RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SG/Q2/NGA/2
26March 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1220)
Original: English Committee onSafeguards
NIGERIA -IMPORT PROHIBITIONS ONSORGHUM,
MILLET, WHEAT FLOUR AND GYPSUM
Replies ofNIGERIA
toquestions posed bytheUNITED STATES1
Thefollowingcommunication,receivedon25March1998,hasbeenreceivedfromthePermanent
Mission ofNigeria.
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Questions
According toinformation provided inWT/BOP/R/35, 19September 1997, theNigerian
delegation stated thatfourproducts (sorghum, millet, wheat flour andgypsum) were subject to
import prohibitions forsafeguard reasons, rather thanforbalance-of-payment reasons.
Wenotethatthere havebeennonotifications byNigeria totheCommittee onSafeguards
formeasures affecting theimportation ofthese products pursuant toArticle 12oftheWTO
Agreement onSafeguards. Article 11oftheAgreement provides thataMember shall nottake
orseekanyemergency action onimports ofparticular products assetforth inArticle XIXof
GATT 1994, unless suchaction conforms withtheprovisions oftheAgreement.
Does Nigeria consider theimport prohibitions ontheabove-mentioned products tobea
measure taken tosafeguard purposes?
Ifso,please respond tothefollowing points:
- Describetheinvestigativeprocess,ifany,followedpriortoimposingtheprohibition;
- Provide acopy ofthedetermination ofserious injury orthreat thereof, ifany;
- Explain how animport prohibition isasafeguard measure consistent with
Article 5.1oftheAgreement onSafeguards;
- Explain whyNigeria didnotnotify onatimely basis theimport prohibitions to
theWTO Committee onSafeguards, asrequired byArticle 12oftheAgreement
onSafeguards.
1G/SG/Q2/NGA/1
./.G/SG/Q2/NGA/2
Page2
Replies
1. Nigeria hasnotified theWTO Committee onSafeguards ofitspre-existing Article XIXmeasures
under Article 10oftheAgreement onSafeguards (G/SG/N/2/NGA, 16March 1998).
2. Itistobeobserved thatunder GATT 1947, Nigeria 'stariff concessions comprised onlyone
product (stock fish)initsschedule. Since theproducts covered bytheArticle XIXnotification were
notpartofNigeria 'sschedule, themeasures werenotgenerally subject toGATT disciplines ontrade
defence measures. Moreover, theimport prohibitions were applied onanMFN basis.
3. Theimport prohibitions onsorghum, millet, wheat flour, gypsum andkaolin, wereinexistence
priortotheentry intoforceofGATT 1994, and,thusqualify aspre-existing measures under Article 10
oftheWTO Agreement onSafeguards. Consequently, issues related totheinvestigative process,
determination ofserious injury under Article IIoftheGATT 1994 donotapply tothisnotification.
4. Asregards whyNigeria didnotnotify, onatimely basis, theimport prohibitions totheWTO
Committee onSafeguards, asrequired byArticle 12oftheAgreement, itistobenoted thatthewhole
ofNigeria'sImportProhibitionListhasbeenunderconsiderationbytheWTOCommitteeonBalance-of-
Payments Restrictions. Itwastherefore Nigeria 'sthinking thatthecomprehensive elimination ofthe
Import Prohibition Listunder theBOPconsultations wasadequate. However, when theBOPCommittee
resolved thatitwasonlyconcerned withproducts under import prohibition forBOPreasons, immediate
stepsweretaken byNigeria tonotify thepre-existing measures totheWTO Committee onSafeguards.
Thisdevelopment hasbeendulyreflected inseveral discussions oftheBOPCommittee.
5. Nigeria, nevertheless, notes thatitsnotification under Article 10oftheSafeguards Agreement
wasnotconsistent withitsobligations under Article 12.7oftheAgreement onSafeguards ofthe
GATT 1994, hence thesimultaneous request forawaiver.
6. Inthemeantime, Nigeria isintheprocess ofenacting alegislation thatwould provide formal
legislative procedures onsafeguard actions. Apart fromthepre-existing measures, Nigeria doesnot
intend toadopt other safeguard measures untilsuchalegislation isenacted. Every attempt willbe
made toensure thatsuchaNigerian legislation isinaccordance withtheprovisions oftheAgreement
onSafeguards oftheGATT 1994.
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