| WTO reviews Zambia's bid to safeguard industries |
| Date: 2010/5/31 Click: 2338 |
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The World Trade Organization (WTO) has reviewed notifications on the new and amended legislation that Zambia submitted aimed at safeguarding its local industries against cheap imports, the Times of Zambia reported on Thursday.
Zambia notified the WTO's Safeguard Measures Committee on its new and amended legislation to safeguard industries from cheap imports which were reviewed on April 26, 2010, according to Times.
Zambia's Director of Foreign Trade in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Peggy Mlewa said the notifications were for the protection of specific industries from an influx of certain imports that might threaten the sustainability of particular products.She said the safeguards that Zambia submitted related to three remedies that were provided by the WTO applicable when the country faced any trade distortion at any time.
A WTO member may take safeguard measures to restrict imports of a certain product temporarily to protect a specific domestic industry from an increase in imports of any product which is causing or threatening to cause serious injury to such an industry, according to Times.
The safeguards could be applicable in form of subsidies, taking anti-dumping measures in times when there is proof of dumping of foreign products, and also when there is proof of contravening trade provisions, the report said.
"These are provisions that we can use to invoke the measures when there is a sudden influx of products that can harm the domestic industry. We can either raise tariffs, impose a subsidy for the local industry or can also impose quota measures," Mlewa was quoted as saying by the paper.
She however said the safeguard measures were not meant to be deliberately invoked for the sake of protecting local industries, but only when it was proven that the specific imports would dampen the industry.
According to the official, the government had started analytical work on the measures taken and was also popularizing the safeguard measures to the private sector so that the industry would be aware of the provisions. |
