WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SG/N/8/PHL/8/Suppl.1 
G/SG/N/10/PHL/7 
G/SG/N/11/PHL/9/Suppl.1
11 August 2011 
 (11-4009) 
Committee on Safeguards Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 12.1(B) OF THE AGREEMENT ON 
SAFEGUARDS ON FINDING A SERIOUS INJURY OR THREAT 
THEREOF CAUSED BY INCREASED IMPORTS 
 
NOTIFICATION PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 12.1(C) 
OF THE AGREEMENT ON SAFEGUARDS 
 
NOTIFICATION PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 9, FOOTNOTE 2 
OF THE AGREEMENT ON SAFEGUARDS 
 
PHILIPPINES 
 
(Testliner board) 
   The following notification, dated 9 August 2011,  is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Philippines. 
 
_______________ 
 
 
 Further to the Philippine notification G/SG /N/7/PHL/8-G/SG/N/8/PHL/8-G/SG/N/11/PHL/9 
circulated on 10 June 2010, and pursuant to Articles 12. 1(b) and 12.1(c) and Article 9, footnote 2, of 
the Agreement on Safeguards, the Permanent Missi on of the Philippines to the WTO hereby notifies 
that a decision to apply a definitive safeguard me asure on testliner board from various countries has 
been made.
 1 
 1. Serious injury or threat th ereof caused by increased imports 
 
 The domestic industry suffered and is sufferi ng significant impairment in its overall condition 
in terms of shrinking market share, declining production and sales, underutilization of rated capacity, 
operating losses and its competitive position over the pe riod of investigation due to the surge in 
imports of testliner board. 
 
2. Absolute increase in imports or an increase in imports relative to domestic production 
 
 Testliner board was imported into the Philippi nes in increased quantities starting 2005 and on 
through 2008, both in absolute terms and relative to  domestic production.  While there was a slump in 
2009, imports again increased  in 2010, in absolu te terms and relative to domestic production, with 
total imports from January to June 2010 having al ready exceeded the 2008 volume by a considerable 
                                                      
1 A copy of the Order (in English only) has been submitted electronically.  Those wishing to consult 
this document are requested to contact Ms Hilary Budd (hilary.budd@wto.org) or Ms Judith McGrath 
(judith.mcgrath@wto.org) of the Rules Division. G/SG/N/8/PHL/8/Suppl.1 
G/SG/N/10/PHL/7 G/SG/N/11/PHL/9/Suppl.1 
Page 2 
  
  36 per cent equivalent to 41 per cent of domestic testliner board production.  The increase in the 
volume of imports is recent, sharp and significant. 
 
3. Precise description of the product involved  
 Testliner board is the outer layer of the corr ugated board glued to the peaks, thus making a 
liner-fluting – liner sandwich.    
 Heading No. 
 AHTN Code 
2007 Description Rate of Duty (%) 
MFN CEPT 
2008 
to 2010 48.05 
Other uncoated paper and 
paperboard, in rolls 
or sheets, not further worked or processed  -  Testliner (recycled liner board)  2000-
2009 2010
4805.24.00 --Weighing 150 g/m2 or 
less 7% 3% 0% 
4805.25 --Weighing more than 150 g/m2 
4805.25.10 --Weighing less than 225 
g/m2 7% 3%  
0% 
4805.25.90 ---Other 7% 3% 
 
4. Precise description of the proposed measure 
 
 For the first year of its implementation, th e definitive general safeguard measure in the 
amount of P 1,342/MT shall be imposed on testliner board importe d from various countries which are 
classified under AHTN Code Nos. 4805.24.00, 4805.25. 10 and 4805.25.90, regardless of the weight 
in grams per square metre. The DTI Order sha ll take effect upon the issuance of the relevant 
Memorandum Order by the Bureau of Customs or 15 da ys after the publication of this Order in two 
(2) newspapers of general circul ation, whichever comes earlier.  The DTI Order was signed by the 
Secretary on 15 July 2011 and was published on 22 July 2011 in two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation. 
  However, imports originating from developing countries covered by the "developing country" 
rule under Article 9 of the WTO Safeguards Agreem ent shall not be subject to the imposition of the 
definitive general safeguard measure.   
 
5. Date of introduction of the definitive general safeguard measure  
 
 The definitive general safeguard measure is sch eduled to enter into force upon issuance of the 
relevant Customs Memorandum Order by the Philippi ne Bureau of Customs or 15 days after the 
publication of the DTI Order in two (2) newspapers of general circulation, whichever comes earlier.  
The Order signed by the Secretary of the DTI on 15 July 2011 and was published on 22 July 2011 in 
two (2) newspaper of general circulation.  
6. Expected duration of the measure  
  A definitive safeguard duty in the amount of P1,342.00/MT for testliner boards from various 
countries is recommended to be imposed for the first year of the implementation period.  The measure 
shall be implemented for three (3) years and shall continue to be liberalized annually for the second 
and third year of the three-year implementation period to the extent of redressing or preventing the injury and to facilitate adjustment by the domestic industry from the adverse effects directly attributed 
to increased imports.  G/SG/N/8/PHL/8/Suppl.1 
 G/SG/N/10/PHL/7 
 G/SG/N/11/PHL/9/Suppl.1 
 Page 3 
  
   
7. Expected timetable for progressive liberalization of the measure  
 The measure shall be implemented for three (3) years and shall continue to be liberalized 
annually for the second and third year of the three-year implementation period. 
 
