G/SG/N/6/THA/2/Suppl.1  
G/SG/N/14/THA/2  
 
27 July 2015  
(15-3832)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Safeguards  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 12.1(A) OF THE AGREEMENT 
ON SAFEGUARDS ON INITIATI ON OF AN INVESTIGATION 
AND THE REASONS FOR IT 
 
NOTIFICATION ON THE INITIATON OF A REVIEW PURSUANT  
TO ARTICLE 7.2 REGARDING THE EXTENSION  
OF A SAFEGUARD MEASURE 
THAILAND  
(Hot Rolled Steel Flat Products with Certain Amounts of Alloying Elements) 
Supplement 
The following communication, dated 24 July 2015, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Thailand.  
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 1. Date of initiation  
 
The notice of the initiation of the investigation was published in the Royal Gazette on 17 July B.E. 2558 (2015).    
2. Product concerned 
 The product concerned is hot rolled steel flat products with certain amounts of alloying elements 
such as boron, chromium, etc., in coils and not in coils, with or without patterns in relief, of a 
thickness of 0.9-50.0 mm. and a width of 100-3,048 mm. Exclusion of such products from the scope of the product concerned are hot rolled steel flat products with certain amounts of alloying elements 
used in cold rolling process, hardening process and the automobile industry. The product concerned 
is currently classifiable under the Thai Customs Tariff Code at subheadings:   7225.30.90.011, 7225.30.90.012, 7225.30.90.013, 7225.30.90.014, 7225.30.90.021, 
7225.30.90.022, 7225.30.90.023, 7225.30.90.024, 7225.30.90.090, 7225.40.90.011, 
7225.40.90.012, 7225.40.90.013, 7225.40.90.014, 7225.40.90.021, 7225.40.90.022, 7225.40.90.023, 7225.40.90.024, 7225.40.90.090, 7226.91.10.011, 7226.91.10.012, 
7226.91.10.013, 7226.91.10.014, 7226.91.10.021, 7226.91.10.022, 7226.91.10.023, 
7226.91.10.024, 7226.91.10.090, 7226.91.90.011, 7226.91.90.012, 7226.91.90.013, 7226.91.90.014, 7226.91.90.021, 7226.91.90.022, 7226.91.90.023, 7226.91.90.024, 
7226.91.90.090   
 3. Reference to the WTO document contai ning the most recent Article 12.1(c) 
 
The WTO document containing the most recent Article 12.1(c) is  "G/SG/N/10/THA/2/Suppl.1, 
G/SG/N/11/THA/2/Suppl.3" dated 6 November 2014.  G/SG/N/6/THA/2/Suppl.1 • G/SG/N/14/THA/2 
 
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  4. Reasons for the initiation of the review 
 The review was initiated upon an evaluation of a safeguard petition submitted by the domestic industry and on the basis of the evidence and the information contained therein by the committee on 
Safeguard of Thailand. It was concluded that there is sufficient evidence to justify the initiation of the 
review.    
(i) A petition for a review regarding the extension of a safeguard measure pursuant to Section 36 
of the Safeguard Measures on Increased Imports Act B.E. 2550 (2007) was lodged by the domestic industry, consisting of Sahaviriya Steel Industries Public Company Limited, G Steel Public Company Limited, G J Steel Public Company Limited and Sahaviriya Plate Mill Public 
Company Limited, which accounts for 93% of the production of the product concerned in 
Thailand.   
(ii) The domestic industry has provided sufficient evidence showing that the imports of product 
concerned decreased by 23% in year 2013 but increased again by 14% in year 2014. And when comparing the imports with total production of domestic industry, there is only a slight 
decline in 2013 during a period in which the measure applied for the majority of that year, and 
it was increase in year 2014 which is almost the same level as in year 2012, before the measure was taken. The domestic industry also provide
 primary information of serious injury 
factors including share of domestic market taken by increase imports, change in level of sales, 
production, productivity, capacity utilization, profit and losses, and employment showing the 
fair correlation between the imports of product concerned and the serious injury  factors.  
 
(iii) There is evidence that the domestic industry is adjusting through, amongst others, focusing on 
manufacturing efficiency to include new machinery installation, overall cost reduction, and marketing and distribution. Although a level of adjustment has been achieved, progress is less 
than anticipated due to a combination of the effect of the pile of product concerned stock 
imported before the measure was taken, and the continued high level of imports that have continued to rise in 2014 both in absolute terms and relative to production. 
 
5. Deadlines and procedures 
 (i) Presentation of evidence, documents and views 
 
 Pursuant to the Section 19 of the Safeguard Measures on Increased Imports Act B.E. 2550 
(2007), importers, and any other interested parties who wish to declare the interests in this 
proceeding and who desire to present evidence, documents and opinions pertaining to the 
investigation shall submit their evidence, documents and opinions so stated in writing to the Department of Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Co mmerce of Thailand within 15 days as of the 
date the Notification of the Investigation has entered into force; i.e. before 3 August B.E. 2558 
(2015). Except for the exporters and any interest parties situated out of Thailand, the deadline 
for presentation of evidence, documents and views would be on 11 August B.E. 2558 (2015). 
 
(ii) Hearing 
  All interested parties may also apply to be heard by the Department of foreign Trade, the 
Ministry of Commerce of Thailand within the same deadline mentioned in 5(i). 
 6. Requests and contact regarding the investigation  
The non-confidential summary of the petition for the extension of safeguard measures (Thai version) 
is available in the web page http://btir.dft.go.th/ . Interested parties wishing to raise questions 
regarding the above proceeding or request for information should contact to the following address:   
 
Trade Interests and Remedies Division, Department of Foreign Trade 
Ministry of Commerce of Thailand 
563 Nonthaburi Road, Bangkasor, Nonthaburi 11000 THAILAND 
Telephone: (662) 547-5082, Facsimile: (662) 547-4741 
Email: butrade@moc.go.th  
 
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