G/SG/N/6/ARE/3, G/SG/N/6/BHR/4  
G/SG/N/6/KWT/4, G/SG/N/6/OMN/3  
G/SG/N/6/QAT/3, G/SG/N/6/SAU/3  
 
24 October 2019  
(19-7104) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Safeguards  Original: English  
 
 NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 12.1(A) OF TH E AGREEMENT  
ON SAFEGUARDS ON INI TIATION OF AN INVEST IGATION  
AND THE REASONS FOR IT 
 
COOPERATION COUNCIL FOR THE ARAB STATES OF THE GULF "GCC"  
(Certain Steel Products ) 
The following communication, dated  on 24   October 2019, is being circulated at the request of the 
Sultanate of Oman as President of the GCC on behalf of the GCC Member States.1 
 
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The Sultanate of Oman notifies the Committee on Safeguards, on behalf of G CC member States, 
pursuant to Article 12.1(a) of the Agreement on Safeguards, that the GCC Bureau of Technical 
Secretariat for Anti Injurious Practices in International Trade (TSAIP) (hereafter referred as "the 
Competent Authority") initiated a safeguard i nvestigation against the increase of GCC imports of 
Certain Steel products . 
1. Date of initiation of the investigation  
The investigation was initiated upon the decision of the Permanent Committee of Anti Injurious 
practices in the International Trade for the Arab States of the Gulf . The notice of initiation by the 
Competent Authority is published in the Official  Gazette of the GCC -TSAIP Volume ( 23) on 
23 Octobe r 2019. 
2. Product subject to the investigation  
The Products under investigation are certain steel products which are classified under the 
GCC-Unified Tariff Code as following:  
No. Products Categories  HS Code  
1 Flat Hot Rolled Coils and Sheets   720827; 720837; 720838; 720839; 720851; 720853; 
720854; 721113; 721114; 721119  
2 Cold Rolled Flat Steel Coils and 
Sheets  720916; 720917; 720918; 720926; 720927; 720928; 
720990; 722550  
3 Metallic Coated Steel  721030; 721049; 721069; 721220; 721250; 721260; 
722591; 722592; 722599  
4 Organic Coated Steel  721240  
5 Reinforced Steel Bars and Wire Rod  721310; 721320; 721391; 721399; 721410; 721430; 
721510; 721550; 721590; 722710; 722720; 722810; 
722820; 722840; 722850; 722860  
6 Circular, Square, and Rectangular 
Sticks and Rods   721491; 721499; 722211; 722219  
7 Sections  721610; 721631; 721632; 730810  
                                                
1 A copy of th e Official Gazette, in Arabic only, has been submitted electronically. To consult this 
document please contact Ms. Richards ( anne.richards@wto.org ) or Ms. Naville ( delphine.naville@wto.org ) of 
the Rules Division.  G/SG/N/6/ARE/3 • G/SG/N/6/BHR/4 • G/SG/N/6/KWT/4 • G/SG/N/6/OMN/3 • G/SG/N/6/QAT/3 • 
G/SG/N/6/SAU/3  
 
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  No. Products Categories  HS Code  
8  Angles and Shapes  721621; 721650; 730120  
9 Welded and Seamless Pipes and 
Tubes Including Items for 
Transporting Water  ,Gas and Oil  730424; 730520; 730531; 730539; 730611; 730619; 
730640; 730661; 730690  
3. Reasons for the initiation of investigation  
The Permanent Committee found from the available data based on the study prepared by GCC -TSAIP 
that there is an increase of GCC imports of the products under investigation, either in absolute or 
relative to the GCC production du ring the period 2014 - 2018, where the volume of imports of all 
steel products combined increased in 2015 by 19% and then almost stabilized in 2016 (a slight 
decrease of less than 1%) compared to 2014, and then continued to rise during 2017 and 2018 
respec tively by 10% and 13% compared to 2014. These imports also recorded the same trend in 
relative terms compared to the GCC production, where they recorded an increase during 2015 by 
18% and stagnation during 2016 compared to 2014, and then continued to rise during 2017 and 
2018 respectively by 20% and 16% compared to 2014. It was also found that there was a significant 
increase in the volume of imports of each of the products under investigation, whether in absolute 
or relative to production.  
It was also foun d that the increase in imports under investigation was due to unforeseen 
developments, namely the increase in the global production of steel, as well as the trade procedures 
and measures adopted by many countries in the World against their imports of steel  products, which 
contributed to the significant increase in GCC imports of steel products.  
The Permanent Committee has decided to initiate an investigation against the increase of GCC 
imports of certain steel products in accordance with Article 2, paragraph 4 of the Regulations, as 
they are satisfied that the information, data, evidence, and fac ts available appear to be sufficient to 
justify the initiation of the investigation as per the provisions of the Common Law and its Rules of 
Implementation. Therefore, the notice of initiation is published in this Official Gazette while its 
publishing date  is considered to be the effective date for the initiation of this investigation according 
to Article 9 of the Regulation.  
The investigation aims to determine whether the products under investigation was being imported 
in GCC countries, as results of unfo reseen developments, in such increased quantities, absolute or 
relative to GCC production, and under such conditions as to cause or threaten to cause a serious 
injury to the GCC industry that produce like or directly competitive products.  
4. Procedures and  deadlines  
All relevant information including the information requested in this notice, questionnaire replies and 
correspondence provided by interested parties, must be communicated to GCC -TSAIP in writing and 
in electronic format and must indicate the nam e, address, e -mail address, telephone and fax of the 
interested parties.  
Interested parties willing to receive a questionnaire should request it no later than 10 days from the 
date of publication of the initiation notice of the investigation.  
A hearing wil l be held at the premises of the GCC -TSAIP for all interested parties to present their 
views and arguments, provided that all interested parties shall make themselves known to 
GCC-TSAIP within (21) days period from the date of publication of the initiation  notice of the 
investigation.  G/SG/N/6/ARE/3 • G/SG/N/6/BHR/4 • G/SG/N/6/KWT/4 • G/SG/N/6/OMN/3 • G/SG/N/6/QAT/3 • 
G/SG/N/6/SAU/3  
 
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  5. Contact point for corresponding  
Correspondences to the GCC -TSAIP shall be made to the following address:  
Rihan Mubarak Fayez  
General Director OF GCC - TSAIP  
Secretariat General - Gulf Cooperation Council  
Bureau of Technical Secretariat of Anti Injurious Practices in the International Trade  
6725 Jeddah Rd – Al Hada Dist.  
Unit No. 1  
Riyadh 12324 - 3147 
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  
Phone: +966 112551388 – 966 112551399 Fax: +966 112810093  
Email: tsad@gccsg.org .  
 
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