G/SG/N/6/MAR/15  
 
21 February 2024  
(24-1584) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Safeguards  Original: French  
 
  
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 12.1(A) OF THE AGREEMENT ON SAFEGUARDS ON 
INITIATION OF AN INVESTIGATION AND THE REASONS FOR IT  
MOROCCO  
(Coated wood fibreboard)  
The following communication, dated and received on 20 February 2024, is being circulated at the 
request of the delegation of Morocco.  
 
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Pursuant to Article 12.1(a) of the Agreement on Safeguards, Morocco hereby notifies the initiation 
of a safeguard investigation concerning imports of coated wood fibreboard.  
1.  Date wh en the investigation was initiated  
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (hereinafter the Ministry) has decided to initiate a safeguard 
investigation concerning imports of coated wood fibreboard, as from 20 February 2024.  
A notice concerning the initiation of  the investigation is available to the public on the Ministry's 
website:  https://www.mcinet.gov.ma/fr/avis -sauvegarde . 
2.  Precise description of the product involved  
The product at issue  is board made from wood fibres and surface  coated  with melamine decor paper 
or decorative laminates of plastic.  
The product  referred to in the petition is currently imported into Morocco under the following 
Harmonized System tariff headings  of the Moroccan customs tariff : 
4411.12.00.90, 4411.13.00.90, 4411.14.00.90, 4411.92.00.90, 4411.93.00.90 and 4411.94.00.90.  
3.  Reasons for the initiation of the investigation  
The investigation was initiated by the Ministry following a petitio n submitted by the company 
Cema Bois de l'Atlas, on behalf of the domestic industry producing coated wood particle board, 
which, within the scope of this investigation, is considered to be the product in direct competition 
with the product at issue . 
Accord ing to the petition, the product in question has been imported into the Moroccan market in 
such increased quantities, both in absolute terms and in relation to domestic production, as to  
threaten to  cause serious injury to the domestic industry producing coated wood particle board.  
Imports of coated wood fibreboard recorded a sharp rise during the period 2019 -2023, both in 
absolute terms and in relation to domestic production.  
In absolute terms, these imports  increased  by 370% over the period 2019 -2023. In relation to 
domestic production, they increased by more than 641% during the period 2019 -2023. G/SG/N/6/MAR/15  
 
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  According to the petitioner, this massive increase in imports is due to a number of unforeseen 
developments.  
According to the claims made in the petition, the in crease in imports threatens to cause imminent 
serious injury to the domestic industry producing coated wood particle board.  
4.  Procedures and deadlines for interested parties to make themselves known  
Interested parties have a period of 30 days from the date o f initiation of the investigation to make 
themselves known as such and to comment on the investigation, by contacting the Ministry by fax 
or email at the number or address provided in paragraph 5.  
During the investigation, the Ministry will be open to hear ing the arguments of the various parties. 
Any request for a hearing must be made in writing, be duly motivated and contain the elements that 
the interested party wishes to address.  
5.  Point of contact and correspondence for the purposes of the investigation  
To request information about the investigation procedure, parties should contact the Ministry using 
the fax number or email address provided below:  
Ministère de l'Industrie et du Commerce  
Direction Générale du Commerce  
Direction de la Défense  et de la Réglementation Commerciale  
Division de la Défense 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-MDF@mcinet.gov.ma  
 
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