Community provisions that are applicable to imports affected by subsidies are Decisions 457, when the imports affected by dumping are native to an Andean Community Member Country and 283, when those products originated in a third country and affect the products exported from one Member Country to another, or when two or more Member Countries are affected by subsidies and the product is subject to the Common External Tariff.

A subsidy exists if the recipient is benefited by a direct government or public transfer of funds, tax remission or failure to collect public taxes, furnishing of goods or services that are not a part of the general infrastructure, or procurement of goods at a cost higher than the market price, or the existence of some sort of income or price support.

The subsidy must also be "specific" –in other words, it must favor a given company, industry, or group of enterprises or industries above others.

The amount of the subsidy must be determined by quantifying the net benefit obtained per unit of measurement of a product, that is to say, by deducting the expenses incurred in order to enjoy the subsidy.

Another condition that must be met in the case of imports affected by subsidies is that the national production of the affected Member Country that is intended for the domestic market or for export, as the case may be, must be seriously harmed or in danger of serious harm because of the subsidy.

The investigation period is six months, which can be extended for a further two months, in the case of complaints made under Decision 457 and four months, which can be extended for a further two months, in the case of complaints made pursuant to Decision 283.

The measure to be taken in the case of subsidies is the application of so-called "compensatory measures" to all of the products imported from the exporting country that engages in that practice.