Evaluating the Implementation Obligations of the Trade Facilitation Agreement

The entry into force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) is a significant development for the multilateral trading system. This paper examines the obligations contained in the TFA and compares them with existing obligations covered by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, as well as relevant provisions of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. It further evaluates the potential interaction between trade facilitation obligations and other substantive WTO obligations, especially as they might arise in dispute settlement. The effects of the TFA on existing policy space are also explored.

Written by Robert McDougall