US Steel Duties and Safeguard Actions under the WTO

There are three trade protection instruments (or trade remedies) that are permitted under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules: anti-dumping, subsidies and countervailing measures, and safeguards. Each allows the adoption of import measures in specific circumstances. Whereas anti-dumping and countervailing duties deal with problems perceived to be ‘unfair’, safeguard measures are taken against imports that are fairly traded but which cause serious problems through sheer volume. This issue of Trade Hot Topics examines the recent significant increase in safeguard actions and the developments in US steel duties.