G/SG/N/6/MAR/11/Suppl.1  
 
1 February 2023  
(23-0724) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Safeguards  Original: French  
 
  
NOTIFICATION UPON INITIATION OF A REVIEW PURSUANT  
TO ARTICLE 7.2 REGARDING THE EXTENSION  
OF A SAFEGUARD MEASURE  
MOROCCO  
Supplement  
The following communication, dated and received on 31  January  2023, is being circulated at the 
request of the delegation of Morocco.  
 
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Pursuant to Article 7.2 of the Agreement on Safeguards, Morocco hereby notifies the initiation of a 
review investigation regarding extension of the current safeguard measure on imports of hot -rolled 
sheets.  
1. Date when the investigation was initiated  
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (hereinafter "the Ministry") has decided to initiate a review 
investigation on the extension of the safeguard measure applied to imports of hot -rolled sheets, as 
from 26 January 2023.  
Public notice concerning the initiation of the investigation has been given on the Ministry's website 
(https://www.mcinet.gov.ma/fr/avis -sauvegarde ) and in two newspapers authorized  to publish legal 
announcements, namely:  LE MATIN (Issue No. 17,660) and L'OPINION (Issue  No. 19,856), both 
published on 26 January 2023.  
2. Description of the products involved  
The products under consideration and subject to the review are hot-rolled steel sheets, whether or 
not in coils.  
During the original investigation, the product under consideration was classified under the following 
Moroccan customs HS code tariff headings: 72.08, 72.11.13, 72.11.14, 72.11.19, 72.25.30, 
72.25.40, 72.26 .20.00.11, 72.26.20.00.21, 72.26.20.00.30, 72.26.20.00.40, 
72.26.20.00.51, 72.26.20.00.52, 72.26.20.00.59, 72.26.91, 72.26.99.90.91 and 
72.26.99.90.99 . 
In the edition of the Moroccan customs tariffs dated 1  January  2022, the product under consideration 
is now classified under the following tariff headings: 72.08, 72.11.13, 72.11.14, 72.11.19, 
72.25.30, 72.25.40, 72.26.20.00.11, 72.26.20.00.20, 72.26.20.00.51, 72.26.20.00.52, 
72.26.20.00.59, 72.26.91 and 72.26.99.80.00 . 
The review concerns all the products s ubject to the existing measure.  G/SG/N/6/MAR/11/Suppl.1  
 
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  3. Reference to the WTO document containing the most recent Article 12.1(c) 
notification  
The WTO documents containing the most recent Article 12.1 notification is the document 
G/SG/N/8/MAR/7; G/SG/N/10/MAR/7; G/SG/N/11/MAR/7/Su ppl.1, published on 13 May 2020, and 
its supplement G/SG/N/8/MAR/7/Suppl.1; G/SG/N/10/MAR/7/Suppl.1; G/SG/N/11/MAR/7/Suppl.2, 
published on 23 November 2020.  
4. Reasons for the initiation of the review  
The review investigation concerning the extension of the safeguard measure applied to imports of 
hot-rolled sheets was initiated by the Ministry following a petition submitted by Maghreb Steel, which 
constitutes the domestic industry for this product.  
The review was initiated for the following reasons:  
• The injur y caused to the domestic industry has not yet been remedied and the measure 
continues to be necessary to remedy and prevent such injury;  
• The domestic industry is in the process of introducing adjustments to improve its 
competitiveness; and  
• Without a safeguard measure, import pressure could rise due to the increase in global 
production capacity for steel products, and the introduction of safeguard measures by several 
countries to protect their domestic producers.  
5. Deadlines for exporters and other inter ested parties to submit comments 
in writing  
The Ministry will send questionnaires to the exporters identified in the petition. Other concerned 
parties wishing to receive a questionnaire and participate in the investigation should request the 
questionnaire within 15 days of the date of initiation of the investigation.  
Replies to the investigation questionnaires must reach the Ministry within the time limits laid down 
in the questionnaires, and any party requesting an extension of these time limits must show good 
cause.  
Parties that consider that the investigation concerns them have a period of 30 days from the date 
of initiation of the investigation to make themselves known as interested parties.  
In addition to their questionnaire replies, concerned parties m ay send their views and comments on 
the initiation of the investigation, in writing, within 30 days of the date of initiation.  
To submit replies and comments or to request information about the investigation procedure, parties 
should contact the Ministry a t: 
Ministère de l'Industrie et du Commerce  
Direction Générale du Commerce  
Direction de la Défense et de la Réglementation Commerciale  
Parcelle 14, Business center, aile Nord bd Riad,  
Hay Riad. BP 610, Rabat Chellah, Morocco  
Tel.: (+212) 537 70 18 46  
Fax: (+212) 537 72 71 50  
Email : ddc-svg-tlac@mcinet.gov.ma  
 
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