Safeguard measures may be introduced when an industry is negatively affected by an unforeseen, sharp and sudden increase of imports.

 

Unlike anti-dumping and anti-subsidy instruments, safeguards do not focus on whether trade is fair or not. The safeguard procedure differs significantly from the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy proceedings in several respects.

 

- A safeguard investigation is initiated at the request of an EU Member State or on the European Commission’s own initiative and not on the basis of a complaint by the EU industry concerned. Therefore, this guide does not cover safeguards.

 

- A safeguard measure does not apply against imports from a specific country, but rather — in principle — against imports from everywhere into the EU.

 

- The form of a safeguard measure is different. It usually consists of a tariff rate quota. Imports within the quota are duty free but imports above the quota will be subject to a duty.

 

More information regarding safeguards can be found on the Directorate-General for Trade (DG Trade) website: http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/accessing-markets/trade-defence/actions-against-importsinto-the-eu/safeguards/

 

Source: “TDI Trade defence instruments, Anti-dumping & Anti-subsidy - A Guide for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses” by the European Commission