Agreement on Safeguards and considers that the requirements contained in the Agreement onSafeguards for the adoption of a provisional safeguard measure have not been met.
Poland is of the view that based on the available facts it is difficult to prove that the goods
were imported under such conditions as to cause or threaten to cause serious injury to the domestic
industry.  There are also doubts as to the causal link between imports and the serious injury.
Furthermore, in accordance with Article 6 of the Agreement on Safeguards, the
Czech Republic should have proved the existence of critical circumstances, before adopting
provisional safeguard measures, which the Czech Republic has failed to do.
Taking into account that the consultations, under the Agreement on Safeguards, should
commence immediately after the measure has been introduced, Poland formally requests the holding
of consultations under Article 12.4 with the aim of reviewing the information provided and of
obtaining additional information concerning the results of this investigation.  Poland requests the
Czech Republic not to take any measures until consultations have taken place.
It is proposed that consultations be held forthwith at a mutually agreed date and place.G/SG/31
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Poland reserves all its rights under the Agreement on Safeguards, in particular Article 14, as
well as under the Dispute Settlement Understanding.
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