WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SG/N/6/LVA/1
G/SG/N/7/LVA/1
3 June 1999
(99-2237)
Committee on Safeguards Original:  English
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 12.1(A) OF THE
AGREEMENT ON SAFEGUARDS ON INITIATION OF
AN INVESTIGATION AND THE REASONS FOR IT
AND
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 12.4 OF THE AGREEMENT
ON SAFEGUARDS BEFORE TAKING A PROVISIONAL
SAFEGUARD MEASURE REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 6
LATVIA
The following communication, dated 28 May 1999, has been received from the Permanent
Mission of Latvia.
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Pursuant to Article 12.1 (a) of the Agreement on Safeguards and using the format adopted by
the Committee on Safeguards (G/SG/N/6), the Republic of Latvia hereby notifies the initiation of a
safeguards investigation, as follows:
1. Date of initiation of investigation
 On 20 May 1999, the State Commission of Safeguards decided to initiate an investigation
process relating to the importation of swine meat.
 
1. Products subject to investigation
 The investigation involves products containe d in HS tariff heading 0203- Meat of swine,
fresh, chilled or frozen.
 
2. Reasons for initiation of the investigation
The investigation was initiated by the State Commission of Safeguards on the basis of a
petition filed by the Association of Swine Breeders of Latvia.
The State Commission of Safeguards has evidence of substantial increases in imports of
swine meat, which have caused and threaten to cause serious injury to the domestic industry.
Import of swine meat in 1996 was 1,245  tons from all countries, in 1997 – 1,207 tons and in
1998 reached 3,032 tons.  Analysis of Customs Board statistics shows, that import of swine meat in
the first quarter of 1999 was 1,376 tons, but in April 1999 – 797 tons.  The swine meat import growthG/SG/N/6/LVA/1
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rate was 251 per cent 1998 versus 1997, 454 per cent 1st quarter 1999 versus 1997 and 790 per cent
April 1999 versus 1997.
According to the data submitted by the domestic industry, the State Commission of
Safeguards has found that due to increased imports of swine meat, the losses of the domestic
producers were LVL 4.5 million. The loss of the domestic industry in 1999 under unchanged
circumstances is estimated at LVL 23.3 million. The economic accounts show tendency of decrease in
annual income per capita of agricultural employees from LVL 668.6 in 1996 to LVL 471.3 in year
1998.
Pursuant to Article 12.4 of  the Agreement on Safeguards and according to the format for
notifications under the Agreement on Safeguards adopted by the Committee on Safeguards (G/SG/1),
the Republic of Latvia hereby notifies taking of a provisional safeguard measure under Article 6 of
the Agreement on Safeguards.
1. Product subject to proposed provisional safeguard measure
Meat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozen - HS heading 0203.
2. Type of provisional safeguard measure
The provisional safeguard measure will be applied in the form of tariff increase by the
introduction of additional import duty at the level of 70 per cent but not less than LVL 0.34 per
kilogramme applied to all imports of meat of swine irrespective of their source.
3. Proposed date of introduction of the provisional safeguard measure
The provisional measure is scheduled to enter in force on 1 June 1999.
4. Expected duration of the provisional safeguard measure
The provisional safeguard measure will apply for a period of up to 200 days, during which the
investigation will proceed further.
5. Preliminary determination that increased imports have caused or are threatening to
cause serious injury
It should be noted that swine meat import growth started gradually from May 1998 and
increased considerably since December of 1998.  The data provided by the State Customs Board
produced the following figures:
Annual swine meat import during the last three years and 1st quarter 1999
1996 1997 1998 1st quarter 1999
1,245 1,207 3,032 1,376
The swine meat import growth rate in average was 251 per cent 1998 versus 1997, 454 per
cent 1st quarter 1999 versus 1997.
The volume of imports of swine meat in April 1999 was 797 tons.G/SG/N/6/LVA/1
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Substantially increased swine meat imports result ed in decrease of the volume of domestically
produced swine meat.  According to the data submitted by the domestic industry the losses of the
domestic producers due to increased imports of swine meat were LVL 4.5 million.  Continuation of
this import trend would lead to a considerable decline in domestic production and would cause evengreater impairment in the position of the domestic industry.
6. Determination of critical circumstances where delay would cause damage which it
would be difficult to repair
In view of the evidence submitted, the State Commission of Safeguards determined that the
conditions referred to above constitute critical circumstances as provided for in Article 6 of the
Agreement on Safeguards.  The swine meat production is considerably influenced by the meatpurchase for processing which characterizes producers’ capacities to sell industrially reared pigs
which constitutes the basic income share in the branch.  The growth of swine meat imports resulted in
decrease of the volume of domestically produced swine meat.  The situation is so critical that it calls
for immediate action in the form of the provisional safeguard measure.
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