WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SG/N/6/MAR/7 
10 October 2012 
 (12-5496) 
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 
 
(Reinforcing bars and wire rods) 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 8 October 2012, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Morocco.  
_______________ 
 
 
 Pursuant to Article 12.1(a) of the Agre ement on Safeguards and the new notification 
format adopted by the Committee on Safegua rds at its meeting of 19 October 2009 
(G/SG/1/Rev.1-G/SG/N/6/Rev.1-G/SG/89 of 5 November 2009), Morocco hereby submits its 
notification of initiation of an investig ation relating to safeguard measures. 
 
 Having examined the petition from the Moroccan  reinforcing bar and wire rod industry for 
the application of safeguard measures, the Departme nt of Foreign Trade (DCE) has decided to initiate 
a safeguard investigation regarding imports of reinfo rcing bars and wire rods in accordance with the 
following provisions: 
 
1. Date of initiation of the investigation 
 The Department of Foreign Trade decided to initiate the investigation on 25 September 2012. 
  An announcement by the Department of Foreign Trade was made available to the 
public on the Ministry's website ( http://www.maroc-trade.gov.ma ) and published in the daily 
newspapers Le MATIN  of 28 September 2012 No. 14 846, page 13, and AKHBAR ALYOUM  
of 27 September 2012. 
 
2. Precise description of the product involved 
 The products subject to the investigation are rein forcing bars and iron or steel wire rods of the 
family of long iron and steel products. 
 
 Reinforcing bars are intended for the producti on of reinforced concrete for buildings and 
public works projects.  Their diam eters range from 5.5 to 40 mm. 
 
 Wire rods are intended for the manufacture of wire products (fencing, wire fencing and small 
products such as pins, nails, staples, etc.).  G/SG/N/6/MAR/7 
Page 2 
 
 
   The products are imported under Morocco's Harmonized System customs nomenclature: 
 
 Wire rods:  7213.91.90.00, and reinfor ced bars:  7214.20.90.00;  7214.99.91.00. 
 3. Reasons for initiation of the investigation 
 The investigation was initiated by the Depart ment of Foreign Trade following a petition filed 
by the Moroccan Iron and Steel Industry Association (ASM) on behalf of the domestic reinforcing bar 
and wire rod industry and on the basis of the in formation and evidence contained in the petition. 
 
 According to the petition, the products in qu estion have been imported into the Moroccan 
market in such increased quantities,  both in absolute terms and in  relation to domestic production, 
as to cause serious injury to the domestic reinforcing bar and wire rod industry. 
 
 During the period January-April 2012, imports of  reinforcing bars and wire rods increased 
by 503 per cent and 148 per cent, respectively, compar ed to the same period in 2011.  Imports of wire 
rods and reinforcing bars stand at 117 per cent and 5.36 per cent, respectively, in relation to 
domestic production.  
 According to the petition, this sudden and mass ive increase in imports recorded in 2012 is due 
to the ongoing economic and financial crisis in certa in Southern European countries which is strongly 
linked to the crisis in the real estate sectors of these countries. 
 
 According to the domestic reinforcing bar and wire rod industry's petition, the massive 
increase in imports has caused serious injury to the domestic industry, resulting in a decline, since the 
beginning of 2012, in output, productivity, produc tion capacity, sales and the level of employment, 
as well as significant declines in the econom ic performance of the domestic industry. 
 
4. Procedures and deadlines for interested  parties to make themselves known 
 Interested parties have a period of 15 days fro m the date of initiation of the investigation to 
make themselves known as such and to request the investigation questionnaire by contacting the DCE 
by fax or e-mail at the number or  address provided in paragraph 5. 
 
 Apart from replies to questionnaires, all inter ested parties are invited to make their views 
known, to submit information and to provide suppor ting evidence.  This information and supporting 
evidence has to reach the DCE within a period of 30 days from the date of initiation of 
the investigation. 
  The DCE may hold a public hearing, either ex  officio or by request, in which interested 
parties may participate provided that they so requ est and show that they are actually likely to be 
affected by the result of the investigation.  The object  of this hearing is to allow interested parties, 
in accordance with Article 3 of the WTO Agre ement on Safeguards, to present arguments and 
counterarguments and to express their views on th e appropriateness of applying the safeguard 
measure as well as on whether applying this  measure is in the public interest. 
  G/SG/N/6/MAR/7 
 Page 3 
 
 
  5. Contact point for correspondence concerning the investigation 
 For information concerning the investigati on procedure, the address for correspondence is: 
 
 Ministère de l'Industrie, du Commerc e et des Nouvelles Technologies 
 Département du Commerce Extérieur 
 63, Avenue Moulay Youssef, Rabat 
 Fax: (+212) 5 3771-7250 / (+212) 5 3775-1622  E-mail: dpce@mce.gov.ma  
 
__________