The World Trade Organization (WTO) members recently convened to review various safeguard actions and discuss requests to suspend concessions. During the meeting, notifications of safeguard actions from 13 members, including three developed and ten developing countries, were examined. The European Union's modification of its 2019 safeguard measure on certain steel products drew significant attention, with nine members expressing concerns. Similarly, the United Kingdom's review of its 2020 safeguard measure on certain steel products and China's investigation initiated in December 2024 on meat of bovine animals also raised concerns among five members each.
A factual report concerning Türkiye's proposed suspension of concessions against imports from Indonesia was agreed upon by the Committee. This proposal is a response to Indonesia’s 2021 safeguard measure on carpets. The report will be submitted to the Council for Trade in Goods following Indonesia's request in July 2024 under Article 13.1(e) of the Agreement on Safeguards to assess whether Türkiye's proposed suspension is "substantially equivalent."
The WTO Secretariat presented the Online Safeguard Action Notification Portal, which is nearing completion. Delegations interested in using this portal for filing notifications can begin doing so after May 2025.
In response to consultations requested by the European Union and India under Article 12.3 of the Agreement on Safeguards regarding US measures under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the United States clarified that these measures are not safeguards but are related to national security statutes. The US maintained that these measures align with the essential security interests exception outlined in Article XXI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994. However, the European Union, India, China, and the United Kingdom disagreed with this characterization, asserting that they are indeed safeguards.
The next meeting of the Committee on Safeguards is scheduled for the week of October 27, 2025.
Under WTO rules, members may apply temporary measures such as higher tariffs if increased imports threaten serious injury to domestic industries. These safeguard measures differ from anti-dumping duties as they cover imports from all sources but exempt those from developing countries with minimal import shares through special provisions.