Guide on Andean Intracommunity Trade Defense Instruments

The Guide on Andean Intracommunity Trade Defense Instruments is a reference document that describes the trade defense mechanisms available in the Andean Community to protect national industries against imports that may cause economic damage. The guide covers four main mechanisms: safeguards for balance of payments, for compliance with the Liberation Program, for specific products and for monetary devaluation, in addition to the Special Regime for agricultural products and instruments against dumping and subsidies. These mechanisms allow member countries to apply temporary corrective measures such as tariff increases, import quotas or antidumping duties when intracommunity imports cause economic disruptions or are traded at distorted prices. The General Secretariat of the Andean Community administers these procedures through technical investigations that verify the existence of conditions established in Andean regulations before authorizing the application of temporary protection measures.