Do you want to keep track of product requirements in foreign markets? The WTO ePing platform enables private and public sector stakeholders to access and discuss Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) notifications covering products and markets of interest coherently where generally they may only be known to the relevant ministry and/or agency and not to other critical in a timely manner. If you are interested in receiving these notifications for product requirements from anywhere in the world you can contact the Belize Bureau of Standards to facilitate.
ePing Addressing Transparency and Good Regulation Regionally:
Given the recent global development with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now very important to have a platform to access and discuss trade data with our stakeholders and other trading partners in real time. ePing, a joint initiative of the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and International Trade Council (ITC), is a global online tool that facilitates this action. ePing can be used to discuss the trade of critical goods to:
o Facilitate cross-border transport
o Provide transparency and up-to-date information
o Address early legal implications for commercial parties and
o Prioritize technical assistance
As CARICOM Members, we now have a unique opportunity to participate in a ePing pilot project where we can contribute to customizing the platform to our needs while being first movers among the Organisation of African, Caribbean Pacific (OACP) States. This will be under the guidance of the WTO and the ITC where recommendations, best practices and WTO members experiences will contribute to strengthening the Quality Infrastructure (QI) and compliance with the Technical Barrier to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreements. This will also result in building the capability and capacity of trade persons in the CARICOM region.
The actual impact of technical Non-tariff Measures (NTM), related to TBT and SPS on the region is mostly unknown because they are quantified in an ad hoc manner if at all. One country’s policies taken for non-trade reasons such as health safety and the environment can negatively affect those of other trading partners. Particularly, in a regional bloc transparency and good regulation is key for the harmonization of NTMs towards overall competitiveness.
ePing, will assist with transparency and good regulation by facilitating discussions on:
o Definition and Classification of NTMs
o Notifications, Data Collection and Dissemination
o Research and Analysis
o Addressing trade concerns
o Policy support – dealing with transparency; regional value chains; market access; TBT and None Tariff Barriers (NTB) elimination; trade negotiation support and trade regulations related to the Trade Facilitation (TF) agreement.
At the national and regional level, ePing enables private and public sector stakeholders to access and discuss SPS and TBT notifications covering products and markets of interest coherently where generally they may only be known to the relevant ministry and/or agency and not to other critical stakeholders (e.g. environment telecommunications etc) in a timely manner. As such ePing’s platforms can contribute to:
o National collaboration
o Regional policy cooperation and
o International policy cooperation