Behind-the-border Policies: Assessing and Addressing Non-tariff Measures

One feature of globalization is that barriers to international competition have come to be associated with differences in regulatory policies that increase the costs of engaging in cross-border sales. Such non-tariff measures (NTMs) have attracted growing attention from policy makers and raise important questions for policy research. This book provides a valuable overview of key issues related to NTMs and domestic regulation. It covers the classification and definition of NTMs, new sources of data on NTMs, the impacts of (different types of) NTMs, the challenges that confront efforts to reduce the negative trade effects of NTMs and what can and should be done through international cooperation to promote good practices in the design and implementation of NTMs. The contributors comprise a mix of leading trade policy experts - both academics and practitioners - and younger researchers who have specialized in the analysis of NTMs.

Joseph Francois is Professor of Economics and Managing Director of the World Trade Institute, Universität Bern, Switzerland. He is a Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) research fellow, and co-founder of the European Trade Study Group (ETSG). He has published widely on trade, the role of services in growth and development, and sustainability aspects of globalization.

Bernard Hoekman is Professor at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies and Dean, External Relations, at the European University Institute, Florence. A Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) research fellow, he has published widely on trade and development, trade in services, and the multilateral trading system.