Non-Tariff Measures and the World Trading System

Ederington, Josh ; Ruta, Michele

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: TARIFFS;    REGULATORY FRAMEWORK;    URUGUAY ROUND;    MULTILATERAL TRADE;    IMPERFECT SUBSTITUTES;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-7661
RP-ID  :  WPS7661

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

With the success of the World TradeOrganization and its predecessor, the General Agreement onTariffs and Trade, in reducing conventional tariff barriers,much of the recent focus of regional and multilateral tradeagreements has switched to non-tariff measures, both borderand behind-the-border policies. This paper considers therecent empirical and theoretical literature on non-tariffmeasures in the world trading system. It provides a set ofstylized facts based on available data on non-tariffmeasures and reviews the key methods used to estimate theirtrade impact. It considers the theoretical treatment ofthese measures in the trade literature with a focus on therules and institutions that govern non-tariff measures inthe world trading system. It discusses some of the majorissues regarding international cooperation in these policyareas, in particular whether such cooperation should entaildeep integration (involving precise legally bindingobligations) or shallow integration (which allows countriesgreater discretion in the setting of non-tariff measures).Finally, this paper reviews some of the specific featuresthe World Trade Organization uses in dealing with non-tariffmeasures such as national treatment rules and non-violationcomplaints, and considers policy options beyond the WTO suchas harmonization and mutual recognition of standards.