. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SG/N/6/CRI/1
19 March 2002
(02-1422)
Committee on Safeguards Original:  Spanish
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 12.1(a) OF THE AGREEMENT ON
SAFEGUARDS ON INITIATION OF AN INVESTIGATION
AND THE REASONS FOR IT
COSTA RICA
The following communication, dated 13 March 2000, has been received from the Permanent
Mission of Costa Rica.
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In accordance with the notification format adopted by the Committee on Safeguards in
document G/SG/N/6 of 7 February 1995, attached pleased find Costa Rica's notification under
Article 12.1(a) of the Agreement on Safeguards announcing the initiation of an investigation with a
view to the possible adoption of a safeguard measure on imports of polished rice and rice in the husk.G/SG/N/6/CRI/1
Page 2
Pursuant to Article 12.1(a) of the Agreement on Safeguards, and in accordance with the
notification format adopted by the Committee on Safeguards in document G/SG/N/6 of
7 February 1995, the Government of Costa Rica hereby announces that the responsible authority –
namely, the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade (MEIC) – has initiated the following
investigation:
(a) Date when the investigation was initiated:   The MEIC decided to initiate the investigation
pursuant to Resolution 17-2002 of 4 March 2002. This resolution was published in the Official
Journal, " La Gaceta ", on Monday 11 March 2002.
(b) Products subject to the investigation:
− Rice in the husk not intended for sowing, classified under tariff code 1006.10.90 in
the Central American Tariff System (SAC).
− Pounded rice, semi-milled rice (including polished or glazed rice), classified under
tariff code 1006.30.00 of the Central American Tariff System (SAC).
(c) Reasons for initiating the investigation:
(i) Initiation of the investigation:   The investigation will be conducted ex officio , as
indicated in the communication dated 1 March 2002 from the Minister of Agriculture
to the MEIC.
(ii) Evidence on the basis of which the investigation was initiated:   C o s t a  R i c a
imported approximately 75,351 metric tons of rice in the year 2000. This volume
increased by about 5 per cent in 2001, reaching 79,033 tons. As for 2002, the
commodity exchange records for the first two months of the year show that the
volume of import transactions for rice in the husk amounted to approximately187,000 tons – i.e., an increase of over 136 per cent relative to the preceding period.
In addition to this unexpectedly high import volume of rice in the husk, applications
for sanitary permits to import 65,860 tons of pounded rice have been recorded.  The
MEIC found that the available data pointed to an increase in imports and pointed to a
threat of injury to the domestic industry. This prompted the decision to initiate aninvestigatory procedure.
(iii) Additional background information:   As indicated in the resolution initiating the
investigation, published in the Official Journal, " La Gaceta ", of 11 March 2002.
Period of the investigation:   The final resolution will be adopted within six months
after the initiation of the investigation.
Parties summoned to appear:   The interested parties have been summoned to appear
at the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade within a period of time not to
exceed 45 days after the notification or publication of the resolution in the Official
Journal.
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