G/L/1241  
G/SG/N/12/RUS/2  
 
22 May 2018 
(18-3003) Page: 1/2 
Council for Trade in Goods  
Committee on Safeguards  Original: English  
 
IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATI ON UNDE R ARTICLE 12.5 OF TH E AGREEMENT  
ON SAFEGUARDS TO TH E COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS OF  
PROPOSED SUSP ENSION OF CONCESSION S AND OTHER  
OBLIGATIONS  REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH 2  
OF ARTICLE 8 OF THE AGREEMENT  
ON SAFEGUARDS  
RUSSIAN FEDERATION  
The following communication, dated 18 May  2018, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Russian Federation . 
 
_______________  
 
 
Pursuant to Article 12.5 of the Agreement on Safeguards, and in accordance with the agreed 
format for notifications (G/SG/1, 1 July 1996; amended 19 October 2009, G/SG/1/Rev.1 -
G/SG/N/6/Rev.1 -G/SG/89), the Russian Federation provides the immediate notification to the 
Council for Trade in Goods of proposed suspension of concessions and other obligations referred to 
in paragraph 2 of Article 8 of the Agreement on Safeguards.  
 
1. Which Member is proposing suspension of concessions and other obligations referred 
to in Article 8.2.  
 
The Russian Federation.  
 
2. Specify the measure, the product subject to the m easure, the WTO document that 
notified the safeguard measure, and the Member imposing the measure in relation to 
which the Member is proposing suspension of concessions and other obligations referred 
to in Article 8.2.  
 
The measures imposed by the United S tates of America (“United States”) consist of an increase in 
tariff on imports of certain steel and aluminium products. The measures are effective from 
23 March 2018 with unlimited duration.  
 
Although the United States did not provide notifications of the measures under paragraphs 1(b) 
and 1(c) of Article 12 and pursuant to Article 9 (Footnote 2) of the Agreement on Safeguards, the 
Russian Federation is of the view that the measures are in essence safeguard measures, and the 
Agreement on Safeguards and Arti cle XIX of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 
(GATT 1994) are applicable to them.  
 
3. Describe the proposed suspension of concessions and other obligations referred to in 
Article 8.2, and the proposed date from which it will come into effect.  
 
The proposed suspension of substantially equivalent concessions and other obligations under the 
GATT 1994 to the trade with the United States takes the form of an increase in duty on selected 
products originating in the United States.  
 G/L/1241 • G/SG/N/12/RUS/2  
 
- 2 - 
 
  The details of the calculation of the effects of the US measures are provided in the table below.1 
Further details of the suspension of concessions will be provided to the Council for Trade in Goods 
before the concessions are suspension of concessions is applied.  
 
Without prejudice to the effective exercise of its right to suspend substantially equivalent 
concessions or other obligations referred to in Article 8.2 of the Agreement on Safeguards, the 
Russian Federation hereby reserves its right to apply the proposed suspensi on upon the expiration 
of 30 days from the day on which Council on Trade in Goods has been notified thereof.  
 
The suspension of concessions and other obligations will continue to apply until the United States’ 
safeguard measures are lifted.  
 
 Exports from the 
Russian Federation to 
the United States  The US increase in 
tariff  Duty collected  
Steel Products  1512,2 million USD  25% 378,1 million USD  
Aluminium Products  1645,9 million USD  10% 159,5 million USD  
Total  3158,1 million USD   537,6 million USD  
 
 
__________  
                                                
1 The calculations of the effects of the US measures provided in this notification may be amended 
subject to subsequent developments, including the ones regarding the measures of the United States.