On 24 January 2020 the United States of America ("United States") adopted safeguard measures in the form of a tariff increase on imports of certain derivative aluminium products and certain derivative steel products, effective from 8 February 2020, with an unlimited duration.

Notwithstanding the United States' characterisation of these measures as security measures, they are in essence safeguard measures. They consist of remedial action that disturbs the balance of concessions and obligations resulting from the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization ("WTO") and restricts imports for the purpose of protecting domestic industry against foreign competition, for the sake of that industry's commercial prosperity. The security exceptions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 ("GATT 1994") do not apply to or justify such safeguard measures, and have no bearing on the right of rebalancing under the relevant provisions of the WTO Agreement.

The WTO Agreement on Safeguards provides for the right of any exporting Member affected by a safeguard measure to suspend the application of substantially equivalent obligations under the GATT 1994 to the trade of the WTO Member applying the safeguard measure, provided that no satisfactory solution is reached in consultations between those Members and that the WTO Council for Trade in Goods does not disapprove.

The suspension by the Union of substantially equivalent concessions or other obligations should take effect following the expiration of 30 days after its notification to the Council for Trade in Goods, unless the Council for Trade in Goods disapproves.

The WTO Agreement allows for the right of suspension to be exercised (a) immediately, provided that the safeguard measure has not been taken as a result of an absolute increase in imports, or does not conform to the relevant provisions of the WTO Agreement, or (b) after the expiry of a period of three years as from the application of the safeguard measure.

The United States' safeguard measures are capable of having a considerable negative economic impact on the Union industries concerned. They would significantly limit Union exports of the relevant derivative aluminium products and the relevant derivative steel products to the United States. The affected Union imports of the relevant derivative aluminium and steel products into the United States are worth nearly EUR 40 million in 2019.

Therefore, a suspension of trade concessions in the form of an increase in customs duties on selected products originating in the United States imported into the Union, which reflect and do not exceed the amount that would result from the application of the United States' duties to the imports of the relevant derivative aluminium products and the relevant derivative steel products from the Union into the United States, represents an appropriate suspension of the application of substantially equivalent trade concessions in line with the WTO Agreement on Safeguards.

The Commission exercises the right to rebalance concessions in the trade relations with third countries on the basis of Article 4(1) of Regulation (EU) No 654/2014. The appropriate action takes the form of commercial policy measures, which should consist of the suspension of tariff concessions and the imposition of new or increased customs duties.

Accordingly, the Commission has ensured that the additional customs duties are proportionate to the effect of the United States' safeguard measures and not excessive, as described in recitals (8), (16) and (18).

Furthermore, the selected measures have the potential to provide some relief to the Union steel and aluminium industries affected by the United States' safeguard measures.

Finally, these measures concern imports of products originating in the United States on which the Union is not substantially dependent for its supply. This approach avoids as much as possible a negative impact on the various actors on the Union market, including consumers.

Reflecting the timing requirements described in recital (6), and absent disapproval by the Council for Trade in Goods as referred to in recital (5), the additional customs duties should apply in two stages.

At the first stage, an ad valorem duty of 20 % and 7 % on imports of the products specified in Article 1(2)(a), should be applied from 8 May 2020 and until the United States ceases to apply its safeguard measures to products from the Union.

At the second stage, a further additional ad valorem duty of 4,4 % on imports of the product specified in Article 1(2)(b), should be applied as from 8 February 2023 or upon the adoption by, or notification to, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body of a ruling that the United States' safeguard measures are inconsistent with the relevant provisions of the WTO Agreement, if that is earlier, until the United States' safeguard measures cease to apply.

The Commission may amend this Regulation to account for any modification of or amendment to the United States' safeguard measures, including through product or company exclusion.

This Regulation is without prejudice to the question of the consistency of the United States' safeguard measures with the relevant provisions of the WTO Agreement.

In light of the applicable WTO time limits, it is appropriate that this act should enter into force on the day on which it is published in the Official Journal of the European Union.