RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SG/Q1/HND/1
13October 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4359)
Original: Spanish Committee onSafeguards
NOTIFICATION OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS UNDER
ARTICLE 12.6OFTHE AGREEMENT
Questions Posed byMexico
toHonduras1
Thefollowing communicated, dated 30September 1997, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofMexico.
_________________
Mexico wishes toputthefollowing questions totheGovernment ofHonduras concerning the
notification ofitssafeguards legislation.
1. Willsafeguard measures beapplied byindividual countries orcantheirapplication behandled
attheCentral American level?
2. Willitbepossible fortheSIECA authorities tocarry outaninvestigation fortheapplication
ofsafeguards instead ofthenational authorities?
3. What criteria willtheinvestigating authority useforconsidering thatagoodis"interchangeable"
within themeaning ofArticle 1?
4. Under Article 2oftheRegulations, theGuatemala Protocol andtheConvention ontheCentral
American Tariff andCustoms Regime, asappropriate, formpartofHonduran legislation inthisarea.
WillHonduras notify these documents totheCommittee?
5. Article 5mentions thatinvestigations willbeinitiated onapplication byapartyorinexceptional
cases exofficio. Could Honduras explain whatcould betheexceptional cases inwhich aninvestigation
could beinitiated exofficio?
6. Under Article 8,whatcriteria willtheinvestigating authority usetodecide tomodify theperiod
covered bytheinvestigation? What impact willthishaveonthesubmission ofinformation byexporters
under investigation andthedefence oftheirinterests? Atwhat stage oftheinvestigation canthe
investigation period bemodified?
7. Under Article 9,howwillitbedetermined thatproducers 'associations arerepresentative and
hence havestanding toapply fortheinitiation ofasafeguard investigation?
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8. Article 10oftheRegulation laysdown therequirements forapplying fortheinitiation ofan
investigation; however, theserequirements donotmention apossible adjustment planforthedomestic
industry affected. Could Honduras explain whythisisso?Willtheadjustment planforthedomestic
industry besubmitted atsome other stage? What arethecriteria foranalysing thissituation?
9. Again inArticle 10,Honduras states thattheapplication mustbeprovided inasmany copies
asthenumber ofinterested parties identified intheapplication, except inthecaseofinformation which
isconsidered confidential. Could Honduras explain thecriterion itusesforclassifying information
asconfidential? Whoisresponsible forestablishing thecorrect classification ofinformation marked
asconfidential bytheparties inthecourse ofaninvestigation? What consequences ariseforaparty
thatsubmitted wrongly classified information, andhowwillitlearn thatitsinformation waswrongly
classified?
10. TakingintoaccountthecontentsofArticle10,willnon-confidentialsummariesoftheconfidential
information notbeprovided inthecopies oftheapplication fortheopening ofaninvestigation submitted
bytheapplicant?
11. Under Article 15,theresolution opening aninvestigation shallbenotified totheinterested
parties within tendaysofthedateofitspublication. Through whatmedium istheresolution published?
Iftheresolution ispublished andnotified within tendays, atwhatmoment doesHonduras consider
theinvestigation tobeopened: atthetimeofpublication oratthetimeofnotification?
12. Under Article 15,whatcriteria willtheinvestigating authority follow forextending theperiod
forthesubmission ofevidence? What impact canthishavewithregard tothesetting ofdifferent
time-periods forthedifferent interested parties intheproceedings?
13. Inaccordance withArticle 15,thetime-limit foropposing theinvestigation andsubmitting
evidence runsfrom thedateofnotification oftheresolution foritsinitiation. How doesHonduras
ascertain thedateofreceipt ofthenotification toexporters? Doparties haveaccess tothismedium
inorder toknow thedateonwhich thetime-limit expires fortheother parties? Isanyrequest for
extension automatically accepted, oristhere acriterion forgranting extensions? Ifthere issucha
criterion, howdoesHonduras ensure thatthisdiscretionary power isusedimpartially andobjectively?
14. What aretheHonduran provisions withrespect toaccess tothefileoftheinvestigation? How
doesaccess tothefilework inpractice? Does Honduras haveanyexperience inthisrespect?
15. Inaccordance withArticle 17,doesaccess tothefileinclude access toconfidential information
fordefence purposes bythelegalrepresentatives ofinterested parties?
16. Inaccordance withArticle 20,provisional measures shalltaketheform ofincreased duties,
guaranteed byasecurity. Nevertheless, Mexico isaware thatinsome Central American countries,
eventhough provision ismade forsecurities, infactnocompanies actually lodge them. Does this
alsohappen inHonduras? Ifso,what isthepurpose ofthisprovision intheCentral American
Agreement?
17. What arethecommitments entered intointheframework ofCentral American economic
integration referred tointhethirdparagraph ofArticle 27?
18. Istheexistence ofacompetitive adjustment planbytheapplicant industry arequirement for
theapplication ofasafeguard measure? Willthere beanymonitoring bytheinvestigating authority
ofthisadjustment plan?G/SG/Q1/HND/1
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19. Inaccordance withArticle 32,willtheCouncil ofMinisters havepower ofvetooverdecisions
taken byStates Parties withrespect totheapplication ofsafeguard measures?
20. Under Article 40,isitpossible toapply safeguard measures atregional level through an
investigation initiated andhandled bySIECA? Onwhat basis? What would betherequirements?
What appeals could lieagainst aresolution bythatbody? Would thedetermination havetobechallenged
ineachoftheCentral American countries?