G/SG/N/6/THA/4/Suppl.1  
G/SG/N/14/THA/3  
 
21 October 2016  
(16-5732) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Safeguards  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 12.1(A) OF TH E AGREEMENT  
ON SAFEGUARDS ON INI TIATION OF AN INVEST IGATION  
AND THE REASONS FOR IT 
 
NOTIFICATION ON THE INITIATON OF A REVIE W PURSUANT  
TO ARTICLE 7.2 REGAR DING THE EXTENSION  
OF A SAFEGUARD MEASU RE 
THAILAND  
(Non All oy Hot Rolled Steel Flat Products in Coils and Not in Coils ) 
The following communication, dated 18 October 2016 , is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Thailand . 
 
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We enclose a notification on initiation of a review pursua nt to Article 7.2 of the Agreement on 
Safeguards regarding the extension of the safeguard measure in imports of Non Alloy Hot Rolled 
Steel Flat Products in Coils and Not in Coils.  
 
1. Date of initiation  
The notice of the initiation of the investigation was  published in the Royal Gazette on  3 October  
B.E. 2559 (2016).   
 
2. Product concerned  
The product concerned is non alloy hot rolled steel flat products in coils and not in coils, of a 
thickness of 0.9 – 50.0 mm. and a width of 600.0 – 3,048.0 mm. The exem ptions of the imposition 
of definitive safeguard measure are granted for i) imports of products classified as special grade 
steels; ii) imports for the production of spiral pipe products; and iii) imports for export, i.e., 
imports of products that are inte nded to be manufactured, further processed or incorporated into a 
finished product that will be exported from Thailand under the Industrial Estate Authority of 
Thailand Act; or, the Investment Promotion Act; or, the Customs Act.  The product concerned is 
currently classifiable under the Thai Customs Tariff Code at subheadings: 7208.36.00.031, 
7208.36.00.032, 7208.36.00.033, 7208.36.00.090, 7208.37.00.041, 7208.37.00.042, 
7208.37.00.043, 7208.37.00.090, 7208.38.00.041, 7208.38.00.042, 7208.38.00.043, 
7208.38. 00.090, 7208.39.00.041, 7208.39.00.042, 7208.39.00.043, 7208.39.00.090, 
7208.51.00.090, 7208.52.00.090, 7208.53.00 .011, 7208.53.00.012, 7208.53.00.013, 
7208.53.00.090, 7208.54.00.011, 7208.54.00.012, 7208.54.00.013, 7208.54.00.090  
 
3. Reference to the WTO document containing the most recent Article 12.1(c)  
The WTO document containing the most recent Article 12.1(c) is G/SG/N/8/THA/3 –
G/SG/N/10/THA/3 –G/SG/N/11/THA/4 dated 15 January 2015.  
4. Reasons for the initiation of the review  G/SG/N/6/THA/4/Suppl.1 • G/SG/N/14/THA/3  
 
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  The initiation was initiate d upon an evaluation of a safeguard petition from 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 init iation 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 Ste el Indus tries Public Company Limited, 
G Steel Public Company Limited, G J Steel Public Company Limited and Sahaviriya Plate Mill 
Public Company Limited, which accounts for 96 percent of the production of the product 
concerned in Thailand.  
 
(ii) The domest ic industry has provided sufficient evidence showing that the imports of 
product concerned decreased to 84 percent and 63 percent in year 2014 and 
2015 respectively. The imports compared with total production of domestic industry, it is clear 
that the impo rts had dropped by 7 percent in year 2014, the first year of safeguard measure, 
and slightly dropped by 3 percent in year 2015. The domestic industry also provide primary  
information of serious injury factors including share of domestic market taken by inc rease 
imports, change in level of sales, production, productivity, capacity utilization, profit and 
losses, and employment showing the correlation between the imports of product concerned 
and the serious injury  factors . 
 
(iii) There is evidence that the do mestic industry is adjusting in order to improve, amongst 
others, manufacturing efficiency, new equipment installation, cost reduction, investment in 
new finished products and marketing and distribution. The petition showed that some 
adjustment could be re ached as plan and some could not be reached due to unexpected 
factors such as the lack of  outcome, the imports of the downstream finished products, 
slowdown of the economic and automotive industry.  
 
5. Deadlines and Procedures  
 (i) Presentation of evidenc e, 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 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 Commerce of Thailand within 15 days as 
of the date the Notification of the Investigation has entered into force; i.e. before 18 October 
B.E. 2559 (2016). Except for the exporters and any interest parties situated out of Thailand, the 
deadline for presentation of evidence, documents and views would be on 28 October  
B.E. 2559 (2016) . 
 
 (ii) Hearing  
 
All interested parties may also apply to b e heard by the Department of foreign Trade, the Ministry of 
Commerce of Thailand within the same deadline mentioned in 4(i) . 
 
6. Requests and Contact regarding the investigation  
The non -confidential summary of the petition for the extension of safeguard me asures (Thai version) 
is available in the web page http://www.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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