This toolkit provides a novel approach and a set of tools that allow
policymakers and analysts to identify non-tariff measures (NTMs),
assess their trade restrictiveness and impact on prices and welfare,
and to strengthen the institutional coordination mechanism,
transparency, and regulatory governance on NTMs. It also aims at
encouraging economies to increasingly address the NTM agenda from a
domestic competitiveness and/or poverty perspective rather than from a
mercantilist standpoint of concessions to trading partners.
NTMs are policy measures, other than ordinary customs tariffs, that
can potentially have an economic effect on international trade in
goods, changing quantities traded, or prices or both. While most NTMs
are already subject to WTO disciplines, the main challenge is to allow
governments to address public policy concerns without unnecessarily
hurting trade competitiveness and while preventing disguised
protectionism.
This toolkit is predicated on the idea that the complexity and
diversity of NTMs should be recognized. Problems should be identified
at the country level through consultations with the private sector, and
technical solutions should be sought through careful analysis and
private/public dialogue. The underlying philosophy is similar to what
is known as “Regulatory Impact Assessment” (RIA), but
applied to the review of existing measures (no ex ante analysis), in
response to specific demands from countries struggling with legacies of
complicated and penalizing regulations. Dealing with existing measures
has the advantage of responding to an immediate need and focusing on
measures whose effects are known.
The toolkit is organized as follows. Chapter 1 discusses the newly
revamped NTM classification and pervasiveness of NTM. Chapter 2
elaborates on the analytics of an NTM review, walking the reader step
by step through the key questions. Chapter 3 focuses on the
institutional set up and key principles to successfully pursue the
streamlining of regulations. Finally, chapters 4 and 5 provide some
practical cases of streamlining both at the country and regional
levels, and for product specific examples.
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