Previous Page  62 / 213 Next Page
Information
Show Menu
Previous Page 62 / 213 Next Page
Page Background

Reviewing Agricultural Trade Policies

To Promote Intra-OIC Agricultural Trade

50

Table 3. 6 Groups’ NTMs (Number of Products Regulated, In Force)

All Members

Bilateral

Total

Imposing

members

Export

subsidies QR SPS

TRQ TBT

SPS

AD

Agri-Food

African group

11

2

2

15

Asian group

40

6

188

15

5

58

312

Arab group

109

29

10

159

307

Fish

African group

1

1

2

Asian group

1

1

12

1

3

18

Arab group

4

1

5

10

Agri-Raw

African group

1

1

2

Asian group

4

1

1

3

1

10

Arab group

1

1

Source: WTO I-TIP, CEPII BACI, Eurostat RAMON, UN Comtrade, UN Trade Statistics, and authors’

calculations. Note: QR: Quantitative restrictions, SPS: Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary, TRQ: Tariff Rate

Quotas, TBT: Technical Barriers to Trade, AD: Anti-Dumping

In contrast with the cases of tariffs and agreements, data availability regarding the NTMs stands

out as a serious limitation. For many OIC member countries, the NTM data at the product

division level is not available from the WTO I-TIP and the WITS databases. Notwithstanding

these limitations, a look at Table 3.6 showing the number of NTMs reveals that, in terms of

number and variety of measures in force, the Asian group is leading with 312 NTMs, compared

to 307 NTMs applied by the Arab group in agricultural products. Although the numbers are quite

insignificant compared to the agri-food category, the second highest numbers are in fish

products, again with the Asian group leading and being followed by the Arab group. The

available data indicate that the African group applies only one quantitative and one sanitary or

phyto-sanitary measure. The product category least protected by the OIC member countries

with NTMs is the agricultural rawmaterials. The most widely used NTMs are by far sanitary and

phyto-sanitary measures both applied to all members (217 in total) and bilaterally (228). Here,

the low use of those measures by the African group needs to be underlined as only 3 measures

in this category are applied to all members.

3.3.2. Measures directly affecting exports (Export procedures and requirements)

Measures directly affecting exports are mostly hidden and difficult to detect. The WTO database

provides only the number of products for which export subsidies are in force. The Nairobi

Decision of 2015 was considered as the “most significant outcome on agriculture” in the WTO’s

20-year history. One of the most central decisions of the Nairobi Package is a Ministerial

Decision on Export Competition, including a commitment to eliminate subsidies for farm

exports. The agricultural decisions also comprise public stockholding for food security, a

safeguardmechanism for developing countries, and measures related to cotton. There were also

specific decisions to provide preferential treatment for least developed countries (LDCs) in the

area of services and the criteria to be used for allowing trade preferences to the exports from

the LDCs. Ministers noted that the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 resulted in lowering global

economic growth, depressing agricultural prices, raising inequalities and unemployment.