Global Trade Alert

On 30 January 2014, the Thai authorities initiated a safeguard investigation on imports of non alloy hot rolled steel flat products in coils and not in coils (of a thickness of 0.9 upto 50.0 mm and a width of 600.0 upto 3,048.0 mm).
The products subject to investigation are classified under the following HS codes: 7208.3600, 7208.3700, 7208.3800, 7208.3900, 7208.5100, 7208.5200, 7208.5300 and 7208.5400.
The complaint was lodged by Sahaviriya Steel Industries Public Company Limited, G Steel Public Company Limited, G J Steel Public Company Limited and Sahaviriya Plate Mill Public Company Limited, companies that account for 96.97% of the domestic production of the subject goods.

According to the UN Comtrade Database, in 2013 the following countries exported goods classified under HS code subheadings 7208.36, 7208.37, 7208.38, 7208.39, 7208.51, 7208.52, 7208.53 and 7208.54 to Thailand with a trade value over the GTA threshold of USD 1 million: Belgium, Japan, Chinese Taipei, India, Russia, South Korea, Australia, Turkey, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Spain, China, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Austria and North Korea. Hence, they might be affected trading partners.

On May 26th, 2014, the Thai authorities decided to impose a provisional safeguard duty on imports of the investigated goods. The rate of this provisional duty is 34.01% of the CIF value. The notification was promulgated in the Royal Gazette of Thailand on June 6th, 2014. This provisional duty took effect on June 7th, 2014.

On December 22nd, 2014, the final findings of the Committee on Safeguard Measures of Thailand were published. A definitive safeguard measure was imposed. This measure shall remain in force for a period of three years, starting from the date of imposition of the provisional measure, i.e. starting on June 7th, 2014.
The rate of the safeguard duty between December 24th, 2014 and June 6th, 2015 is 21.92% of the CIF value. Then, the rate of the duty up to June 6th, 2016 is then 21.52% of the CIF value. Finally, the rate of the duty up to June 6th, 2017 is 21.13% of the CIF value.
This definitive measure does not apply against products originating in or exported from any developing country as long as its share of imports of the products concerned into Thailand does not exceed 3% (see list of countries in the annex of the WTO Notification).
 
On 3 October 2016, the Thai authorities published the notification in the Royal Gazette of the initiation of a sunset review of the above measure.

On 7 June 2017, the Thai authorities extended the safeguard duty on imports of the subject good following the conclusion of the above sunset review. The rate of duty is 21.00% of C.I.F. price between 7 June 2017 and 6 June 2018. The rate of duty is 20.87% of C.I.F. price between 7 June 2018 and 6 June 2019. The rate of duty is 20.74% of C.I.F. price between 7 June 2019 and 6 June 2020.