ntroduction 02. Origin of the TBT Agreement 03. Structure of the TBT Agreement 04. Key principles and rules of the TBT Agreement OVERVIEW A. Definition The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement is an international trade agreement under the World Trade Organization (WTO) that aims to ensure that technical regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures do not create unnecessary obstacles to international trade. Prevent the creation of unnecessary technical barriers to international trade Prevent adoption of protectionist measures Encourage global harmonisation and mutual recognition Enhance transparency
Foreign Trade University TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE (TBT) AGREEMENT Nguyen Mai Chi - 2112150038 Group OVERVIEW 01 Introduction 02 Origin of the TBT Agreement 03 Structure of the TBT Agreement 04 Key principles and rules of the TBT Agreement 01 Introduction A Definition The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement is an international trade agreement under the World Trade Organization (WTO) that aims to ensure that technical regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures not create unnecessary obstacles to international trade B Aims Prevent the creation of unnecessary technical barriers to international trade Prevent adoption of protectionist measures Encourage global harmonisation and mutual recognition Enhance transparency 02 ORIGIN Can be traced back to the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, which took place between 1986 and 1994 One of the agreements negotiated and signed during this round of negotiations, which led to the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995 The negotiations were aimed at liberalizing trade and reducing trade barriers between participating countries 03 STRUCTURE The TBT Agreement is structured into 10 articles 01 General Provisions 06 Cooperation 02 Preparation, Adoption, and 07 Trade Arrangements Application of Technical Regulations 08 Transparency 03 Standards 09 Review of Implementation 04 Conformity Assessment 10 Final Provisions Procedures 05 Procedures for Assessment of Each article contains specific provisions Conformity with Technical and obligations that WTO members must Regulations and Standards adhere to in order to comply with the TBT Agreement 04 KEY PRINCIPLS AND RULES Non-Discrimination Transparency Harmonization National Treatment Science-Based Measures Equivalence Least Restrictive Measures THANK YOU for your attention Technical Barriers to Trade Let’s start!! 1.What is TBT? Technical regulations and standards set out specific characteristics of a product — such as its size, shape, design, functions and performance, or the way it is labelled or packaged before it is put on sale 2.Why is TBT important in International Trade? ● ● Administrative and technical requirements for products differ from one country to another. At times, such different and complex non-tariff measures can become unnecessary trade barriers for millions of companies international trade + Higher production costs and longer time to bring products to foreign markets + Negative impacts on consumers regarding availability, choice and the price of products they would like to purchase The Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement Le Yen Chi - 2113150013 Group Table of contents 01 02 Objective Definition 03 Key Principles & Obligations 04 Benefits Definition The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement is an agreement under the World Trade Organization (WTO) that aims to ensure that technical regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures are non-discriminatory and not create unnecessary obstacles to trade Examples Weight Size Packaging Objective The TBT Agreement strongly encourages members to base their measures on international standards as a means to facilitate trade Through its transparency provisions, it also aims to create a predictable trading environment Key Principles and Obligations 01 Non-discimination 02 03 Harmonization and Transparancy 04 Avoidance of unnecessary obstacles to trade Equivalence Benefits Facilitation of trade Reduce technical trade barriers and facilitate the flow of goods between countries Transparency Increased and market access predictability Protection of legitimate policy objectives Helps businesses in member countries to access markets in other member countries Recognizes members’ right to implement measures to achieve legitimate policy objectives Create a more predictable trading environment Thank you! Foreign Trade University Technical Barrier to Trade Agreement Presentation by Linh Dung 04 | 2023 Page 02 Overview Definition Objectives Result History Key principles & Obligations Thank You 04 | 2023 Page 03 TBT Agreement The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement is a WTO agreement focussing on removing/regulating non-tariff barriers to trade in the form of technical barriers to international trade 04 | 2023 Page 04 History The Technical Barriers to Trade agreement was negotiated during the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1986-1994 The TBT agreement was officially adopted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in January 1995 as one of its founding agreements Since its implementation, the TBT agreement has been the subject of numerous disputes brought before WTO dispute settlement panels, highlighting the challenges of balancing legitimate regulatory aims with the need to facilitate trade Page 05 Key principles & Obligations 01 Non-discrimination 02 Advoidance of unnecessary trade barriers 03 Harmonization around international standards 04 Notification requirements Page 06 Business benefits Technical regulations & Standards WTO Member governments, wherever possible, shall specify technical regulations and standards in terms of performance rather than design or descriptive characteristics Conformity Assessment Procedures WTO Member Countries shall ensure that the conformity assessment procedures are prepared, adopted and applied in a non-discriminatory manner Dispute Settlement Disputes between governments over the implementation of the TBT Agreement by a WTO Member, can be addressed in accordance with the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding Foreign Trade University Thank You!