./.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SG/Q3/IND/11 
2 May 2005 
 (05-1792) 
Committee on Safeguards Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION BY INDIA REGARDING THE TRANSITIONAL 
PRODUCT-SPECIFIC SAFEGUARD ON IMPORTS OF INDUSTRIAL 
SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES  FROM THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA 
 
Questions posed by the UNITED STATES
 
Regarding the Notification of INDIA2 
 
(Industrial Sewing Machine Needles ) 
  
 The following communication, dated 14 November 2003, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of the United States.  
_______________ 
 
 
 Enclosed please find questions from the United States to India relating to the Notification by 
India regarding the Transitional Product - Specifi c Safeguard on Imports of Industrial Sewing 
Machine Needles from the People’s Republic of China.   You will recall that we briefly referred to our 
interest in this matter under “other business” at the October meeting of the WTO Committee on 
Safeguards. 
                                                     
 
1 This document was previously circulated as G/SG/Q2/IND/8, dated 18 November 2003. 
2 G/SG/N/6/IND/14 G/SG/Q3/IND/1 
Page 2  
 
  According to the information provided in G/SG/54 (18 September  2002), India requested 
consultations with the People’s Republic of China pursuant to Section 16 of the Protocol on the 
Accession of the People’s Republic of China and Pa ragraphs 245-250 of the Report of the Working 
Party on the Accession of China, with a view to seeking a mutually satisfactory solution regarding 
market disruption caused to the domestic producers by increased imports of Industrial Sewing 
Machine Needles (ISMN) originating from th e People’s Republic of China into India. 
 1. Did the consultations with China result in an  agreement on a mutually satisfactory solution?  
If so, please describe that agreement. 
 
 Paragraph 3 of Section 16 of the Protocol on the Accession of the People’s Republic of China, 
provides that if consultations do not lead to an agreement between China and the WTO Member 
concerned within 60 days of the receipt of a re quest for consultations, the WTO Member affected 
shall be free, in respect of such products, to withdraw concessions or otherwise limit imports only to the extent necessary to prevent or remedy such mark et disruption.  Any such action shall be notified 
immediately to the Committee on Safeguards. 
  According to press reporting (Hindu Business Line, 17 April 2003, see http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/bline/2003/ 04/17/stories/20030417013 00300.htm), Indian 
Director General (Special Safeguards) Mr. B.K. Mi shra decided to impose a special safeguard duty of 
Rs 1.50 per needle, for a period of three years. 
 
2. Did India withdraw concessions or otherwis e limit imports to prevent or remedy market 
disruption caused by imports of ISMN orig inating from China?  If so, please provide a 
description of the action taken and the date the action was applied. 
 
3. Did India provide written notice of the decisi on to apply a measure, including the reasons for 
such measure and its scope and duration?  If yes, please identify where such public notice was 
provided and provide the date of publication.  
 4. Did India notify the Committee on Safeguards of such action taken to prevent or remedy 
market disruption caused by imports of ISMN originating from China?  If so, please provide 
date and citation. 
 5. Please identify any WTO Members that have re quested consultations w ith India pursuant to 
paragraph 8 of Section 16 of the Protocol on the Accession of the People’ s Republic of 
China.  Have any such consultations been  held?  Please provide the dates of such 
consultations and describe the results. 
 
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