G/SG/N/10/MAR/8/Suppl.1  
G/SG/N/11/MAR/8/Suppl.2  
 
6 November 2023  
(23-7464) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Safeguards  Original: French  
 
  
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLES 7.2 AND 12.1(C) OF THE AGREEMENT ON SAFEGUARDS 
(EXTENSION OF THE EXISTING MEASURE)  
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 9, FOOTNOTE 2,  
OF THE AGREEMENT ON SAFEGUARDS  
MOROCCO  
Tubes and pipes of iron or steel  
Supplement  
The following communication, dated 6 October 2023 and received on 3 November 2023,1 is being 
circulated at the request of the delegation of Morocco.  
 
_______________  
 
 
Pursuant to Article 7.2 and Article 12.1(c) of the Agreement on Safeguards, Morocco hereby notifies 
the extension of the safeguard measure on imports of tubes and pipes of iron or steel.  
1  DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCTS SUBJECT TO THE SAFEGUARD MEASURE  
The products under consideration and subject to review are welded tubes and pipes, of iron or steel, 
conical or pyramidal, of circular, square or rectangular cross -section.  
During the original investigation, the products under consideration were classified under the 
following tariff headings: 7306191090; 7306199900; 7306301099; 7306309900; 7306501090; 
7306509900; 7306611000; 7306619000; 7306691000; 7306699900; 7306901090; 7306909900.  
In the edition of the customs tariffs dated 1 January 2022, the products under consideration are now 
classified under the following tari ff headings: 7306191090; 7306199900; 7306301099; 
7306309900; 7306501090; 7306509900; 7306611010; 7306611090; 7306619000; 7306691000; 
7306699900; 7306902012; 7306902019; 7306902022; 7306902029; 7306902039; 7306909019; 
7306909099.  
2  DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED  MEASURE  
The safeguard measure consists of an additional ad valorem  safeguard duty of 22%.  
 
1 The delegation of Morocco sent this document to the WTO on 6 October 2023. Receipt of this document 
by the Rules Division was delayed by a misunderstanding about the specific address to which the document was 
sent. G/SG/N/10/MAR/8/Suppl.1 • G/SG/N/11/MAR/8/Suppl.2  
 
- 2 - 
 
  3  PROPOSED DATE OF INTRODUCTION OF THE MEASURE  
The definitive safeguard measure will be published in Morocco's Official Journal. Its provisions will 
enter into force on 6 November 2023.  
4  EXPECTED DURATION OF THE MEASURE  
There are plans to renew the safeguard measure for a further three years, that is, until 
5 November  2026.  
5  EXPECTED TIMETABLE FOR PROGRESSIVE LIBERALIZATION OF THE MEASURE  
In order to satisfy the require ment for the progressive liberalization of the measure, in accordance 
with Article 65 of Law No. 15 -09 on trade defence measures and Article 7.4 of the WTO Agreement 
on Safeguards, the additional ad valorem  duty of 22% will be reduced by 1 percentage point  each 
year. 
6  EVIDENCE THAT THE SAFEGUARD MEASURE CONTINUES TO BE NECESSARY TO REMEDY 
OR PREVENT SERIOUS INJURY AND THAT THE INDUSTRY CONCERNED IS ADJUSTING  
In order to determine whether the safeguard measure continues to be necessary to remedy or 
prevent serious injury and whether the Moroccan industry is adjusting in accordance with Article 69 
of Law No. 15 -09 and Article 7.2 of the WTO Agreement on Safeguar ds, the Ministry examined the 
trend in imports of tubes and pipes of iron or steel and the domestic industry's economic and financial 
indicators. The Ministry then analysed the foreseeable and imminent behaviour of the imports and 
their effects on the Moro ccan tubes and pipes of iron or steel industry after the lifting of the safeguard 
measure. The Ministry also examined this industry's restructuring programme.  
6.1  Determination as to whether the safeguard measure continues to be necessary to 
remedy serious inj ury 
In order to determine whether the safeguard measure continues to be necessary to remedy serious 
injury, the Ministry examined the domestic industry's economic and financial indicators, namely 
production, production capacity, rate of capacity utilizatio n, sales, production costs, profitability, 
inventories, productivity and employment. The situation of the Moroccan tubes and pipes of iron or 
steel industry has improved but remains very fragile.  G/SG/N/10/MAR/8/Suppl.1 • G/SG/N/11/MAR/8/Suppl.2  
 
