EU exporter-concerns about non-tariff measures

Abstract

As customs tariffs have been reduced in subsequent rounds of trade negotiations, increasing attention has focused on the impacts of domestic policies on international trade and the use of non-tariff measures (NTMs). According to evidence from an inventory of business complaints, natural resource based industries, such as agriculture and food, mining, and textiles, are most strongly affected by NTMs relative to their export volumes. Certification procedures, quantity control measures, and technical regulations are the types of NTM most frequently complained about. Concerns about domestic governance practices, such as impediments related to government procurement, investment restrictions, or insufficient intellectual property rights protection account for almost a third of all NTM observations and are in most cases not sector-specific, but of a general nature. These complaints are frequently associated with discriminatory practices or inappropriate regulations, while delays and obstructions are repeatedly mentioned in relation to customs and certification procedures and technical regulations.

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges research assistance by Didier Campion and Marc Kircher and would like to thank Jorgen Elmeskov, Barbara Fliess and Tony Kleitz for their constructive comments on earlier versions of the paper. The views expressed are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of the OECD or its member countries.