30/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Mexican authorities are to launch an inquiry into the evolution of European steel deliveries which, according to local industry, have increased at a frightening pace over the past few months after the Americans locked off their steel market. "Between the months of January and April, raw steel imports from the Union were 10% higher than the level noted for the whole of 2001", Economy Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez said on Thursday. He added that "it will take around two months to analyse damage that may have been done (to Mexican steel companies) and which would warrant the setting in place of safeguards". In Brussels, it is recalled, however, that the Union and Mexico agreed under their free trade agreement never to invoke the safeguard clause provided for in the multilateral context. "It was even Mexico that insisted on that point", specified one of the negotiators of this precursor agreement.