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.