ANALYSIS OF FISH TRADE POLICIES IN DEVELOPING ASIAN COUNTRIES: LIBERALIZATION VS' BARRIERS

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ANALYSIS OF FISH TRADE POLICIES IN DEVELOPING
ASIAN COUNTRIES LIBERALIZATION VS. BARRIERS
Madan Mohan Dey Mahfuzuddin Ahmed Khonder-Murshed
Jahan
In collaboration with Research partners from
Asian countries
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OVERVIEW/BACKGROUND

• Role of International Trade in Fisheries Products
• Globalization of fish trade

- Value stable at around 50 since 1980 -
Quantity increased from 32 in 1980 to 40 in
1999
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OVERVIEW/BACKGROUND

• Role of developing countries
• Net exporter

- Value 50 export, 15 import - Net export -
increased from US5 bil in 1980 to US16.5 bil in
1999

• Fish trade represents a significant source of
  foreign currency earnings
• Performance of these countries is, however,
  dependent upon continued access to developed
  countries

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OVERVIEW/BACKGROUND

• Traditional barriers to trade such as tariffs and
  quota have been partially liberalized through
  GATT and WTO
• Concern Technical measures (such as food safety
  regulations, quality standards and leveling
  requirements) can impede free trade (particularly
  export from developing countries)

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OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION

• Overview of the trade liberalization process in
  developing and developed countries
• Regulatory framework in fish trade SPS and TBT
  measures
• Regulatory measures in three top fish importing
  countries (EU, Japan, USA)
• Mechanism for implementing regulatory
  measures/standards in developing Asian countries
• Benefit/cost of implementing SPS/HACCP standard
  in developing countries (Session 2)
• Recommendations (Session 2)

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• Overview of Trade Liberalization Process

• Developed Countries
• ? Net importer (gt80 of total fish import in
  value).
• ?EU, USA Japan are the 3 major importing
  
  markets for fish and fishery products
  contributing more than 77 of the total import
  (in value).
• Tradition trade barriers (tariff and quota) have
  been reduced/eliminated.
• Approximately 80-85 of the total international
  trade in fish products are covered under
  preferential trade agreement (most favoured
  nation tariff, generalized system of preference
  and other preferential trade agreements).

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• Overview of Trade Liberalization Process

• The average preferential tariff for Japan, EU,
  USA are

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• Table. Import Taxes of Fisheries Product in EU
  and Japan

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• Table. Import Taxes of Fisheries Product in EU
  and Japan

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• Table. Import Taxes of Fisheries Product in EU
  and Japan

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• Table. Import Taxes of Fisheries Product in EU
  and Japan

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DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

• Thailand is the leading fish exporter
• China, Taiwan, Chile, Indonesia and Korea are the
  other major fish exporters
• Other Asian developing countries like India,
  Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh
  also have a significant contribution to world
  fish export

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Leading Fish Exporting Countries in terms of
value (US000)
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Fish imports in the developing Asian countries
have been liberalized substantially in recent
years
Tariff rate before and after WTO
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Import tariff rates on selected aquatic products
in China
a date of implementation refers to 1 January of
the year indicated b other live fish exclude
live eels, ornamental fish and fish fry
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Import tariff rates on selected aquatic products
in China
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Import tariff rates on selected aquatic products
in China
Source Chinas WTO Protocol of Accession,
November 2001
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Evolution of Regulatory Framework

• Prior to GATT and WTO
• 1960 Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) by
  FAO/WHO
• 1993 CAC recommended hazard analysis and
  critical control point (HACCP) analysis. The CAC
  recommendation had no legal backing.

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Evolution of Regulatory Framework

• WTO Agreement
• Agreement on the application of Sanitary and
  phytosanitary measures (SPS Agreement)
• Agreement on technical barrier to trade (TBT
  Agreement)
• Due to these agreements, CAC recommendation got
  de facto legal value at the international level.

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SPS/HACCP

• The SPS agreement provides harmonization of SPS
  measures of member countries with international
  standards.
• HACCP An important element of international
  standard guidelines in the compliance with HACCP
• Most fish exporting Asia countries have adopted
  or decided to introduce seafood HACCAP

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Status of HACCP Implementation in Selected Asian
Countries
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Technical Standards/Measures

• There is a proliferation of technical
  measures/standards notifications to GATT/WTO
• There is a concern that these technical measures
  can act either explicitly or implicitly, as a
  barrier to trade in a similar manner to tariffs
  and quantitative restrictions.

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• Table. Regulatory/ Technical standards on Fish
  and Fishery Products Imposed by Selected Trading
  Partners

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Table. Regulatory /Technical Standards on Fish
and Fishery Products Imposed by Selected Trading
Partners
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Table. Regulatory/Technical Standards on Fish and
Fishery Products Imposed by Selected Trading
Partners
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Table. Regulatory/ Technical Standards on Fish
and Fishery Products Imposed by Selected Trading
Partners
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Table. Regulatory/ Technical Standards on Fish
and Fishery Products Imposed by Selected Trading
Partners
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Table. Regulatory/ Technical Standards on Fish
and Fishery Products Imposed by Selected Trading
Partners