What is the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures?
The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) is an international agreement that sets the rules and regulations for the safe trade of agricultural products. It ensures that all food imported into a country meets the same standards of health and safety as the food produced in that country. The Agreement was created in 1995 as part of the Uruguay Round of negotiations, which was the first comprehensive reform of world trade rules and regulations since 1947. The SPS Agreement sets standards for countries to comply with when it comes to developing and implementing food safety regulations. It requires countries to ensure that they use scientifically-based standards when setting their food safety regulations, show that their food safety regulations are applied consistently and fairly, and that they avoid placing unnecessary restrictions on trade. The SPS Agreement also requires countries to notify other members of the WTO if they introduce any new food safety regulations. The main purpose of the SPS Agreement is to protect human, animal, and plant health while facilitating international trade. This means that countries must set food safety regulations that are based on science and that do not serve to limit trade more than necessary. The SPS Agreement applies to all countries, including Arizona, that are members of the WTO and has been part of the international trade law framework since 1995.
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