与反倾销、反补贴法律制度一样，WTO的保障措施法律制度也源于1947年GATT的规定。GATT1947在第19条对保障措施国际规则作了原则规定。在此基础上，为实现加强和改善以1994年关贸总协定为基础的国际贸易体系的总体目标，WTO成员方于1994年达成了《保障措施协定》（Agreement on Safeguards）。该协定规定了保障措施实施的条件和程序，具体包括：总则、条件、调查、严重损害或严重损害威胁的确定、保障措施的实施、临时保障措施、保障措施的期限和审议、减让和其他义务的水平、发展中国家成员、某些措施的禁止和取消、通知和磋商、监督、争议解决。
一、保障措施的含义
保障措施是指一经济体在进口大量增长以致其生产同类或直接竞争产品的产业遭受损害或严重损害威胁时，为补救损害或便利产业调整而针对引起损害的进口产品采取的临时进口限制措施。保障措施被称为WTO机制中的安全阀，它允许成员方在特定情况下撤销或者停止履行其协定规定的一般义务，以使其国内产业免受进口产品损害，是一种临时限制进口的保护性贸易措施。
（a）If, as a result of unforeseen developments and of the effect of the obligations incurred by a contracting party under this Agreement, including tariff concessions, any product is being imported into the territory of that contracting party in such increased quantities and under such conditions as to cause or threaten serious injury to domestic producers in that territory of like or directly competitive products, the contracting party shall be free, in respect of such product, and to the extent and for such time as may be necessary to prevent or remedy such injury, to suspend the obligation in whole or in part or to withdraw or modify the concession.
（b）If any product, which is the subject of a concession with respect to a preference, is being imported into the territory of a contracting party in the circumstances set forth in subparagraph （a） of this paragraph, so as to cause or threaten serious injury to domestic producers of like or directly competitive products in the territory of a contracting party which receives or received such preference, the importing contracting party shall be free, if that other contracting party so requests, to suspend the relevant obligation in whole or in part or to withdraw or modify the concession in respect of the product, to the extent and for such time as may be necessary to prevent or remedy such injury.[1]