Regarding the report of the WTO panel on India’s safeguard measure on hot rolled coil

November 7,2018
Koji Kakigi
Chairman
    The Japan Iron and Steel Federation

 

On November 6, the World Trade Organization (WTO) circulated the panel report of the case brought by the Japanese government regarding Indian safeguard investigation and measure on hot rolled coil. The panel found that the Indian safeguard measure is inconsistent with the WTO agreement as claimed by the Japanese government.

India imposed the safeguard measure based on the final determination that the increase in imports of steel products had caused serious injury and the thereat thereof to the domestic industry. The Japanese government considers that India did not fully investigate and demonstrate the causal link between the increase in imports and serious injury, and therefore the safeguard measure by India is inconsistent with the WTO rules.

Although the safeguard measure itself is already terminated, the Japanese steel industry welcomes this ruling with expectation of its deterrence effect of unfair safeguard investigation and measures in the future, and we express our sincere gratitude to Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan and those who extended their support to us.

At the same time, we strongly hope that the global protectionism in steel trade will be mitigated.

 

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