LIBERALIZING TRADE IN ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS: WHAT TO INCLUDE? Karsten Steinfatt Trade and Environment Division, WTO International Technical Workshop on Measuring Progress in “Greening” the Economy: Policies and Practices 15 May 2014
Mar 31, 2015
LIBERALIZING TRADE IN ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS:
WHAT TO INCLUDE?Karsten Steinfatt
Trade and Environment Division, WTO
International Technical Workshop on Measuring Progress in “Greening” the Economy: Policies and Practices
International Technical Workshop on Measuring Progress in “Greening” the Economy: Policies and Practices
15 May 2014
With a view to enhancing the mutual supportiveness of trade and environment, we agree to negotiations, without prejudging their outcome, on […]
iii) the reduction or, as appropriate, elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to environmental goods and services.
Doha Ministerial Declaration (2001)
Para
grap
h 31
(iii)
Identification of environmental goods and services
Determination of modalities
Doha Development Agenda: Paragraph 31(iii)
Identifying environmental goods
• Possible parameters:– Categories/activities– End-use characteristics– Contribution to internationally agreed
environmental objectives– Customs workability
Environmental Goods Submitted by Categories(excluding minerals products, motor vehicles and electric appliances)
The end-use criterion
• Goods with environmental end-use characteristics:– Clear and direct environmental end use/benefit– Only to be used in environmental
control/improvement– Contributes to the 3Rs
• Shortcomings:– Dual/multiple uses– Environmentally preferable goods
International instruments
• Agenda 21• Rio Declaration on Environment and
Development• Johannesburg WSSD Plan of Implementation• MDGs• MEAs (e.g., UNFCCC, CBD, Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants)
Customs “workability”
• HS is not always sufficiently specific– 55% of HS-6 tariff lines submitted by WTO
Members make reference to “ex-outs”
• Differentiation possible according to specific criteria– Examples of past sectoral liberalization
agreements
EG Identification: Challenges
• Constant evolution of technology 50% of existing technologies are expected to be replaced
with new and different goods within 15 years (OECD, 2005);
“One off” exercise?
Review mechanism (proposed by New Zealand and “group of friends”).
?
9 Members: 169 HS6
Japan: 59 HS6
Saudi Arabia: 259 HS6
Philippines: 17 HS6
Qatar: 20 HS6
Singapore: 72 HS6
551
1
1
45
2
8
1
Note: Proportions not respected
3
1
3
5321
20
7
158
3
18
1
1
24
2
EG Identification: Convergence
valves for boilers, gas turbines, (water) gas generators.
1
Environmental Goods Exports(excluding minerals products, motor vehicles and electric appliances)
Methodological issuesAnalysis based on the lists submitted in the CTESS and encompassing 409 different HS-6 tariff lines;
Data sources: COMTRADE and WITS (WTO);
Indicative analysis only:
‒ No consensus on the proposed environmental goods;
‒ Mineral products, (efficient) motor vehicles and (efficient) electric appliances omitted resulting in 348 HS-6 tariff lines;
‒ Trade flows overestimated because most of the 348 HS-6 submitted refer to “ex-out”.
APEC decision on environmental goods
In 2012, APEC leaders endorsed a list of 54 EGs for which APEC economies will reduce applied tariff rates to 5% or less by end 2015, taking into account:
- individual economies’ economic circumstances, and - without prejudice to economies’ positions in the WTO
Categories Number of HS sub-headings
Renewable 15
Environmental Monitoring, Analysis, Assessment Equipment
17
Environmental-protection 21
Environmentally Preferable Products 1Source: ICTSD
Conclusions
• Need for a closer dialogue between data experts and trade negotiators
• Technical assistance and capacity building to customs administrations would enlarge the realm of workable solutions
• Data needs: global value chains in environmental goods, NTBs.