Africa, dispute settlement, domestic regulation, economic development, Evaluation Results, food safety, nontariff measures, public policies, trade agreements, trade in goods, trade in services, trade policies, Trade, International Trade & Trade Rules, World Trade Organization, East Asia and Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia
World Trade Report 2012
wto.org –

Non-tariff measures (NTMs) can serve legitimate public policy goals, such as protecting the health of consumers, but they may also be used for protectionist purposes. The Report reveals how the expansion of global production chains, climate change and the growing importance of consumer concerns in richer countries affect the use of NTMs. It also reports that such measures represent the main source of concerns for exporters. The focus of the Report is on technical barriers to trade (TBT) regarding standards for manufactured goods, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures concerning food safety and animal/plant health, and domestic regulation in services. The Report looks at the availability of information on NTMs and the latest trends concerning usage. It discusses the impact that NTMs have on trade and examines how regulatory harmonization and/or mutual recognition of standards may help to reduce any trade-hindering effects. Finally, the Report looks at international cooperation on NTMs.

Link: http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/anrep_e/world_trade_report12_e.pdf
Added by View user profileSonia Hossain on July 24, 2012