Section 23Sec./Art. 23

Determination of Special Duty Based on the Volume Test.- The special safeguard duty allowed to be imposed on the basis of the volume test pursuant to Section 21 (a) of this act shall be determined as follows:

(a) The trigger volume referred to in Section 21 (a) of this Act is the amount obtained, after adding the change in the annual domestic consumption of the agricultural product under consideration for the two (2) preceding years for which data are available, to:

i. One hundred twenty-five percent (125%) of the average annual volume of imports of the agricultural product under consideration in the three (3) immediately preceding years for which data are available, hereinafter referred to as the average import volume, if the market access opportunity is at most ten percent (10%); or

ii. One hundred ten percent (110%) of the average annual import volume, if the market access opportunity exceeds ten percent (10) but is not more that thirty percent (30%);or

iii. One hundred five percent (105%) of the average annual import volume if the market access opportunity exceeds thirty percent (30%)

Provided, That if the change in the volume of domestic consumption mentioned above is not taken into account in computing the trigger volume. The trigger volume shall be equal to one hundred twenty-five percent (125%) of the average import volume for the immediate three (3) preceding years for which data are available, unless a clear justification is given that a different level is necessary to prevent or remedy serious injury: Provided, further, that the trigger volume shall at least be one hundred five percent (105%) of the average imports of the agricultural product under consideration.

(b) The special safeguard duty to be imposed subject to the conditions state under the volume test shall be appropriately set to a level not exceeding one-third of the applicable out-quota customs duty on the agricultural product under consideration in the year when it is imposed: Provided, That this duty shall only be maintained until the end of the year in which it is imposed: Provided, further, That this duty may be reduced or terminated in special cases such as when a shortage of a particular agricultural product exists, as determined by the Secretary.

(c) In transitu volumes of imports of the agricultural product under consideration at the time the special safeguard duty is imposed shall be exempted from the additional duty. However, such volumes shall be counted in the computation or the cumulative volume of imports of the said agricultural product for the following year