Recent TBT Measures and Impact on trade and testing
A technical barrier to trade exists when a country applies technical regulations, standards (including packaging, marking and labelling standards), or procedures for assessing conformity with these standards, in such a way as to impose an unnecessary restriction on international trade. The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade contains rules specifically aimed at preventing these measures from becoming unnecessary barriers. However, technical barriers remain a major impediment to international trade.
Various international bodies have suggested that there should be further work on this subject to
Ensure that countries regulate only to the extent necessary to protect public health and safety or other legitimate objectives.
Encourage governments to keep technical regulations simple, wherever possible, setting basic requirements and allow voluntary standards.
Achieve greater recognition of international standards as distinct from conflicting national or regional standards (while at the same time encouraging the development of adequate international standards in those areas currently without them and greater developing country participation in standard setting).
