Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement
Govts, businesses, consumers reflect on last 20 years
As we grapple with more and more
non-tariff measures, the TBT Committees role - and that of the TBT Agreement more broadly - will be more important than ever Roberto Azev�do
WTO DG
UNB
The World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevdo has said work related to the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement often goes unseen and unremarked upon, but it is one of the key strengths of the multilateral trading system, reports UNB.
Azevdo said over the last 20 years since its signing, the TBT Agreement has become a well-functioning, dynamic mechanism for addressing matters of everyday commercial and social significance - from chemicals in toys, to carbon footprint labelling, to test procedures for medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
As we grapple with more and more non-tariff measures, the TBT Committees role - and that of the TBT Agreement more broadly - will be more important than ever, the WTO DG said, while speaking at an event marking the 20th anniversary of the TBT Agreement at the WTO headquarters in Geneva.
DG Azevdo said since 1995, the TBT Committee has received 25,000 notifications of new or changed measures, according to a message received here yesterday.
This is the highest number for any committee at the WTO. And members have developed a guidance on the application of the Agreement - which has helped with its practical and business-like application.
Over the years, the Committee has taken on an important pre-emptive function. Throughout its existence, the TBT Committee has dealt with 471 Specific Trade Concerns. Clearly this is an area where there may be potential disagreements.
