Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade

The objectives of the subject “Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)” are the following:

1. Understand the pillars of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
2. Know the concepts of the Technical regulations, Standards and Conformity assessment procedures
3. An In-depth analysis of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) to evaluate the implications for an exporting company

Description - Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT):

With the objective that the technical regulations (mandatory requirements), standards and conformity assessment procedures do not create Technical Barriers to Trade, nor that are discriminatory between the countries, the World Trade Organisation created the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (OTC).

This agreement is binding for all the member countries of the WTO.

The Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) belongs to the agreements on Non-tariff Measures of the WTO.

The Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade is in force since 1995, applies to the trade in goods (not applicable to the trade in services)

The agreement does not cover issues related to the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), regulated by the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS). Both agreements are related.

Like other agreements of the World Trade Organisation, the principles of non-discrimination, predictability in the market access or preferential treatment for the developing countries are the pillars of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).

The TBT Committee of the World Trade Organisation is the body in charge of examining the special measures applied by the Governments as well as facilitating the implementation of the agreement.

The World Trade Organisation member states: Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini (Swaziland), European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of the Congo, Russian Federation, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe

1. Countries in process of accession to the World Trade Organization: Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Comoros, Curacao, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Holy See, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Uzbekistan, Syria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Serbia, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, East Timor, Yemen
2. Government with observer status: Turkmenistan
3. Non-member country: North Korea