Subsidies and countervailing measures

The WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures disciplines the use of subsidies, and it regulates the actions countries can take to counter the effects of subsidies. Under the agreement, a country can use the WTO’s dispute-settlement procedure to seek the withdrawal of the subsidy or the removal of its adverse effects. Or the country can launch its own investigation and ultimately charge extra duty (“countervailing duty”) on subsidized imports that are found to be hurting domestic producers.

See also:
> Fisheries subsidies

 

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News 

 

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Introduction  

Introduction to subsidies and countervailing measures in the WTO
Links to subsidies and countervailing measures section of the WTO guide “Understanding the WTO”.

 

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The mandate 

Explanation of the Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Agreement
Browse or download the text of the “Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Agreement” from the legal texts gateway

Find decisions of WTO bodies concerning the Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Agreement in the Analytical Index — Guide to WTO Law and Practice

The Doha negotiating mandate
Section on Subsidies and countervailing measures in the  Doha Ministerial Declaration

The Doha Implementation Decision, 2001
Ministers’ decisions on developing countries’ difficulties implementing the current WTO Subsidies and countervailing measures Agreement.

 

NEW

  • Trade Remedies Data Portal
  • WTO subsidy database

NOTIFICATION OBLIGATIONS

  • Notification requirements
  • Illustrative mock examples for certain notifications

 

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Committee on subsidies and countervailing measures

The Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures oversees the implementation of the Agreement on SCM and provides a forum for members to raise and address related questions and concerns. The current chair is .

Full details

  

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Statistics on countervailing actions

The data presented in the tables below are taken from the semi-annual reports of WTO Members to the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (in English only) and cover the period 1 January 1995 - 30 June 2023. The tables are based on information from Members having submitted semi-annual reports for the relevant periods, and are incomplete to the extent Members have not submitted reports, or have submitted incomplete reports. For the purpose of these tables, each initiation and measure reported covers one product imported from one country. “Country” in each case refers to country or customs territory (referred to in the tables as "Exporter"). The tables are updated with information from the latest notification cycle every six months, by 31 May and 30 November each year.

 

> Consult the Guide to downloading files.

  • Key: harmonized system section headings
    > MS Word (27KB) > pdf (11KB)
  • Countervailing initiations: by exporter
    > MS Excel (20KB) > pdf (14KB)
  • Countervailing initiations: by reporting Member
    > MS Excel (17KB) > pdf (12KB)
  • Countervailing initiations: reporting Member vs exporter
    > MS Excel (21KB) > pdf (13KB)
  • Countervailing initiations: by sector
    > MS Excel (16KB) > pdf (11KB)
  • Countervailing measures: by exporter
    > MS Excel (19KB) > pdf (14KB)
  • Countervailing measures: by reporting Member
    > MS Excel (16KB) > pdf (11KB)
  • Countervailing measures: reporting Member vs exporter
    > MS Excel (19KB) > pdf (13KB)
  • Countervailing measures: by sector
    > MS Excel (16KB) > pdf (11KB)
  • Countervailing sectoral: distribution of initiations by exporter
    > MS Excel (21KB) > pdf (13KB)
  • Countervailing sectoral: distribution of initiations by reporting member
    > MS Excel (17KB) > pdf (12KB)
  • Countervailing sectoral: distribution of measures by exporter
    > MS Excel (19KB) > pdf (14KB)
  • Countervailing sectoral: distribution of measures by reporting member
    > MS Excel (16KB) > pdf (12KB)