OECD Trade Policy Studies Environmental Requirements and Market Access

Investigating over twenty cases where exports from developing countries faced new environmental requirements, this OECD report examines how environmental requirements can be trade barriers for developing countries. These case studies, covering a diverse number of products and exporting countries, trace a number of environmental regulations, standards and labelling schemes, from conception through implementation. In so doing, they highlight the difference that sensitivity to potential trade effects can make when designing environmental regulations and standards. They also show that timely technical assistance has played a crucial role in helping exporters from developing countries adjust to new environmental requirements without suffering adverse trade effects.