RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SG/W/72
5December 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-3953)
Original: Spanish Committee onSafeguards
REPLY FROM CHILE CONCERNING QUESTIONS POSED BYAUSTRALIA1
CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATIONS OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS
UNDER ARTICLE 12.6OFTHE AGREEMENT
Thefollowing communication, dated 15November 1995, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofChile.
________________
Aswereplied during theexamination bytheCommittees onAnti-Dumping Practices andon
Subsidies, alltheAgreements resulting from theUruguay Round wereratified byChile, afterbeing
approved bytheNational Congress. Thus, incommon with theAnti-Dumping andSubsidies
Agreements, theSafeguard Agreement forms partofnational legislation andhastheforce oflaw,so
thatitranks alongside other lawsand,naturally, above anyregulatory oradministrative provisions,
since thelatter draw theirauthority from thelaw.
Notwithstanding theforegoing, indocument G/SG/N/1/CHL/1, dated 26April 1995, itwas
stated thatinaccordance withparagraph 6ofArticle 12oftheSafeguards Agreement, "Chile does
nothavelegislation toapply safeguards inthecontext ofthisAgreement". Thismeans that,inspite
ofincorporating theSafeguards Agreement intodomestic law,thereisnootherlegislation which permits
theapplication ofmeasures ofthistype. Inthissense, itshould beborne inmind thatChile'sPolitical
Constitution requires thatalawbepassed tocreate, modify orsuppress taxes, andasthereisnonational
legislation which authorizes theimposition ofsafeguards surcharges, thenational authority doesnot
havethepower toinitiate suchinvestigations.
Intheevent thatinthefuture itisdecided toadopt measures ofthisnature, forwhich purpose
itwillbenecessary topassalaw,thiswillbenotified inaccordance withthecommitments thatChile
hascontracted withregard tosafeguards inthecontext ofitsobligations under theWTO Agreements,
which, asalready stated, constitute national law.
1G/SG/W/40.