G/L/1312  
G/SG/209  
 
2 May 2019  
(19-3046) Page: 1/1 
Council for Trade in Goods  
Committee on Safeguards  Original: English  
 
IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATI ON TO THE COUNCIL FO R TRADE IN GOODS  
OF THE RESULTS OF TH E CONSULTATIONS UNDE R ARTICLE 12.3  
JOINT COMMUNICATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNIO N AND THE REPUBLIC O F KOREA  
Certain steel products  
The following communication, dated 30 April 2019, is  being circulated at the request of the 
Delegations of the European Union and the Republic of Korea.  
 
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Pursuant to Article 12.5 of the WTO Agreement on Safeguards (Safeguards Agreement), the 
European Union and the Republic of Korea are not ifying the results of the consultations conducted 
under Article 12.3 of the Safeguards Agreement. Documents G/SG/N/6/EU/1 (dated 27 March 2018), 
G/SG/N/6/EU/1/Suppl.1 (dated 29 June 2018), G/SG/N/7/EU/1 and G/SG/N/11/EU/1 (dated  
18 July 2018), G/SG/N/8/EU/ 1 - G/SG/N/10/EU/1  - G/SG/N/11/EU/1/Suppl. 1 (dated  
4 January  2019) G/SG/N/8/EU/1/Suppl. 1 - G/SG/N/10/EU/1/Suppl.1  - G/SG/N/11/EU/1/Suppl.2 
(dated  7 February  2019) contain notifications from the European Union concerning measures taken 
under the Safeguards Agreement concerning certain steel products.  
 
On 11 January 2019, the European Union and the Republic of Korea conducted consultations with a 
view to discuss the information provided in the above -mentioned documents, dated 4 January 2019, 
related to the sa feguard measure on certain steel products. The European Union and the Republic 
of Korea discussed the relevant information and exchanged views on the measure.  
 
The Republic of Korea contested the legality and proportionality of the measures. It considered  that 
the analysis should have been carried out on a product category basis. The Republic of Korea argued 
that the volume of the tariff -rate quotas (TRQs) should have been increased by more than 5%, due 
to a higher demand for certain product categories. Th e Republic of Korea drew the attention of the 
European Union to potential errors in the calculation of the level of the TRQ in a product category.  
 
The European Union disagreed with the statements questioning the legality and proportionality of 
the measure s, as well as with the need to increase the volumes of TRQs. The European Union 
informed the Republic of Korea that it would re -examine the TRQ levels in one product category.  
 
The Republic of Korea requested the exclusion of certain steel products from SG  imposition to 
respond to increasing market demand. The European Union responded that a review process would 
reflect any necessary adjustment to the measures.  
 
To maintain a substantially equivalent level of concessions, the Republic of Korea raised the ne cessity 
of trade compensation for its adversely affected trade interests pursuant to Article 8.1 of the 
Agreement on Safeguards. The Republic of Korea suggested a specific amount for the compensation. 
The European Union disagreed with Korea on the necessit y of and the suggested amount for the 
compensation.  
 
The Republic of Korea reserved its right to suspend the application of substantially equivalent 
concessions or other obligations under Article 8 of the Agreement on Safeguards.  
 
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