Customs Fundamentalsen
Non-tariff barriers (NTB)
Obstacles to international trade other than customs duties: standards, quotas, licenses, administrative formalities.
Non-tariff barriers (NTB)
Non-tariff barriers refer to all obstacles to international trade that do not take the form of customs duties. Today, they constitute the main obstacle to global trade.
Types of non-tariff barriers
- Technical measures: quality standards, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations, labeling requirements, CE marking
- Quantitative measures: quotas, quotas, import bans
- Administrative measures: import licenses, complex customs clearance procedures, systematic inspections
- Financial measures: advance deposits, exchange requirements
- Trade defense measures: anti-dumping duties, countervailing duties, safeguard measures
Business impact
According to the WTO, NTBs represent a trade cost equivalent to customs duties of 10-20% on average, often exceeding the cost of the duties themselves.
Reduction of BNT
Modern free trade agreements (CETA, JEFTA) devote entire chapters to the reduction of NTBs: mutual recognition of standards, regulatory harmonization and customs cooperation.
Challenge for exporters
NTBs are often more difficult to identify and overcome than customs duties. Active regulatory monitoring of target markets is essential.