Complete inventory of 1,368 references to GATT and WTO instruments found across 77 official documents of the EU-MERCOSUR and EFTA-MERCOSUR agreements. Each entry includes direct textual citations, precise article references, and links to the official WTO legal texts.
Side-by-side comparison of the three WTO trade defence instruments and their application in the EU-MERCOSUR and EFTA-MERCOSUR agreements.
| Criteria | ADA Anti-Dumping Agreement | ASCM Subsidies & Countervailing Measures | ASFG Agreement on Safeguards |
|---|---|---|---|
| GATT Legal Basis | Art. VI | Art. VI & XVI | Art. XIX |
| Trigger / Condition | Dumping (export price < normal value) + injury to domestic industry | Specific subsidy (financial contribution + benefit) + injury or serious prejudice | Increased imports causing or threatening serious injury (higher threshold than ADA/ASCM) |
| Type of Measure | Anti-dumping duties (ad valorem or specific) | Countervailing duties or WTO dispute (prohibited subsidies) | Tariff increase or quantitative restriction (non-discriminatory, MFN) |
| Investigation Duration | 12–18 months (max. 18 months) | 12–18 months (max. 18 months) | No fixed maximum (typically shorter) |
| Maximum Duration of Measures | 5 years (renewable via sunset review, Art. 11.3) | 5 years (renewable via review) | 4 years initial (extendable to 8 years max, Art. 7.1–7.3) |
| Provisional Measures | Yes, max. 4 months (extendable to 6, Art. 7.4) | Yes, max. 4 months | Yes, max. 200 days (Art. 6) |
| Developing Country Treatment | Art. 15: special regard, constructive remedies explored before duties | Art. 27: transition periods, higher de minimis thresholds (2% vs 1%) | Art. 9.1: excluded if imports < 3% individually or < 9% collectively |
| EU-MERCOSUR Specifics | Lesser duty rule (Art. 8.4), public interest test (Art. 8.3), bilateral consultation before duties | WTO+ transparency obligations, notification of new subsidies, bilateral consultation mechanism | Bilateral safeguard clause (Art. 8.7), agricultural safeguard (March 2026 EU Council regulation), compensation/retaliation rights |
| Prohibited Practices | Zeroing (contested), duty > dumping margin | Export subsidies (Art. 3.1a), local content subsidies (Art. 3.1b) | VERs (Art. 11.1b), orderly marketing arrangements, any similar measures |
Sources: WTO Anti-Dumping Agreement (Art. VI GATT 1994), Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, Agreement on Safeguards (Art. XIX GATT 1994), EU-MERCOSUR Trade Agreement (December 2024), EFTA-MERCOSUR Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (December 2024). This comparison is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.