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Foreword
The world has been confronted by multiple challenges in recent years. From the devastating health and economic consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to the growing impact of climate change these crises have risen alongside longstanding global concerns such as alleviating poverty and fostering sustainable development. International trade has a pivotal role to play in addressing these pressing issues. However the trading of certain products can entail risks necessitating the need for measures such as export licences and restrictions in certain circumstances to manage these risks.
International export regulations and controls
Measures such as prohibitions export licences and restrictions assist in risk management and the regulation of trade in controlled and sensitive goods. They are established pursuant to international agreements and conventions on protecting people and the environment on controlling drugs and harmful substances and on contributing to international peace and weapons controls. This publication explores how particular international agreements and conventions operate in practice and how they link to the multilateral trading system. Prepared or reviewed by the secretariats and implementing bodies of the relevant international agreements and conventions the chapters delve into the export-related controls covered by these legal instruments and how these restrictions tie in with WTO agreements. The agreements and conventions included in this publication were selected on the basis of three criteria: the presence of provisions in the agreement or convention that seek to regulate exports; the extent to which WTO members are party to those provisions; and how often members refer to them in their notifications submitted to the WTO Secretariat. The aim of the publication is to provide a better understanding of how international agreements and conventions regulate the export of high-risk and controlled goods and how these regulations co-exist with WTO rules.
Acknowledgments
This publication was coordinated by Roy Santana and Adeet Dobhal of the WTO Market Access Division. The coordinators are grateful to the Office of the Director-General for their cooperation former Deputy Director-General Anabel González and Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis Director of the Market Access Division for their encouragement constant support and guidance.
Introduction
WTO members utilize a wide range of measures such as prohibitions export licences regulations and other controls to assist in risk management and regulating trade in controlled and sensitive goods. Examples include measures for fulfilling specific environmental objectives the management of hazardous wastes and chemicals combating illicit drugs and harmful substances contributing to international peace and weapons controls and regulating trade in cultural property. Many of these export licences and controls are established pursuant to international agreements and conventions focused on these specific areas and are the result of many years of international cooperation in the respective fields.
General note and abbreviations
The statistics related to applied tariffs and imports are calculated using data which are based on the HS nomenclature adopted by the country for the reference year. For statistics on bound tariffs the calculations are based on the approved schedule of concessions of the WTO member. In previous issues of World Tariff Profiles each schedule is based on the HS version which the member used when it acceded to the WTO. Starting with the 2010 issue of this publication bound tariff statistics are based on the approved schedule of concessions for each member in the most recent HS version. This might have some implications on the historical series of various bound tariff indicators affected by the use of a different nomenclature. While the member’s commitments have not changed as a result of the transposition some aggregate statistics might have been affected as a consequence of the change to another HS version.
Introduction
The World Tariff Profiles is a joint publication of the WTO ITC and UNCTAD devoted to market access for goods. This statistical yearbook contains a comprehensive compilation of the main tariff parameters for each of the 164 WTO members plus other countries and customs territories where data is available. Each tariff profile presents information on tariffs imposed by each economy on its imports complemented with an analysis of the market access conditions it faces in its major export markets.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements are due to all the data providers mostly national administrations or WTO delegations who have made this information available including through notifications presented as a special topic. In a number of cases data has been made available on national websites or through regional organizations. Given the vast amount of statistical data and metadata that needed to be processed and because this information is not available in one single organization this publication was only possible as a joint effort of the WTO ITC and UNCTAD. Each of the three organizations has a proven track record and comparative strengths in the field of tariff analysis.