IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 12.5 OF THE AGREEMENT ON SAFEGUARDS TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS OF THE RESULTS OF THE CONSULTATIONS UNDER PARAGRAPH 3 OF ARTICLE 12 OF THE AGREEMENT ON SAFEGUARDS

COMMUNICATION FROM TÜRKIYE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM

Ethyl Acetate

The following communication, dated and received on 15 August 2025, is being circulated at the request of the delegations of Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

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Pursuant to Article 12.5 of the Agreement on Safeguards, and in accordance with the agreed format for notifications,[1] the United Kingdom and Türkiye provide immediate notification to the Council for Trade in Goods of the results of the consultations held under paragraph 3 of Article 12 of the Agreement on Safeguards.

1.     Specify the provision under which consultations were held (i.e. Article 12.3 or Article 12.4).

Article 12.3.

2.     Provide reference to the WTO document that notified the safeguard action regarding which consultations were held.

On 22 June 2025, Türkiye imposed a safeguard measure on ethyl acetate in the form of a 10,000‑tonne yearly tariff rate quota (TRQ) with an additional duty of $110 per tonne on volumes exceeding the quota. The consultations were held in reference to Türkiye's safeguard measure.

Türkiye's notification concerning the measure are contained in the documents _G/SG/N/6/TUR/32 (dated 8 April 2024), _G/SG/N/8/TUR/23 - G/SG/N/10/TUR/24 - G/SG/N/11/TUR/31 (dated 27 May 2025).

3.     Specify the Members involved in the consultations, and the time period during which consultations were held.

Türkiye and the United Kingdom held consultations on 11 June 2025 and 18 July 2025 to discuss the information provided in the above-mentioned documents.

4.     Describe the results of the consultations.

During the consultations, the United Kingdom expressed concerns about Türkiye's safeguard investigation and the proposed safeguard measure. These included questions regarding the determination of an increase in imports, the identification of unforeseen developments, the consideration of serious injury and causation and the design of the safeguard measure. Türkiye presented answers to those questions and reiterated its position that it proceeded the safeguard investigation and took the safeguard measure in conformity with WTO rules and Agreement on Safeguards. More specifically, the United Kingdom is concerned that the TRQ is unnecessarily restrictive and severely distortive to established trade. Türkiye took note of the United Kingdom concerns and stated that this safeguard measure is not a quantitative restriction but a TRQ which is less restrictive measure type for imports. No agreement on adequate means of trade compensation for the adverse effects of the measure on the United Kingdom's trade was reached in the consultations. The United Kingdom reserves all rights under the WTO Agreements.

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