G/SG/Q2/ARE/4, G/SG/Q2/BHR/3  
G/SG/Q2/KWT/3, G/SG/Q2/OMN/3  
G/SG/Q2/QAT/3, G/SG/Q2/SAU/3  
 
17 January 2017 
(17-0299) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Safeguards  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 12.4 OF THE A GREEMENT  ON 
SAFEGUARDS BEFORE TA KING A PROVISIONAL  
MEASURE REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 6  
 
NOTIFICATION PU RSUANT TO ARTICLE 9,  FOOTNOTE 2   
OF THE AGREEMENT ON SAFEGUARDS  
 
REPLIES TO QUESTIONS  POSED BY THE UNITED STATES1 REGARDING THE NOTIFICA TION 
OF THE KINGDOM OF BAHRA IN, THE STATE OF  KUWAIT, THE SULTANAT E OF OMAN,  
THE STATE OF QATAR, KING DOM OF SAUDI ARABIA,  AND UNITED ARAB EMIR ATES 
(COOPERATION COUNCIL  FOR THE ARAB STATES OF THE GULF "GCC")2 
The following communication, dated on 16 January  2017, is being circulated at the request of the 
Kingdom of Bahrain as President of the GCC on behalf of the GCC Member States: United Arab 
Emirates; Bahrain, Kingdom of; Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of; Oman, the Sultanate of; Qatar, 
the State  of; and Kuwait, the State of.  
 
_______________  
 
 
Question 1  
In its collective notification, the GCC indicates that the investigation was initiated on 
3 October 2016 and provisional measures came into force on 1 November 2016 (i.e., less 
than 30 days from initiation). Article 6 of the WTO Agreement on Safeguards states that 
"[i]n critical circumstances where delay would cause damage which it would be difficult 
to repair, a Member may take a provisional safeguard measure pursuant to a preliminary 
determinati on that there is clear evidence that increased imports have caused or are 
threatening to cause serious injury." The notification provides data that, in the GCC 
competent authorities' view, constitute "clear evidence" needed to impose provisional 
measures. Please indicate whether the information relied on was placed in the 
administrative record and made available to interested parties prior to making a 
determination to impose provisional measures. If not, please explain the reason for this 
decision.  
Reply  
 
The GCC investigating authority (TSAIP) received a properly documented safeguard complaint, the 
complaint  contains  clear evidence of serious injury and critical circumstances where delay would 
cause damage which it would be difficult to repair. A copy of th e non -confidential version  of the 
complaint  made available to interested parties prior initiation.  
                                                
1 G/SG/Q2/ARE/3 -G/SG/Q2/BHR/2 -G/SG/Q2/KWT/2 -G/SG/Q2/OMN/2 -G/SG/Q 2/QAT/2 -
G/SG/Q2/SAU/2 . 
2 G/SG/N/7/ARE/1 -G/SG/N/11/ARE/1 -G/SG/N/7/BHR/1 -G/SG/N/11/BHR/1 -G/SG/N/7/KWT/1 - 
G/SG/N/11/KWT/1 -G/SG/N/7/OMN/1 -G/SG/N/11/OMN/1 -G/SG/N/7/QAT/1 -G/SG/N/11/QAT/1 - 
G/SG/N/7/SAU/1 -G/SG/N/11/SAU/1 (dated 21 October 2016) and G/SG/N/7/ARE/1/ Suppl.1 -
G/SG/N/7/BHR/1/Suppl.1 -G/SG/N/7/KWT/1/Suppl.1 -G/SG/N/7/OMN/1/Suppl.1 -G/SG/N/7/QAT/1/Suppl.1 - 
G/SG/N/7/SAU/1/Suppl.1 (dated 1 November 2016). G/SG/Q2/ARE/4 • G/SG/Q2/BHR/3 • G/SG/Q2/KWT/3 • G/SG/Q2/OMN/3 •  
G/SG/Q2/QAT/3 • G/SG/Q2/SAU/3  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Question 2  
In addition to the data in the complaint for investigation, please identify the source(s) of 
additional information used by the GCC competent auth orities that constitute "clear 
evidence" that increased imports have caused or are threatening to cause serious injury, 
and substantiates the decision to impose provisional duties. If no additional information 
was examined by the GCC competent authorities,  please explain the reason for this 
decision and how this is consistent with Article 6 of the WTO Agreement on Safeguards.  
Reply  
In order to ensure the requirements of Article 6 of the WTO Agreement on Safeguards and 
Article  73 of the Rules of Implementati on of the GCC Common Law (Amended), the GCC -TSAIP 
examined the accuracy and adequacy of the evidence provided in the complaint pursuant to 
Article  3 of the Rules of Implementation of the GCC Common Law on Antidumping, Countervailing 
Measures and Safeguard Measures (Amended).  
Question 3  
If information was received from interested parties prior to making a determination to 
impose provisional measures, did the GCC competent authorities analy se and assess the 
information provided during the post -initiation peri od? If not, please explain the reason 
for this decision.  
Reply  
 
No information f rom interested parties prior to  making a determination to impose pro visional 
measures was received.  
 
__________