Meeting of the minds on nutrition
impact of food systems
Cedric Pène, WTO
Geneva – 25 March 2013
Agricultural trade, WTO
disciplines and…nutrition
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Outline
Some figures on agricultural trade
The Agreement on Agriculture
The SPS Agreement
The TBT Agreement
Concluding points
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Main exporters 2011 (US$ Billion)
EU
626
158
USA
168
Canada
60
Brazil
86
China
65
TOTAL EXPORTS : 1660
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Main importers 2011 (US$ Billion)
EU
655
185
USA
137
Russia
41
China
145
Japan
96
TOTAL IMPORTS : 1745
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46.00
47.00
48.00
49.00
50.00
51.00
52.00
53.00
0.00
200,000.00
400,000.00
600,000.00
800,000.00
1,000,000.00
1,200,000.00
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Processed products
Semi-processedproducts
Horticulture
Bulk products
%processed/total
Repartition of agricultural trade
(US$ million)
The Agreement on Agriculture
Structure of the Agreement
Green Box
Blue Box
Article 6.2 –
Development
Programmes
Amber Box
Export subsidies
Anti-
circumvention
Export
prohibitions and
restrictions
Market access Domestic support Export competition
Tariffs
Tariff rate quotas
Special
safeguards
Domestic support: The Boxes
Trade distorting
Domestic support
Green box – non or
minimally trade distorting
Article 6.2
Development
support
Blue box
Production
limitation prgms De
minimis
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Producer support Estimates by country, 2010 and 2011 (OECD)
Per cent of gross farm receipts
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Producer support Estimates by country, 1995-97 and 2008-10 (OECD)
Per cent of gross farm receipts
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Market access – import duties
Based on WTO World Tariff Profile 2011
The right to
protect
human, animal
or plant life or
health
Agreement on the Application of
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
Avoiding
unnecessary
barriers to trade
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SPS Measures
Definition - Annex A
Human or risks arising from additives,
animal health contaminants, toxins or disease
organisms in food, drink, feedstuff
A measure taken to protect:
Human life plant- or animal-carried diseases
Animal or pests, diseases, disease-causing
plant life organisms
A country other damage caused by entry,
establishment or spread of pests
from
from
from
from
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Key Provisions
Non-discrimination
Scientific justification
• harmonization
• risk assessment
• consistency
• least trade-restrictiveness
Equivalence
Regionalization
Transparency
Technical assistance/special treatment
Control, inspection and approval procedures
Agreement on technical barriers to trade
National security
requirements,
Ensure the quality of
its exports,
the protection of
human, animal or plant
life or health,
of the environment,
the prevention of
deceptive practices,
at the levels it
considers appropriate
Etc…
Avoiding
unnecessary
barriers to trade
The agreement on technical
barriers to trade
Technical Regulation
Mandatory
Measures
Standard
Voluntary
Measures
Conformity Assessment Procedure
Technical Regulation
Mandatory
Measures
© WTO-OMC 2004 Singapore 19
TBT SPS
TBT Applies To:
All Industrial And Agricultural Products
TBT Does Not Apply To:
SPS Measures
The Agreement on technical
barriers to trade
© WTO-OMC 2004 Singapore 20
SPS or TBT ?
human or animal health
from food-borne risks
human health from animal-
or plant-carried diseases
animals and plants from
pests or diseases
examples:
pesticide residues
food additives
human disease control
(unless it’s food safety)
nutritional claims
food packaging and
quality
examples:
labelling (unless
related to food safety)
pesticide handling
SPS Measures TBT Measures
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Key Provisions
Non-discrimination
Least trade restrictiveness
Harmonization
Equivalence
Regionalization
Mutual recognition of Conformity
Assessments results
Transparency
Technical assistance/special treatment
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Concluding points
• Rule based and more open trading system plus reduction
of distorting domestic policies contribute to economic
growth, global food security and more efficient allocation of
production between countries (in particular to the benefit of
developing countries).
• The WTO rules on agriculture impose limits on trade
distorting policies, but preserve flexibilities especially for
developing countries Members.
• Thanks to trade, diversification of the products available on
a market.
• Knowledge gap ?
• WTO disciplines (in particular TBT and GATT 94
Agreements) provide a legal framework to be respected by
technical regulations and standards related to nutrition.
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Thank you