Non-Tariff Measures: New Challenges and the Road Ahead

Non-Tariff Measures: New Challenges and the Road Ahead

ITC seminar series on Trade for Development

Friday, 3 February 2012, Geneva

Background

Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) have become a major impediment to international trade and are of particular concern to exporters seeking access to foreign markets and needing to comply with a range of technical regulations, product standards, customs procedures and other requirements.

With NTMs on the rise, private and public sector decision makers are increasingly concerned about their potential impact on trade. In all ITC’s annual client surveys, NTMs were identified as one of the greatest challenges to developing exports and as a priority area for technical assistance.

To take stock of NTMs and discuss the results of the national surveys, the seminar as part of an ITC Seminar Series on Trade for Development, will explore the impact of NTMs on developing countries and how this impact varies according to products exported, destination markets and the business environment of the exporting country. The seminar seeks to take stock of NTMs both from the academic and practitioner (company, trade support institution and policy maker) perspective.

Speakers

Dr. Alan V. Deardorff
Keynote Speaker.
Professor of International Economics at the University of Michigan

Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya
Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka and
Former Bangladesh Ambassador to WTO, UN Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva

H. E. Mr. Shree B. C. Servansing
Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mauritius to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva including the WTO

Dr. Guillermo Valles
Director, Division on International
Trade in Goods and Services and Commodities (DITC), UNCTAD

Mondher Mimouni
Chief ad-interim, Market Analysis and Research section, Division of Market Development, ITC

Dr. Lionel Fontagné
Professor of Economics at the Paris
School of Economics, University of Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne

Anders Aeroe (Moderator)
Director, Division of Market Development, ITC

Resources

Session Summary: Non-Tariff Measures: New Challenges and the Road Ahead

Presentation: Some Ways Forward with Trade Barriers - Dr. Alan V. Deardorff

Presentation: NTMs and LDCs: Experience and Challenges - Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya

Presentation: Non-Tariff Measures: New Challenges and the Road Ahead - Mr Mondher Mimouni

Press Release: ITC seminar conclusions: increase in number of NTMs poses difficulties for developing countries