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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3

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