On January 24, 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Morocco issued Announcement No. DDC/01/2023, stating that upon the application of Maghreb Steel, a domestic manufacturer in Morocco, Morocco will initiate a sunset review of safeguard measures for imported hot-rolled steel sheets on January 26, 2023. investigation. The Moroccan tax code of the products involved in the case will be changed to 72.08, 72.11.13, 72.11.14, 72.11.19, 72.25.30, 72.25.40, 72.26.20.00.11, 72.26.20.00.20, 72.26.20.00.51, 72.26.20.00.52, 72.26.20.00.59, 72.26.91, and 72.26.99.80.00.
On May 29, 2019, Morocco launched a safeguard investigation on imported hot-rolled steel sheets. On October 2, 2019, Morocco made a preliminary ruling on the case. On May 13, 2020, the WTO Committee on Safeguards released the notification of safeguard measures submitted to it by the Moroccan delegation on May 12. The Moroccan investigation agency made a final ruling on safeguard measures for the imported products involved in the case. The Moroccan tax codes of the products involved in the case are 72.08, 72.11.13, 72.11.14, 72.11.19, 72.25.30, 72.25.40, 72.26.20.00.11, 72.26. 20.00.21, 72.26.20.00.30, 72.26.20.00.40, 72.26.20.00.51, 72.26.20.00.52, 72.26.20.00.59, 72.26.91, 72.26.99.90.91 and 72.26.99.90.99. On May 27, 2020, the Moroccan Ministry of Industry, Trade, Green and Digital Economy issued an announcement to impose a three-year safeguard tax on imported products involved in the case. The first year is 25%, and the annual decrease is 1%. Effective from 19 June 2023 until 18 June 2023.
