RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SG/W/111
26January 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0282)
Original: English Committee onSafeguards
REPLIES TOQUESTIONS POSED BYCANADA1
CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATION OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS
OFKOREA2UNDER ARTICLE 12.6OFTHE AGREEMENT
Thefollowing communication, dated 11January 1996, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofKorea.
_______________
Q1. Notification -G/SG/N/1/KOR/1 states thatsome relevant sub-rules andregulations concerning
enforcement ofsafeguard measures areunder revision andthatanadditional notification wastohave
taken place by1August 1995. Please advice onthestatus ofthisnotification.
A1. Thenotification wasalready made though delayed duetodifficulties inEnglish translation.
Weregret thatwecould notprovide enough timeforotherMember countries toreview ourEnforcement
Decree.
Q2. Foreign Trade Act,Article 33.1: Could theKorean authorities elaborate ontheadministrative
procedures thattheTrade Commission must follow when dealing withasafeguards inquiry?
A2. DetailedproceduresarestipulatedintheEnforcementDecree,andrelevantproceduresregarding
safeguards inquiry areprovided inArticle 67-2. (Thedelay ofnotification mayhaveprompted this
question.)
Q3. Foreign Trade Act,Article 33.3: Intheevent thattheTrade Commission considers thata
"domestic industry isdamaged", doestheconcept of"damage" conform tothedefinition of"serious
injury" or"threat thereof" found intheAgreement?
A3. "Damage" inthedomestic lawsmeans "serious injury" or"threat thereof" intheAgreement.
Q4. Foreign Trade Act,Article 34.1(1): Could Korean authorities explain howarestriction based
onthequality ofaproduct would beapplied? Have restrictions beenapplied under thisprovision in
thepast?
1G/SG/W/53.
2G/SG/N/1/KOR/1.
./.G/SG/W/111
Page2
A4. Import restrictions onquality wasprovided inaneffort toprevent imports oflowquality from
non-Members oftheWTO. However, there havebeennorestrictions onthegrounds oflowquality
thusfar,andsuchrestrictions willnotbetaken assafeguards measure inthecaseofWTO Members.
Q5. Foreign Trade Act,Article 34.1(5): Under theAgreement onSafeguards, aquantitative
restriction shallnotbeimposed onaproduct ifitreduces thequantity ofimports below thelevelof
anaverage ofimports ofthelastthree years. Inlightofthisobligation, could Korean authorities
elaborate onhowimports might be"suspended orprohibited"?
A5. Article 34(1)5 doesnotpertain tosafeguards measures, buttomeasures against infringement
ofIntellectual Property Rights.