G/SG/N/6/TUR/24  
 
3 May 201 8 
(18-2733) Page: 1/3 
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 
TURKEY 
(Iron and Steel Products ) 
The following communication, dated 2 May 201 8, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Turkey.  
 
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Republic of Turkey hereby notifies the Committee on Safeguards, pursuant to Article 12.1(a) of the 
Agreement on Safeguards on initiation of a safeguard investigation on imports of iron and steel 
products.  
 
1. The date when the investigation was initiated  
The investigation was initiated on 27/4/2018. The related Communiqué was published in the 
Official Gazette on the same date.   
 
2. The product subject to the investigation  
The products under investigation are hereinafter r eferred to as "the products concerned".  
 
The HS Codes under the Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule and descriptions of the products 
concerned are listed in the table below.   
 
N. Product Group  HS Codes  Description of Product  
1 Flat Products  72.08  Flat-rolled  products of iron or non -alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or  
more, hot -rolled, not clad, plated or coated:  
72.09  Flat-rolled products of iron or non -alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or 
more, cold -rolled (cold -reduced), not clad, plated or coated:  
72.10  Flat-rolled products of iron or non -alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or 
more, clad, plated or coated:  
72.11  Flat-rolled products of iron or non -alloy steel, of a width of less than  
600 mm, not clad, plated or coated:  
72.12  Flat-rolled products  of iron or non -alloy steel, of a width of less than  
600 mm, clad, plated or coated:  
72.25  Flat-rolled products of other alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more:  
72.26  Flat-rolled products of other alloy steel, of a width of less than 600 mm:  G/SG/N/6/TUR/24  
 
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  N. Product Group  HS Codes  Description of Product  
2 Bars, Rods and 
Sections  72.13  Bars and rods, hot -rolled, in irregularly wound coils, of iron or non -
alloysteel:  
72.14  Other bars and rods of iron or non -alloy steel, not further worked than  
forged, hot -rolled, hot -drawn or hot -extruded, but including those 
twistedafter rolling:  
72.15  Other bars and rods of iron or non -alloy steel:  
72.16  Angles, shapes and sections of iron or non -alloy steel:  
72.17  Wire of iron or non -alloy steel:  
72.27  Bars and rods, hot -rolled, in irregularly wound coils, of other alloy steel:  
72.28  Other bars and rods of other alloy steel; angles, shapes and sections, of 
other alloy steel; hollow drill bars and rods, of alloy or non -alloy steel:  
3 Railway Material  73.02  Railway or tramway track construction material of  iron or steel, the  
following: rails, check -rails and rack rails, switch blades, crossing 
frogs,point rods and other crossing pieces, sleepers (cross -ties), fish -
plates, chairs, chair wedges, sole plates (base plates), rail clips, 
bedplates, ties and other  material specialised for jointing or fixing rails:  
4 Tubes, pipes and 
hollow profiles  73.03  Tubes, pipes and hollow profiles, of cast iron:  
73.04  Tubes, pipes and hollow profiles, seamless, of iron (other than cast iron)  
or steel:  
73.05  Other tubes  and pipes (for example, welded, riveted or similarly closed),  
having circular cross -sections, the external diameter of which exceeds  
406,4 mm, of iron or steel:  
73.06  Other tubes, pipes and hollow profiles (for example, open seam or  
welded, riveted or similarly closed), of iron or steel:  
5 Stainless Steel  72.19  Flat-rolled products of stainless steel, of a width of 600 mm or more:  
72.20  Flat-rolled products of stainless steel, of a width of less than 600 mm:  
 
3. The reasons for the initiation of investigation  
Taking into account import taxes imposed by the United States, safeguard investigation initiated 
by the European Union and increasing tendency worldwide towards protectionist measures against 
steel products, the investigation was initiated ex -officio in order to determine whether imports 
have caused serious injury and/or threat thereof to domestic producers of related products.  
 
The information currently available indicates that there has been an increase in imports of the 
product concerned in  the period 2013 -2017. Turkey notes that total imports increased by 22%, 
reaching to 10 .9 million tonnes between the related period. The quantity of imports rate of change 
is -4.7% in 2013 -2014 whereas the increase of the next period is 24 .7% in 2015. In  last 
two years, the increase rates are 1 .2%. In addition to that, the value of import and the imports 
prices decreased between 2013 -2016.  
 
An interim examination report is going to be prepared on the basis of the information, documents 
and views presented by the related parties in the investigation process and the research to be 
carried out by the General Directorate. The interim review repor t will be published on the 
investigation page at the link address below.  
 
 https://www.ekonomi.gov.tr/portal/url/buk  
 
4. Further information  
The coverage of the products concerned may change according  to the information to be collected 
in the investigation process.  
 
If necessary conditions for imposition of a safeguard measure on the products concerned are 
fulfilled, it will also be assessed whether products originated in the European Union are to be 
exempted from such a measure.  
 G/SG/N/6/TUR/24  
 
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  The interested parties can download the investigation questionnaires from the investigation page 
https://www.ekonomi.gov.tr/portal/url/buk  
 
The interested parties are r equired to fill in the questionnaires within 30 (thirty) days from the 
date of publication of the Communiqué and forward it to the General Directorate. Interested 
parties may ask for technical assistance from the investigating authority while filling out t he 
questionnaires.  
 
The companies and institutions established in Turkey shall send the questionnaires and their 
official views from their official registered electronic mail -KEP address to the registered electronic 
mail-KEP address of the Ministry.  
 
The a ddress for electronic mail: ekonomi@hs01.kep.tr  
 
Those who want to be interested parties as companies, institutions and establishments abroad 
shall send their answers to the questionnaires and their official views  to the Ministry's e -mail 
address below.   
 
Directorate General E -mail address: ithebys@ekonomi.gov.tr  
 
The address of the investigating authority for correspondence is:  
 
 Ministry of Economy  
 Directorate General for Imports, Department of Safeguards  
 Söğütözü Mah. 2176. Sk. No: 63 06530 Çankaya/Ankara/TURKEY  
 Tel: +90 312 204 92 93 -99 45 -99 70 -95 79  
 Fax: +90 312 204 86 33  
E-mail: korunma@ekonomi.gov. tr 
 
 
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