G/SG/N/6/CRI/5  
9 July 2019 
(19-4560) Page: 1/2 
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 
(Sugar in solid form, granulated, known as white sugar)  
_______________  
 
 
The Republic of Costa Rica hereby submits to the Committee on Safeguards the following notification 
under Article 12.1(a) of the Agreement on Safeguards regarding the initiation of an investigation 
procedure with a view to the application of a safeguard me asure to imports of "sugar in solid form, 
granulated, known as white sugar, for household and industrial consumption, including plantation, 
specialty and refined white sugars ". 
 
1  DATE WHEN THE INVESTIGATION WAS INITIATED  
An excerpt of the Resolution initiat ing the investigation was published in Official Journal La Gaceta  
No. 115 of 2 0 June 2 019. 
 
As provided under the Resolution, the initiation of the investigation is effective 10 calendar days 
after publication in the Official Journal La Gaceta . The full te xt of the Resolution is available  at both 
the following links:  
 
https://www.imprentanacional.go.cr/pub/2019/06/20/COMP_20_06_2019.pdf  
 
https://www.meic.go.cr/meic/web/169/defensa -comercial/resoluciones -finales.php  
 
2  PRODUCT SUBJECT TO INVESTIGATION  
"Sugar in solid form, granulated, known as white s ugar, for household and industrial consumption, 
including plantation, specialty and refined white sugars ", which, under the Harmonized Commodity 
Description and Coding System, enter s Costa Rica under tariff item 1701.99.00.00.  
 
3  REASONS FOR THE INITIATION O F THE INVESTIGATION  
On 14 February 2 019, the Agro -Industrial Sugar Cane League (LAICA) and the agents of four mills, 
on behalf of the domestic industry, submitted an application for an investigation with a  view to the 
application of a general safeguard mea sure pursuant to Article  XIX of  the GATT  1994, the Agreement 
on Safeguards, and the Central American Regulations on  Safeguard Measures.  
 
On the basis of a preliminary evaluation of the relevant factors, such as increased imports of the 
product subject to i nvestigation in both relative and absolute terms in the periods 2015 -16, 2016 -17 
and 2017 -18, as well as  the situation of  the domestic industry (in  particular, the decline in sales and 
installed capacity and its profit and loss figures), the  Trade  Defence Directorate of  the Ministry of 
the Economy, Industry and Trade, as the  investigating authority, considered that the application 
submitted by the domestic industry met all of  the requirements justifying the  initiation of the 
investigation procedure.  G/SG/N/6/CRI/5  
- 2 - 
  4  CONTACT INFORMATION  
Any questions regarding the procedure referred to above may be addressed to Daniela Castro Murillo 
and Andrea Granados Soto of the Trade  Defence Directorate of  the Ministry of the Economy, Industry 
and Trade by email ( dcastro @meic.go.c r/agranados@meic.go.cr ) or phone ((506)  2549-1400).  
 
5  DEADLINES AND PROCEDURES  
i. Presentation of evidence and views  
 
Pursuant to Article 14(j) of the Central American Regulations on Safeguard Measures, the parties 
will have a period of 10 working days as f rom the date of notification of the initiation of  the 
investigation to submit their arguments and any evidence they may wish to produce.  
In accordance with Article  15 of the Central American Regulations on Safeguard Measures, the  
parties will have a period of 45 calendar days as from the day following the notification, a period 
which may be extended by up to 30 days, in which to  submit evidence.  
 
ii. Deadlines and procedures for Members and exporters to identify themselves as 
interested parties  
 
Pursu ant to the Resolution initiating the investigation, anyone who considers themselves to be an 
interested party to the proceedings has a period of eight working days as from the date of publication 
of the Resolution in the Official Journal La Gaceta  to appea r in person before the investigating 
authority and demonstrate that they have a direct interest in the case and that they fulfil the 
requirements to be considered as such.  
iii. Date of the intended public hearings  
 
Pursuant to Article 24 of the Central Ame rican Regulations on Safeguard Measures, during the 
investigation procedure the investigating authority will notify the parties of the holding of a public 
hearing 15 working days in advance.  
 
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