8.  Major exporting Members of imports of the product involved 
 South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Viet Nam are the major suppliers of the imported 
product in 2010 (January to June).  
 
 G/SG/N/8/PHL/8/Suppl.1 
G/SG/N/10/PHL/7 G/SG/N/11/PHL/9/Suppl.1 
Page 4 
  
  ANNEX 
 
 
List of Developing Countries and Separate Cu stoms Territories Excluded from the Imposition of 
Definitive Safeguard Measure on Testliner Boards  
 
 
East & Southern  
Africa West Africa North Africa South Asia 
Angola 
Botswana 
Burundi Comoros 
Congo. Dem. Rep. 
Djibouti 
Eritrea 
Ethiopia Kenya 
Lesotho 
Madagascar Malawi 
Mauritius 
Mozambique Namibia 
Reunion 
Rwanda Seychelles 
Somalia 
South Africa Sudan 
Swaziland 
Tanzania Uganda 
Zambia 
Zimbabwe Benin 
Burkina Faso 
Cameroon Cape Verde 
Central African Rep. 
Chad 
Congo, Rep. 
Cote d'Ivoire Equatorial Guinea 
Gabon 
Gambia, The Ghana 
Guinea 
Guinea, Bissau Liberia 
Mali 
Mauritania Niger 
Nigeria 
Sao Tome & Principe Senegal 
Sierra Leone 
Togo Algeria 
Egypt, Arab Rep. 
Libya Morocco 
Tunisia Afghanistan 
Bangladesh 
Bhutan British Indian Ocean  
  Territory 
East Timor 
India 
Maldives Nepal 
Pakistan 
Sri Lanka 
 
 
 
  G/SG/N/8/PHL/8/Suppl.1 
 G/SG/N/10/PHL/7 
 G/SG/N/11/PHL/9/Suppl.1 
 Page 5 
  
   
Europe & Central  
Asia Middle East Americas East Asia & Pacific 
Albania 
Armenia 
Azerbaijan Belarus 
Bosnia & Herzegovina 
Bulgaria Croatia 
Cyprus 
Czech Republic Estonia 
Former Yugoslav 
  Republic of Macedonia 
Georgia 
Greenland Hungary 
Kazakhstan 
Kyrgyz Republic Latvia 
Lithuania 
Malta Moldova 
Poland 
Romania Russian Federation 
Slovakia 
Slovenia Tajikistan 
Turkey 
Turkmenistan Ukraine 
Uzbekistan 
Yugoslavia, Fed. Rep. Bahrain 
Iran, Islamic Rep. 
Iraq Israel 
Jordan 
Kingdom of    Saudi Arabia 
Kuwait 
Lebanon Oman 
Qatar 
Syrian Arab Rep. 
United Arab Emirates 
West Bank & Gaza Yemen, Rep. Anguilla  
Antigua & Barbuda 
Argentina Aruba 
Bahamas 
Barbados Belize 
Bermuda 
Bolivarian Republic of    Venezuela 
Bolivia, Plurinational State of 
Brazil 
British Virgin Is. 
Cayman Is. Chile 
Colombia 
Costa Rica Cuba 
Dominica 
Dominican Rep. Ecuador 
El Salvador 
Falkland Is. (Malvinas) French Guyana 
Grenada 
Guadaloupe Guatemala 
Guyana 
Haiti Honduras 
Jamaica 
Martinique 
Mexico 
Montserrat Netherland Antilles 
Nicaragua 
Norfolk Is. Panama 
Paraguay 
Peru Puerto Rico 
St. Helena 
St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia 
St. Pierre & Miquelon 
St. Vincent & the Grenadines Suriname 
Trinidad & Tobago 
Turks & Caicos Is. Uruguay 
US Virgin Is. American Samoa 
Brunei Darussalam 
Cambodia China, P.R. 
Christmas Is. 
Cocos (Keeling) Is. Cook Is. 
Fiji 
French Polynesia Guam 
Hong Kong, China 
Indonesia 
Johnston Is. 
Kiribati Korea, Dem. Rep. 
Lao PDR 
Macau, China Marshall Islands 
Micronesia, Fed. Sts. 
Midway Is. Mongolia 
Myanmar 
Nauru New Caledonia 
Niue 
Northern Marianas Is. Palau 
Pitcairn Is. 
Papua New Guinea Samoa 
Singapore 
Solomon Islands 
Chinese Taipei 
Tokelau Tonga 
Tuvalu 
Vanuatu Wake Is. 
Wallis & Futuna Is. 
__________