What is the World Trade Organization Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade?

The World Trade Organization Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) is an agreement within the WTO framework that requires WTO members to ensure that their technical regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures do not create unnecessary obstacles to international trade. The TBT Agreement effectively reduces trade barriers to goods and services by establishing a set of principles that guide government regulations and standards for products exported to foreign markets. Under the TBT Agreement, WTO member countries must ensure that their technical regulations are consistent with international standards. This includes ensuring that government regulations are the least restrictive, that they do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade, and that they apply even-handedly to domestic and foreign producers. Additionally, the TBT Agreement aims to ensure fair and open competition between domestic and foreign producers, preventing countries from enacting technical regulations that grant domestic producers an unfair advantage. The TBT Agreement is an important part of the international trading system, as it helps to ensure fair and open competition between countries. In North Carolina, the TBT Agreement is enforced by the U.S. Trade Representative and the Office of the United States Trade Representative. This helps to ensure that companies in North Carolina are able to compete in foreign markets without having to worry about unnecessary technical barriers to trade.

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