G/SG/Q2/JOR/7  
 
21 September 2016 
(16-5005) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Safeguards  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 12.1(A) OF THE A GREEMENT ON  
SAFEGUARDS ON INI TIATION OF AN INVEST IGATION AND  
THE REASONS FOR IT  
 
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 12.4 OF THE A GREEMENT ON  
SAFEGUARDS BEFORE TA KING A PROVISIONAL S AFEGUARD  
MEASURE REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 6 
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 12.1(B) OF TH E AGREEMENT ON  
SAFEGUARDS ON FINDIN G A SERIOUS INJURY OR TH REAT  
THEREOF CAUSED BY IN CREASED IMPORTS  
 
NOTIFICATION PURSUAN T TO ARTICLE 9, FOOT NOTE 2  
OF THE AGREEMENT ON SAFEGUARDS  
REPLIES TO QUESTIONS1 POSED BY THE UNITED STATES  
REGARDING  THE NOTIFICATION S OF JORDAN2 
(Aluminium Bars, Rods and Profiles ) 
The following communication, dated 19 September 2016, is being ci rculated at the request of the 
Delegation of Jordan.  
 
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The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan thanks the United States for its interest in Jordan notification 
regarding the safeguards investigation on imports of aluminum bars, rods and profiles, and would 
like to present the following answers:  
Question 1  
Jordan made its notifications of both the in itiation of this investigation and finding of 
serious injury on 22 July 2016, with the actual date of initiation of the investigation 
being 24 July 2016. In other words, Jordan was notifying a determination of serious 
injury and a proposed safeguard measur e before the investigation was actually initiated. 
Given this, it does not appear that the Jordanian competent authorities had sufficient 
time to gather information from interested parties, analyze and assess relevant 
information, make a determination base d on the information, and place in the 
administrative record "clear evidence," as required under Article 6 of the Agreement on 
Safeguards ("Agreement"), that increased imports have caused or are threatening to 
cause serious injury, and then draft a legal d etermination and identify provisional 
measures. Please explain how this action and any analysis that the Jordanian competent 
authorities undertook in making the determination to impose provisional measures is 
consistent with Article 6 of the Agreement. Als o please identify the evidence on which 
the Jordan competent authorities relied, and explain why the competent authorities 
                                                
1 G/SG/ Q2/JOR/6  dated 3 Augus t 2016 . 
2 G/SG/N/ 6/JOR/18 (dated 25 July 2016) and G/SG/N/7/JOR/2 -G/SG/N/8/JOR/10 -G/SG/N/11/JOR/6 
(dated 28 July 2016) . G/SG/Q2/JOR/7  
 
- 2 - 
 
  concluded that it was "clear evidence" that imports have caused or are threatening to 
cause serious injury for purposes of Article 6 of the Agreement.  
Reply  
The preliminary investigation revealed to the Jordanian competent authority, the National 
Production Protection Directorate (NPPD), that based on information, analytical materials and 
official statistics available, there is an evide nce of such an increased imports volume as to cause or 
threaten to cause serious injury to the domestic aluminium bars, rods and profiles producers of the 
concerned or directly competitive product.  
The increase in imports, both in absolute terms and relati ve to production in imports, was recent, 
sudden, sharp and significant. Regarding injury factors, NPPD found that declines in the economic 
indicators of production, sales, employments and capacity utilization were recorded in the 
domestic industry, in conj unction with the increase in imports.   
Two factories were closed during the period (2010 -2015) due to the increase of imports.  
Therefore,  NPPD established that there was sufficient preliminary evidence on the existence of a 
causal link between the serious injury caused to the domestic industry and the increase in imports 
of aluminium bars, rods and profiles.  
Question 2  
Related to question one, please explain whether the Jordanian competent authorities 
plan to issue questionnaires to interested parties to g ather the relevant information 
needed to conduct the serious injury, threat of serious injury, level of imports, and 
causation analyses requirement under the WTO Agreement on Safeguards.  
Reply  
NPPD has specified in its notification (G/SG/N/6/JOR/18 dated 2 5 July 2016), the deadlines and 
procedures for importers, exporters and other interested parties to present evidence and their 
view. Accordingly, the Jordanian competent authorities has provided the interested parties with 
needed questionnaires to gather t he relevant information needed to conduct the investigation.  
Deadline for the identification of the interested parties was 14 August 2016. Deadline for providing 
written statements, information, etc. to NPPD is 12 September 2016.  
Question 3  
If the Jordania n competent authorities are not gathering the relevant information from 
interested parties – including foreign manufacturers, exporters, importers, and the 
domestic industry – please identify what sources of information they will use in making 
their determ ination.  
Reply  
NPPD will gather the relevant information from interested parties who had shown interest in 
investigation according to the deadlines and procedures for importers, exporters and other 
interested parties to present evidence and their view as mentioned in document G/SG/N/6/JOR/18 
dated 25 July 2016.  In addition, public hearing will be held upon the request of any of the 
interested parties and all the parties will be informed and invited to participate.  
 
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