As traditional trade barriers gradually become differentiated. Barriers such as tariffs, quotas and licenses are gradually weakening. Although traditional trade barriers such as anti-dumping will continue to exist for a long time, new trade barriers with technical trade barriers as the core will continue to develop and will gradually replace traditional trade barriers and become the mainstay of international trade. The main body in the barrier has become the main means and advanced form of implementing trade protectionism. Therefore, the development trend of technical barriers in international trade deserves our special attention.
From the fields of production and trade to service trade and investment
Technical barriers to trade (hereinafter referred to as TBT) have a wide range of manifestations, involving international or regional agreements, national laws, Mandatory measures such as laws, regulations, requirements, guidelines, guidelines, and procedures, as well as voluntary rules formulated by non-governmental organizations and others. The scope of TBT is becoming increasingly broad. In the new round of WTO negotiations, issues such as trade and environment, trade facilitation, intellectual property protection, and agriculture will all involve new technical trade barriers.
Voluntary measures show a trend of transforming into mandatory regulations
In the field of technical trade barriers, there are many voluntary measures, such as lS09000, lS01 4000, various environmental labeling certifications, HACCP certification, organic food certification, etc., producers decide whether to apply for certification based on the principle of voluntariness.
Extending from specific products to the entire production and operation process
The most typical example is the mandatory implementation of the HACCP management system. HACCP is the English abbreviation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. Its purpose is to eliminate possible food safety hazards in the production process, rather than relying on post-event inspection to ensure product reliability. The food safety system based on HACCP is called the HACCP system, which originated in the United States. It was originally used to ensure the safety and hygiene of aerospace food.
Forcing labor standards in the production process of labor-intensive industries and animal welfare standards in the production process of livestock and poultry products will also have a serious negative impact on the economic development of developing countries.
The impact and diffusion effect are becoming more and more obvious
The impact of TBT is more extensive and far-reaching than that of tariffs and general non-tariff barriers. Many TBT measures may directly lead to restrictions or even bans on imports. In addition, technical barriers have obvious diffusion effects. TBT measures often have a chain reaction, involving one product to all related products; extending from one country to multiple countries or even the world. On January 30, 2002, the Council of the European Union adopted the Resolution on the Implementation of Certain Protective Measures for Imported Animal Products from China on the grounds that the chloramphenicol content of frozen shrimps produced in Zhoushan, China, exceeded the legal limit and decided to suspend the import of animal products produced in China. For products of animal origin intended for human or animal consumption, the ban was expanded from shrimp to all animals and more than 100 products containing animal ingredients. The EU's measure quickly led to imitation by the United States, Hungary, Russia and even Saudi Arabia.
There are more and more restrictions and more stringent requirements
With the advancement of science and technology and the deepening of technological innovation, new technical standards will continue to emerge and be adopted in new Technical regulations. Technological innovation has made testing equipment, means and methods more advanced. The level of TBT application in some countries, especially developed members of the WTO, has increased accordingly. The standards for imported products have become more and more detailed, and the requirements have become more stringent and demanding. People are concerned about the safety of human life and the world's environmental issues, and the technical standards and technical regulations of developed countries have increasing requirements for these aspects. The amendment to the Food Hygiene Law proposed on November 8, 2002, strengthens the inspection system for imported agricultural products, and all imported agricultural products containing pesticides for which residue standards have not been set will be stopped from circulation.
The cross-use of technical barriers and patent barriers
On the one hand, the European Union and the United States set up technical barriers, requiring the products of importing country companies to meet their set technical levels or technical standards; on the other hand, the European Union and the United States set up technical barriers; On the one hand, the technical core of the standard has been patented.
This is the cross-use of technical barriers and patent barriers. This method can protect the interests of the country's enterprises to the greatest extent. If other countries want to export such products, they must pay extremely high patent royalties to the other country. The export profits are not only huge. Suffering setbacks and even cost issues make it difficult for the product to go abroad.
Technical trade barriers and anti-dumping are used alternately
With the continuous development of science and technology. The various technical issues involved in trade will become more complex. At the same time, consumers are becoming more and more strict on the quality, hygiene and safety of goods, and their requirements for the environment are also constantly improving. High-tech testing and inspection and quarantine technologies are also constantly improving. Development also provides more accurate data for some countries to use technical trade barriers to restrict international trade or even trade discrimination. At the same time, the increasingly fierce international market competition brought about by economic globalization has also made the country's trade protection methods new and innovative. All these factors will continue to escalate the issue of technical barriers to trade and become an increasingly important factor affecting the development of international trade.
Developed members are still the main body in implementing technical barriers
Developing countries are also paying more and more attention to technical trade barriers
Due to different levels of technological and economic development, The formulation and implementation of TBT vary widely between countries. Generally speaking, developed members hold a dominant position, and many international standards are formulated with the participation of developed members. However, in recent years, developing members have also paid more and more attention to the introduction and implementation of technical barriers. Developed countries notified 2,429 TBT notifications, accounting for 56.21 of the total, while developing countries notified 1,892 notifications, accounting for 43.79. Since 1999, the number of TBT notifications from developing countries has exceeded that of developed countries, and they are likely to catch up.
However, generally speaking, developed countries still occupy an advantageous position. The number of SPS notifications from developed countries was 1,516, accounting for 54.99% of the total, and 1,241 notifications were made from developing members. Accounted for 45.01. The growth rate of SPS notifications from developed countries is much faster than that of developing members. There were 3,945 TBT/SPS notifications from developed countries, accounting for 55.74% of the total, and 3,133 notifications from developing countries, accounting for 44.26%.