RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SG/W/12
12July1995
ORGANIZATION(95-1942)
Original: English Committee onSafeguards
QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATIONS PROVIDED BY
COSTA RICA OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 12.6
OFTHE AGREEMENT
Thefollowingcommunication,dated4July1995,hasbeenreceivedfromthePermanentMission
ofKorea.
_______________
Pursuant tothedecision oftheCommittee onSafeguards, andinresponse toWTO/AIR/78
paragraph 7,dated 10May1995, Ihavethehonour tosubmit totheSecretariat some written questions
andobservations addressed toCosta Ricaconcerning theirsafeguard legislation.
./.G/SG/W/12
Page2
QUESTIONNAIRE ONTHE SAFEGUARDS LAWS OFCOSTA RICA
Werequest thatCosta Ricaclarify thefollowing observation withrespect toitsNotification
ofLaws, Regulations andAdministrative Procedures Relating toSafeguard Measures.
Article50ofCostaRicanlawstipulatesthat"Theprovisionalmeasuresshallconsistoftemporary
tariff increases ...which shallbereimbursed attherequest oftheparties concerned ...". Article 6
oftheSafeguards Agreement, however, provides amore specific definition concerning thereturn of
wrongly collected tariffs holding thatsuchtariffs should be"promptly refunded ifthesubsequent
investigation referred toinparagraph 2ofArticle 4doesnotdetermine thatincreased imports have
caused orthreatened tocause serious injury todomestic industry."
Other members donotrequire parties concerned torequest therefund ofwrongly collected
tariffs. Forexample, Article 8.5oftheregulation oftheEuropean Communities saysthat"Should
theprovisional safeguard measures berepealed ...thecustoms duties collected asaresult ofthe
provisional measures shallautomatically berefunded assoonaspossible."
Wetherefore request Costa Ricatoclarify thisdiscrepancy between domestic lawandSafeguard
Agreement.