The World Trade Organization (WTO) committee on safeguards has announced that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has initiated a safeguard investigation on flat rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 millimeters or more, clad, plated or coated, upon the application filed by Saudi Arabia-based pre-painted steel coil producer Universal Metal Coating Company Ltd (UNICOIL).
In its complaint, UNICOIL alleged that increased imports of the subject product had caused serious injury to the domestic industry producing similar products. According to UNICOIL, the data currently available shows a situation of decreasing domestic sales, a sharp decline in the market share of the domestic industry, decreasing domestic production, decreases workers’ productivity, and increasing losses, in conjunction with the increase of imports.
The products subject to safeguard investigation currently fall under Customs Tariff Statistics Position Numbers 721070 and 721090.