./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SG/Q2/IND/8
18 November 2003
(03-6159)
Committee on Safeguards Original:  English
NOTIFICATION BY INDIA REGARDING THE TRANSITIONAL
PRODUCT-SPECIFIC SAFEGUARD ON IMPORTS OF INDUSTRIAL
SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES  FROM THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Questions posed by the UNITED STATES
Regarding the Notification of INDIA1
(Industrial Sewing Machine Needles)
The following communication, dated 14 November 2003, is being circulated at the request of
the Delegation of the United States.
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Enclosed please find questions from the United States to India relating to the Notification by
India regarding the Transitional Product - Specific Safeguard on Imports of Industrial Sewing
Machine Needles from the People’s Republic of China.  You will recall that we briefly referred to our
interest in this matter under “other business” at the October meeting of the WTO Committee on
Safeguards.
                                                     
1 G/SG/N/6/IND/14G/SG/Q2/IND/8
Page 2
According to the information provided in G/SG/54 (18 September  2002), India requested
consultations with the People’s Republic of China pursuant to Section 16 of the Protocol on the
Accession of the People’s Republic of China and Paragraphs 245-250 of the Report of the Working
Party on the Accession of China, with a view to seeking a mutually satisfactory solution regarding
market disruption caused to the domestic producers by increased imports of Industrial SewingMachine Needles (ISMN) originating from the People’s Republic of China into India.
1. Did the consultations with China result in an agreement on a mutually satisfactory solution?
If so, please describe that agreement.
Paragraph 3 of Section 16 of the Protocol on the Accession of the People’s Republic of China,
provides that if consultations do not lead to an agreement between China and the WTO Memberconcerned within 60 days of the receipt of a request for consultations, the WTO Member affected
shall be free, in respect of such products, to wit hdraw concessions or otherwise limit imports only to
the extent necessary to prevent or remedy such market disruption.  Any such action shall be notified
immediately to the Committee on Safeguards.
According to press reporting (Hindu Business Line, 17 April 2003, see
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/bline/2003/04/17/stories/2003041701300300.htm), Indian
Director General (Special Safeguards) Mr. B.K. Mishra decided to impose a special safeguard duty of
Rs 1.50 per needle, for a period of three years.
2. Did India withdraw concessions or otherwis e limit imports to prevent or remedy market
disruption caused by imports of ISMN originating from China?  If so, please provide a
description of the action taken and the date the action was applied.
3. Did India provide written notice of the decision to apply a measure, including the reasons for
such measure and its scope and duration?  If yes, please identify where such public notice was
provided and provide the date of publication.
4. Did India notify the Committee on Safeguards of such action taken to prevent or remedy
market disruption caused by imports of ISMN originating from China?  If so, please provide
date and citation.
5. Please identify any WTO Members that have requested consultations with India pursuant to
paragraph 8 of Section 16 of the Protocol on the Accession of the People’ s Republic of
China.  Have any such consultations been held?  Please provide the dates of such
consultations and describe the results.
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