Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Law faculty

2 Law Faculty / Ph.D Candidate

Abstract

The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement is one of the covered agreements of the World Trade Organization (WTO), one of the main objectives of which is to harmonize regulations in the area of technical barriers to trade. While under the TBT Agreement, governments can legitimately apply technical regulations and standards for the purpose of protecting public interest, including health and safety, this Agreement, establishes four basic principles including non-discrimination, prohibition of creating unnecessary obstacles to international trade, harmonization and transparency thereby balancing those interest with free flow of cross-border trade. The Purpose of this essay is to evaluates the Iranian regulatory landscape in light of these TBT provisions and the relevant provisions of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. It demonstrates that Iranian legislator, with some exceptions, has substantially disregarded the concepts and principles of TBT Agreement. The same holds true with respect to the recently adopted law titled "Reinforcement and Development of Standard System Act”, enacted as of October 2017, leading to increase in trade costs and therefore undermining Iran’s export competitiveness.

Keywords

الف- فارسی
کتاب
-           امید بخش، اسفندیار، سازمان جهانی تجارت: ساختار، قواعد و موافقت‌نامه‌ها (مجموعه آموزشی) (تهران: شرکت چاپ و نشر بازرگانی، 1385).
 
مقالات
-           رحیمی بدر، بیتا، راستی، محمد، سیدی، میرهادی، «شناسایی اقدامات فنی فراروی تجارت (TBT) ایران در راستای الحاق به WTO»، بررسی­های بازرگانی، شماره 68، (1393).
-           شیروی، عبدالحسین، انصاری، اعظم، «سلامت و ایمنی کالاهای وارداتی در چارچوب موافقت نامه موانع فنی فرا راه تجارت و مقررات داخلی»، مجله مطالعات حقوقی، دوره هفتم، شماره چهار، (1394).
 
طرح پژوهشی
-           ضیائی بیگدلی، صادق، «سند سیاست تجاری جمهوری اسلامی ایران»، (مؤسسه مطالعات و پژوهش­های بازرگانی، 1397).
 
منابع اینترنتی
-         جدول خلاصه روش‌های ارزیابی انطباق کالاهای وارداتی، شناسه 230/31/ر مصوب 1393 سازمان ملی استاندارد، قابل درسترسی در تارنمای: http://www.isiri.gov.ir/Portal/file.pdf، مراجعه در 11/09/1397.
-          لیست تعرفه­های تحت کنترل سازمان انرژی اتمی ایران، قابل درسترسی در تارنمای: http://www.aeoi.org.ir/portal/file/?52282/list.pdf، مراجعه در 10/09/1397.
-         مصوبه هیأت وزیران، اصلاح جدول و تبصره­های جزء (د) بند (۳) تصویب نامه شماره ۹۲۳۰۸/ت۴۰۵۸۷ک مورخ 7/6/1387 و اصلاحیه آن، قابل درسترسی در تارنمای: http://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/1031239 مراجعه در 10/10/1397.
 
-         واژه­نامه نظام استانداردسازی و کیفیت، سازمان استاندارد و تحقیقات صنعتی ایران، قابل دسترسی در تارنمای: http://www.isiri.gov.ir/Portal/file/?23085/vajhe8900205.pdf
مراجعه در 10/09/1397.
 
ب- انگلیسی
Books
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Articles
-            Ayral, Serra, “TBT and Trade Facilitation Agreement: Leveraging Linkages to Reduce Trade Costs”, WTO Working Paper ERSD-2016-02, (2016).
 -            Desmedt, Axel, “Proportionality in WTO Law”, Journal of International Economic Law, Vol. 4, No. 3, (2001).
 -            Howse, Robert & Levy, Philip I., “The TBT Panels: US–Cloves, US–Tuna, US–COOL”, World Trade Review, Vol. 12, No. 2, (2013).
 -            Hudee, Robert E., “Like Product”: The Differences in Meaning in GATT Articles I and III”, Regulatory Barriers and the Principle of Non-Discrimination in World Trade Law,(2000).
 -            Sanja, Pekovic & Sylvie, Rolland, “Quality Standards and Export Activities: Do Firm Size and Market Destination Matter?”, Journal of High Technology Management Research, Vol. 27, No. 2, (2016).
 
Cases
-            Australia - Measures Affecting the Importation of Apples from New Zealand, Appellate Body Report (Australia – Apples) - 2010.
 -            European Communities - Measures Affecting Asbestos and Products Containing Asbestos (EC – Asbestos), Appellate Body Report - 2001.
 -            European Communities - Trade Description of Sardines (EC – Sardines), Appellate Body and Panel Report - 2002.
 -            Japan - Measures Affecting the Importation of Apples (Japan – Apples), Panel Report - 2003.
 -            Japan - Taxes on Alcoholic Beverages (Japan – Alcoholic Beverages II), Appellate Body Report – 1996.
 -            Korea - Measures Affecting Imports of Fresh, Chilled and Frozen Beef (Korea – Various Measures on Beef), Appellate Body Report – 2001.
 -            United States - Certain Country of Origin Labelling Requirements (US – COOL), Appellate Body Report - 2012.
 -            United States - Measures Affecting the Production and Sale of Clove Cigarettes (US – Clove Cigarettes), Panel and Appellate Body Report – 2011 and 2012.
 -            United States - Measures Concerning the Importation, Marketing and Sale of Tuna and Tuna Products (US – Tuna II), Appellate Body Report - 2012.
 -            United States - Standards for Reformulated and Conventional Gasoline (US – Gasoline), Appellate Body Report - 1996.
 
Documents
-            Canada’s TBT Notifications on Proposed Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations, G/TBT/N/CAN/88 (2005), and Notifications on Proposed Explosives Regulation, G/TBT/N/CAN/362 (2012).
 -            Kenya’s TBT Notification on Predisposal Management of Radioactive Waste, G/TBT/N/KEN/444 (2015).
 -            WTO Ministerial Conference, Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns, WT/MIN (01)/17, (2001).
-            TBT Committee Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations with Relation to Articles 2, 5, and Annex 3 to the Agreement, G/TBT/1/Rev.10, (2011).
  
Sites
-            Technical Barriers to Trade Information Management System, available at: http://tbtims.wto.org. consulted on 11/20/2018.
 -            Understanding the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Available at: https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/ sps_e/ spsund_e.htm. consulted on 11/29/2018.
 -            World Trade Organization, Accession Commitment Data Base (ACDB), Available at: acdb.wto.org. consulted on 10/01/2018.