- 3 - 
 
  TABLE 1: OVERVIEW OF INDICATORS OF SERIOUS INJURY SUFFERED B Y THE DOMESTIC 
TUBES AND PIPES OF IRON OR STEEL INDUSTRY  
 2019  2020  2021  2022  
Imports (tonnes)  38,077  20,627  13,986  15,423  
Production (tonnes)  100 81 94 103 
Imports/Production  100 67 39 39 
Domestic sales (tonnes)  100 82 92 97 
Market share of the domestic industry   100 110 122 126 
Market share of imports  100 73 49 53 
Domestic selling price 
(MAD  thousand/tonne)  100 102 145 170 
Profits (MAD thousand)  100 26 185 115 
Inventories (tonnes)  100 87 91 106 
Production capacity (tonnes)  100 101 103 126 
Production capacity utilization rate in (%)  100 80 91 82 
Investment (MAD thousand)  100 64 113 4 
Employment (persons)  100 90 94 96 
Productivity (tonnes/employee)  100 90 98 103 
Source: Data compiled from Foreign Exchange Board statistics and results of a survey for domestic producers.  
6.2  Determination as to whether the safeguard measure continues to be necessary to 
prevent serious injury  
In order to determine whether the safeguard measure continues to be necessary to prevent serious 
injury, the M inistry examined the risk that imports would increase in the coming years owing to 
factors such as the following:  
i. the global overcapacity of steel products; and  
ii. the increased protection of domestic markets.  
Having examined the above factors, Morocco concluded that there is a real and imminent risk of 
imports of tubes and pipes of iron or steel increasing once the safeguard measure is lifted.  
6.3  Determination as to whether the domestic industry engages in adjustment measures  
The domestic tubes and pipes o f iron or steel industry has provided evidence showing that it has 
begun implementing its structural adjustment plan aimed at increasing its competitiveness. The 
implementation of adjustment measures is ongoing.  
7  REFERENCE TO THE WTO DOCUMENT THAT NOTIFIED THE INITIAL APPLICATION OF 
THE MEASURE  
The WTO documents containing the most recent Article 12.1 notification are document 
G/SG/N/8/MAR/8  - G/SG/N/10/MAR/8  - G/SG/N/11/MAR/8/Suppl.1 , published on 16 September 
2020, and its corrigendum G/SG/N/8/MAR/8/Corr.1  - G/SG/N/10/MAR/8/Corr.1  - 
G/SG/N/11/MAR/8/Suppl.1/Corr.1 , published on 22 September 2020.  
8  DURATION OF THE MEASURE FROM INITIAL APPLICATION TILL THE DATE AT WHICH 
IT WILL BE EXTENDED  
Morocco applied a safeguard measure to imports of tubes and pipes of iron or steel, which entered 
into force on 6 November 2020 for a duration of three years until 5 November 2023. Morocco plans 
to extend this safeguard measure for a further three years, i.e. until 5 November 2026.  G/SG/N/10/MAR/8/Suppl.1 • G/SG/N/11/MAR/8/Suppl.2  
 
- 4 - 
 
  9  DEVELOPING COUNTRIES EX CLUDED FROM THE SAFEGUARD MEASURE UNDER 
ARTICLE  9.1 OF THE AGREEMENT ON SAFEGUARDS  
Albania; Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Armenia; Kingdom of Bahrain; Bangladesh; 
Barbados; Belize; Benin; Plurinational State of Bolivia; Botswana; Brazil; Brunei D arussalam; 
Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Chile; 
Chinese Taipei; Colombia; Congo; Costa Rica; Côte d'Ivoire; Cuba; Democratic Republic of the 
Congo; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Eg ypt; El Salvador; Eswatini; Fiji; Gabon; 
Gambia; Georgia; Ghana; Grenada; Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea -Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; 
India; Indonesia; Jamaica; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Republic of Korea; Kuwait; Kyrgyz Republic; 
Lao People's Democratic R epublic; Lesotho; Macao, China; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Maldives; 
Mali; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mexico; Republic of Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Mozambique; 
Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Nicaragua; Niger; Nigeria; North Macedonia; Oman; Pakistan; Panama;  
Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Qatar; Rwanda; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Sierra Leone; 
Singapore; Solomon Islands; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Tajik istan; Tanzania; Thailand; 
Togo; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia; Uganda; United Arab Emirates; Uruguay; Vanuatu; 
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe.  
10  OFFER OF CONSULTATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 12.3  
In accordance with Article 12.3 of the Agreement on Safeguards, Morocco is ready to consult on the 
proposed safeguard measure with those Members having a substantial interest as exporters of the 
products concerned.  
 
__________