As a World Trade Organization (WTO) Member, Australia has made binding commitments in relation to the trade of goods and services. The WTO safeguards agreement allows members to introduce safeguard measures. Safeguards may be used to respond to unexpected and unforeseen increased imports which have caused serious material injury to the relevant domestic industry, should an investigation by a competent authority report such measures are justified.

In accordance with the procedures notified to the WTO in 1998, the Australian Government has nominated the Productivity Commission to be Australia’s competent authority to investigate whether safeguard measures are justified under WTO rules.

The Commission will be conducting the inquiry in accordance with Australia’s safeguards procedures, which have been notified to the WTO. Australia will be notifying the WTO of this investigation within the next couple of days as well as advising relevant trading partners.

The Commission has been asked to provide an accelerated report examining whether critical circumstances exist to justify provisional safeguard measures. The Commission is to provide the accelerated report to the Government by 14 December 2007 with a final report due by the end of March 2008.

The Commission will seek expressions of interest from parties wishing to participate in the inquiry. All interested parties are invited to make a submission.

To register an interest in the inquiry or to find out more, details are available from the Commission at www.pc.gov.au or phone 02 6240 3239.