RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SG/Q1/ARG/4
23December 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-5412)
Original: Spanish Committee onSafeguards
NOTIFICATIONS OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS UNDER
ARTICLE 12.6OFTHE AGREEMENT
Replies from ARGENTINA totheQuestions Posed byCANADA1
Thefollowing communication, dated 4November 1996, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofArgentina.
______________
REPLIES TOTHE QUESTIONS FROM CANADA
Given thatArgentina veryrecently notified Decree No.1059/96 establishing regulations under
theAgreement onSafeguards, itisunderstood thatthequestions donotrefer tothatDecree, but
nevertheless where appropriate theanswers willrefertothatDecree.
Question
1. Decree No.766/94, Foreign Trade, Chapter III,Investigations, Reports andOpinions
andActivities -Article 12notes that"...thetestofinjury tothedomestic industry shallbebased
upon facts andobjective information andnotonmere conjecture orremote possibility." Please
advise whether thisprinciple alsoapplies totheinvestigation ofsafeguard measures noted in
Article 13.
Reply
Yes. Argentina doesapply thisprinciple, since Decree 766/94 should beinterpreted inthe
lightofLaw24,425, Article 4,paragraph 2ofwhich establishes thattheAuthority shallevaluate "all
relevant factors ofanobjective andquantifiable nature ...".
Question
2. Decree No.766/94, Foreign Trade, Chapter III,Investigations, Reports andOpinions
andActivities -Article 15notes thattheCommission mayengage specialists orspecial consultants
tosupplement itspermanent technical team. Please advise inthecontext ofasafeguard
investigation,whetherrepresentativesofthedomesticindustryseekingimportrelief,canbeengaged
asspecialists orconsultants.
1G/SG/Q1/ARG/1.G/SG/Q1/ARG/4
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Reply
No.Theintention ofArticle 15istopermit theengagement ofindependent experts whocan
supplement theCommission 'sinvestigation.
Question
3. Decree No.766/94, Foreign Trade, Chapter III,Investigations, Reports andOpinions
andActivities -Article 18notes thattheCommission mayholdpublic hearings inthecontext
ofaninvestigation. Please explain theprocedure fornotification andparticipation byinterested
parties atpublic hearings.
Reply
Resolution 2/96oftheBoard oftheNational Commission forForeign Trade (CNCE), which
applies toanytypeofinvestigation, laysdown theprocedure tobefollowed bothforthenotification
andfortheparticipation ofinterested parties inhearings. Itestablishes thatwhen ahearing ispublic
theinterested parties mentioned inthefileshallbenotified individually, andalsothatpublic notice
ofconvocation tothepublic hearing shallbegiven intheOfficial Journal. Bothnotifications shall
givedetails oftheongoing investigation, thenature andpurpose ofthehearing, thedate, hourand
place where itwillbeheld, andrequirements forattendance andparticipation. Hearings shall be
convened withaminimum advance notice of20days. Atthehearings theparties maygivetheirviews
andinclude relevant information fortheconduct oftheinvestigation, while complying withthe
requirements relating toconfidential information. Inaddition, theparties shallsubmit inwriting any
information theygiveorally atthehearing, sothatitmaybetaken intoaccount inthefinaldetermination.
Inthecaseofaprivate hearing, onlytheparties intheinvestigation willbenotified, andthere
isnoneedtopublish theconvocation intheOfficial Journal.
Question
4. What aretheprovisions oftheArgentina notification thatdealwithmid-term reviews
andextension enquiries?
Reply
InArticle 33ofDecree No.1059/96, Argentina follows theprovisions ofArticle 7ofthe
Agreement onSafeguards, which governs reviews andextensions ofsafeguard measures.
Question
5. Canprovisional safeguard measures betaken andifso,under what conditions?
Reply
InArticle35ofDecreeNo.1059/96,ArgentinafollowsinthisrespecttheprovisionsofArticle6
oftheAgreement onSafeguards. Thus, theparty requesting themeasure hastodemonstrate boththe
existence orthreat ofinjury inconnection withincreased imports, aswellastheexistence ofcritical
circumstances. These measures maynotlastmore than200daysandtheperiod during which they
areineffect shallbecounted forthepurposes ofthetotalduration ofthesafeguard measure.G/SG/Q1/ARG/4
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Question
6. Arethere defined time-limits forimposing safeguard actions under Argentina law?
Reply
Yes,Argentina observes thetime-limits laiddown inArticle 7oftheAgreement onSafeguards,
asprovided forinArticles 28,29,30and31ofDecree No.1059/96.
Question
7. Arethere anyprovisions intheArgentina lawthatrequire theprogressive liberalization
ofsafeguard measures?
Reply
Yes.ArgentinacomplieswithArticle7,paragraph4,oftheAgreementonSafeguards,governing
theissueofprogressive liberalization, asprovided forinArticle 33ofDecree No.1059/96, thetime-
limits ofwhich arethesame asthose intheAgreement.
Question
8. Describe thelegislative and/or regulatory provisions associated with thegranting of
compensation.
Reply
Inthisregard Argentina follows theprocedure laiddown inArticle 8oftheAgreement on
Safeguards. Articles 21and22ofDecree No.1059/96 provide foracompensation mechanism that
isinkeeping withtheprovisions oftheAgreement.