APEC23-1

The objective of the workshop is to improve understanding of the WTO TBT Agreement and, over the long term, help to reduce the number of technical regulations raised as specific trade concerns. The event will bring together regulators, stakeholders, and representatives of outside organizations. It will seek to share information about ways to improve the quality of technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures and address implementation issues.

The event is intended to strengthen the ability of regulators in all economies—and particularly those in developing economies—to understand and adhere to the obligations in the TBT Agreement. In the 2020 Renewed APEC Agenda for Structural Reform (RAASR) survey, 12 economies identified aspects of regulatory improvement as a priority. Nine of these 12 were developing economies. By enhancing the ability of regulators to understand and apply the TBT Agreement, economies will be able to produce higher quality regulations that fulfil legitimate public policy objectives, while not creating unnecessary barriers to trade.

The workshop is a two-day in person event that will explore issues of interest to APEC economies. The goal is to share information that will allow economies to implement domestic regulatory policy in a manner consistent with the WTO TBT Agreement. The individual panels are therefore focused on areas that economies have identified as priorities. The workshop will update delegates on the work taking place in the WTO, WTO jurisprudence, and the conduct of trade and regulatory policy.