WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SG/N/13/USA/4
30 September 2003
(03-5128)
Committee on Safeguards Original:  English
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 12.5 OF THE AGREEMENT
ON SAFEGUARDS OF THE RESULTS OF A MID-TERM
REVIEW REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 7.4
UNITED STATES
(Certain Steel Products)
The following communication, dated 25 September 2003, has been received from the
Permanent Mission of the United States.
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Pursuant to Article 12.5 of the Agreement on Safegu ards, and in light of the agreed format for
notifications (G/SG/1, 1 July 1996), the United Stat es provides the following notification to the
Council for Trade in Goods.
1. Specify the measure and the product subject to the measure for which the mid-term
review was conducted, and provide reference to the WTO document that notified the
safeguard measure subject to the review
As notified in G/SG/N/10/USA/6, G/SG/N/11/US A/5, (14 March 2002), the measures are an
increase in duty on imports of ten steel products:  (a) certain carbon and alloy steel, including slabs,
plate (including cut-to-length plate and clad plate), hot-rolled sheet and strip (including plate in coils),
cold-rolled sheet and strip (other than GOES), and co rrosion-resistant and other coated sheet and strip
(“CCFRS”);  (b) carbon and alloy hot-rolled bar and light shapes (“hot-rolled bar”);  (c) carbon andalloy cold-finished bar (“cold-finished bar”);  (d) carbon and alloy rebar (“rebar”);  (e) carbon and
alloy welded tubular products (other than oil country tubular goods) (“welded pipe”);  (f) carbon and
alloy flanges, fittings, and tool joints (“FFTJ”);  (g) stainless steel bar and light shapes (“stainless steel
bar”);  (h) stainless steel rod;  (i) carbon and alloy tin mill products (“tin mill”);  and (j) stainless steel
wire.
These products are described in detail recital 7 of Proclamation 7529, which was notified to
the Committee on Safeguards in G/SG/N/10/USA/6/Suppl.1, G/SG/N/11/USA/5/Suppl.1.  The
safeguard measures in this notification exclude several types of products that were subject to the
affirmative determinations of the ITC reported in G/SG/N/8/USA/8.  These types of products aredescribed in detail in clauses subdivisions (b) and (c) of US note 11 (“Note 11”) to subchapter III of
chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (“HTS”).  An updated copy of
chapter 99 is available at http://dataweb.usitc.gov/SCRIPTS/tariff/0310c99.pdf.
All of the safeguard measures have a duration of three years and one day.  The descriptions
below reference the following time periods:G/SG/N/13/USA/4
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Year 1 began on 20 March 2002, and ended on 19 March 2003
Year 2 begins on 20 March 2003, and ends on 19 March 2004
Year 3 begins on 20 March 2004, and ends on 20 March 2005
The tariffs currently being applied are those for year 2.
(a) CCFRS
(1) slabs
A tariff-rate quota with no in-quota tariff and the following terms:
Year 1:  5.4 million short tons with over-quota increased tariff of 30 per cent ad
valorem
Year 2:  5.9 million short tons with over-quota increased tariff of 24 per cent ad
valorem
Year 3:  6.4 million short tons with over-quota increased tariff of 18 per cent ad
valorem
(2) plate, hot-rolled steel, cold-rolled steel, and coated steel
An increased tariff of:
Year 1:  30 per cent Year 2:  24 per cent Year 3:  18 per cent
(b) hot-rolled bar
An increased tariff applied to hot-rolled bar, as provided for in subheadings 9903.73.42
through 9903.73.52 of the HTS, in the following percentages ad valorem :
Year 1:  30 per cent Year 2:  24 per cent Year 3:  18 per cent
(c) cold-finished bar
An increased tariff applied to cold-finished bar, as provided for in subheadings 9903.73.55
through 9903.73.62 of the HTS, in the following percentages ad valorem :
Year 1:  30 per cent Year 2:  24 per cent Year 3:  18 per cent
(d) rebar
An increased tariff applied to rebar, as provided for in subheadings 9903.73.65 through
9903.73.71 of the HTS, in the following percentages ad valorem :
Year 1:  15 per cent Year 2:  12 per cent Year 3:  9 per cent
(e) welded pipe
An increased tariff applied to certain tubular products, as provided for in subheadings
9903.73.74 through 9903.73.86 of the HTS, in the following percentages ad valorem :
Year 1:  15 per cent Year 2:  12 per cent Year 3:  9 per centG/SG/N/13/USA/4
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(f) FFTJ
An increased tariff applied to carbon and alloy fittings, as provided for in subheadings
9903.73.88 through 9903.73.95 of the HTS, in the following percentages ad valorem :
Year 1:  13 per cent Year 2:  10 per cent Year 3:  7 per cent
(g) stainless steel bar
An increased tariff applied to stainless steel bar, as provided for in subheadings 9903.73.97
through 9903.74.06 of the HTS, in the following percentages ad valorem :
Year 1:  15 per cent Year 2:  12 per cent Year 3:  9 per cent
(h) stainless steel rod
An increased tariff applied to stainless steel rod, as provided for in subheadings 9903.74.08
through 9903.74.16 of the HTS, in the following percentages ad valorem :
Year 1:  15 per cent Year 2:  12 per cent Year 3:  9 per cent
(i) tin mill
An increased tariff applied to tin mill products, as provided for in subheadings 9903.73.26
through 9903.73.39 of the HTS, in the following percentages ad valorem :
Year 1:  30 per cent Year 2:  24 per cent Year 3:  18 per cent
(j) stainless steel wire
An increased tariff applied to stainless steel wire, as provided for in subheadings 9903.74.18
through 9903.74.24 of the HTS, in the following percentages ad valorem :
Year 1:  8 per cent Year 2:  7 per cent Year 3:  6 per centThe safeguard measures described in this notification do not apply to imports of products of
Canada, Israel, Jordan, and Mexico.  The measures are not being applied to the developing country
WTO Members listed in subdivision (d)(i) to Note 11, accounted for less than 3 per cent of total
imports of that product in a recent representative period.  The measures are applied to imports ofcertain products from certain developing country Members that accounted for more than 3 per cent of
total imports of that product in a recent representative period, as listed in subdivision (d)(ii) to
Note 11.
2. Provide the dates of initiation and conclusion of the review
The US International Trade Commission (“ITC”) initiated its review on 5 March 2003, and
transmitted a confidential version of its report to the President on 19 September 2003.  A public
version of the report was released at the same time.  It is available in hard copy from the ITC, at
500 E Street, S.W., Washington, DC, 20436, United States.  It can also be obtained in electronic format http://www.usitc.gov/pub3632/pub3632.htm.G/SG/N/13/USA/4
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3. Describe the results of the review, providin g some detail on the basis for reaching those
results
A copy of the executive summary of the ITC’s report on the mid-term review will be
available at the WTO Rules Division.
4. Indicate whether:
(i) the measure has been, or will be, withdrawn as a result of the review.  If yes,
then indicate the date of withdrawal;  and
(ii) the pace of liberalization has been, or wi ll be, increased as a result of the review.
If yes, then indicate the revised time-table for progressive liberalization.
Under US law, the President may take action to reduce, modify or terminate a safeguard
measure after, among other things, receiving a midterm report from the ITC.  The President has not, at
this time, decided to take such action with respect to this measure.
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