RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SG/W/127
23February 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0691)
Original: Spanish Committee onSafeguards
REPLIES TOQUESTIONS POSED BYKOREA1CONCERNING THE
NOTIFICATION OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS OFMEXICO2
UNDER ARTICLE 12.6OFTHE AGREEMENT
Thefollowing communication, dated 9February 1996, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofMexico.
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1. Article 75oftheForeign Trade Actprovides thatsafeguard measures shallbedetermined
bytheFederal Executive, subject totheprovisions ofinternational treaties andconventions, while
Article 70oftheRegulations under theActprovides fortheorder ofapplicable lawsas"theAct,
theTreaties towhich Mexico isaParty andtheRegulations". Given this,isitcorrect tounderstand
thatinternational treaties arealsoapplicable toother "titles" and"chapters" which donot
specifically refer tointernational treaties asdothetwoArticles above?
Article 2oftheForeign Trade Actlaysdown thattheprovisions therein shallapply "without
prejudice totheprovisions oftheinternational treaties andconventions towhich Mexico isaparty".
Thismeans thattheinternational treaties andconventions canapply toallmatters governed bythe
Act. Article 75oftheActandArticle 70ofitsRegulations merely confirm this.
2. Article 45oftheActstipulates: "Safeguard measures mayconsist ofspecific oradvalorem
duties, licences ormaximum quotas." What isthemeaning of"licences" here? How willthey
actually beoperated oncetheyareintroduced?
Inaccordance withtheAct,thisrefers toimport licences, which willcontain theinformation
detailed inArticle 21(IV) oftheForeign Trade Actandthereasons forwhich theyapply.
3. According toArticle 77oftheAct,safeguard measures maybeapplied formore than
fouryears where alonger period isjustified. Does thismean thefirstmeasure maybeenforced
formore thanfouryears without anextension?
Yes. Itmaybeformore thanfouryears butmustnotexceed eight years, inaccordance with
theprovisions ofArticle 7.3oftheAgreement onSafeguards.
1G/SG/W/85.
2G/SG/N/1/MEX/1.