20031117
The State Economic and Trade Commission Order of the State Economic and Trade Commission of the People’s Republic of China No.47 The Provisions on Safeguards Investigation and Award of Industry Injury, which have been adopted at the director’s executive meeting Director of the State Economic and Trade Commission Li Rongrong December 13, 2002 Provisions on Safeguards Investigation and Award of Industry Injury Chapter I General Provisions Article 1 In order to regulate and guarantee the safeguards investigation and award of industry injury, these Provisions have been enacted in Article 2 The applications for safeguards investigation filed pursuant to the Safeguards Regulations, as well as the activities relating to Article 3 The State Economic and Trade Commission (hereinafter referred to as SETC) shall be in charge of the investigation and award of safeguards Article 4 The Bureau of Industry Injury Investigation under SETC is responsible for the concrete implementation of these Provisions. Chapter II Determination of Injury and Causation Article 5 Injury refers to the serious injury or threat caused by the increase of import products to the domestic industries that produce the Serious injury refers to the all-around and major derogation suffered by the domestic industries. Serious threat refers to the obvious impendent serious injury, which will occur if no measures are taken. Article 6 The following factors shall be taken into consideration in the determination of serious injury or threat caused to the domestic industries 1) Increase of import products, including the absolute and relative increase rate and the amount of import products; 2) Share of domestic market occupied by the increased import products; 3) Impact of the import products on the domestic industries, in terms of output, sale level, market share, productivity, equipment utilization 4) Other facts that cause injury to the domestic industries. Determination of serious threat shall be based on the examination of, according to the facts, the production capacity, reserve, export Article 7 When determining the impact of import increase on domestic industries, SETC shall objectively and comprehensively evaluate the various Article 8 When determining the causation between the increase of import products and the injury, SETC shall not only take into consideration 1) Other factors affecting the price of the same kind of products in the domestic market; 2) Change of need for the products; 3) Change of consumption pattern; 4) Restriction on trade implemented by the domestic and foreign manufacturers and the change of the competitive conditions between the 5) Progress of technology; 6) Export of the same kind of domestic products; 7) Other factors. If any factors other than the import increase cause injury to the domestic industries, such injury shall not be attributed to the Article 9 The same kind of products refer to the products identical with the import products under investigation; where there are no identical Direct competitive products refer to the products that, though not of the same kind of products as the import product under investigation, Article 10 When determining the same kind of products and direct competitive products, the following factors may be taken into consideration: Article 11 SETC may exclude the products under investigation or part of those products that haven’t caused the industrial injury to the domestic Article 12 In the investigation and award of industry injury, SETC shall take the public interest into consideration, and may make the investigation SETC shall provide chances for the users and consumers of the import products to state their opinions and to submit evidence Article 13 As a general principle, the period of industry injury investigation of a safeguards case is 3 years before the case is put on file. Chapter III Industry Injury Investigation Article 14 The applicant shall, within 3 days from the proclamation of the filing of the case of safeguards investigation, submit the application Evidence and materials submitted by the applicant shall include the following matters: 1) Increase of import (including the absolute and relative increase) in the last 3 to 5 years and the relevant evidence; 2) Share of the import products increased in the last 3 to 5 years in the domestic market;5) Impact of the import products increased 3) Causation between the increase of import products and the injury to the domestic industries, and the relevant evidence; 4) Other factors affecting the domestic industries and the relevant evidence. Article 15 The applicant shall also submit to SETC an industry adjustment plan together with the application, the plan shall include the following 1) Description of the present status of the domestic industries; 2) Description of the injury suffered by the domestic industries due to the import increase; 3) Specific suggestions on safeguards; 4) Target of the adjustment of domestic industries; 5) Forms and methods for adjustment of domestic industries; 6) Schedule for the adjustment of domestic industries; 7) Other matters that the applicant deems as necessary to be explained. Article 16 Where any interested party applies for participating in the safeguards investigation activities, it shall file the application with Article 17 Interested parties shall include: 1) Foreign (region) manufactures, exporters and domestic importers of the product under investigation, or the industrial or other organization 2) Governments and the government representatives of the country (region) of origin and the export country (region) of the product under 3) Manufactures and sellers of the same kind of domestic product, or the industrial or other organizations of the manufactures and sellers 4) Others. Article 18 Where any interested parties participate in the investigation activities, they shall present the relevant identification certificates. Where any agent participates in the investigation activities upon entrustment, the agent’s identification certificate and trust deed Article 19 Objects of the safeguards investigation of industry injury by SETC include domestic manufacturers, domestic importers, domestic purchasers, Article 20 SETC may retain experts in the fields of industry, finance and accounting, trade and law etc to provide consultation if it deems necessary. Article 21 SETC employs such investigation methods as questionnaire, sample, hearing, technical appraisal and on-spot inspection in the industry Article 22 Questionnaires issued by SETC to the interested parties include: questionnaires for domestic manufacturers, questionnaires for domestic Article 23 The interested parties shall return the answer sheets pursuant to the method and time provided for by the questionnaires. Where any Article 24 SETC may make an on-spot inspection over the interested parties. Before the on-spot inspection, the main purpose and contents of the Article 25 At the request of an interested party or according to the need of investigation, SETC may, with the consent of the relevant country Article 26 SETC may organize relevant agencies and personnel to demonstrate the adjustment plan of domestic industries, including the aim, measures Article 27 SETC may ask the interested parties to submit or supplement written materials pursuant to the provisions, or the interested parties Article 28 Industry injury hearings may be held at the request of the interested parties or where SETC deems necessary. Industry injury investigation Article 29 Where any interested party deems necessary to keep confidential the materials and the relevant evidence provided, it shall, when submitting The non-confidential outline and open version shall reasonably present the substantial contents of the confidential information. If Article 30 Where an interested party fails to provide the non-confidential outline or open version of the materials and relevant evidence, or Article 31 In the course of industry injury investigation and award, an interested party shall tell the truth and provide the relevant materials. Article 32 After a safeguards investigation is put on file and before the final award is proclaimed, any interested party may consult the open Article 33 To consult the open information, an interested party shall present the relevant certifications and go through the formalities for Article 34 An interested party may extract and duplicate the open information, but may not take the original of the open information outside Chapter IV Industry Injury Award Article 35 SETC may give policy suggestions for the adjustment of domestic industries according to the industry adjustment plans filed by the SETC shall evaluate the effect of the safeguards to be taken on promoting the adjustment of domestic industries and the time it will Article 36 SETC shall, according to the initial investigation results, make a preliminary award on the injury and whether there is causation Article 37 Where the preliminary award determines that the increased import products has caused injury to the domestic industries and there is Article 38 Where a safeguard measure has been implemented for more than 1 year, SETC may suggest to gradually ease that measure according to Article 39 Where a safeguard measure has been implemented for more than 3 years, SETC shall make a midterm review of the impact of that safeguard Article 40 As to the procedures for midterm review, the relevant provisions on safeguards investigation shall be referred to. Article 41 Within 60 days prior to the expiration of a safeguard measure as stipulated in the final award, SETC may give opinions on whether Chapter V Supplementary Provisions Article 42 When submitting any documents and evidence materials to SETC, an interested party shall submit the Chinese version in quintuplicate, Article 43 In the industry injury investigation and award of SETC, the normative Chinese provided for by the language authority of the state Article 44 The power to interpret these Provisions shall remain with SETC. Article 45 These Provisions shall enter into force on January 15, 2003. |
The State Economic and Trade Commission
2002-12-13