Barriers against Agricultural Exports from Pakistan: The Role of WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement

Khalid Mustafa
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Khalid Mustafa: Department of Agricultural Marketing, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.

The Pakistan Development Review, 2003, vol. 42, issue 4, 487-510

Abstract: There has been growing recognition that Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement can impede trade in agricultural and food products. Pakistan, in particular experiences problems in meeting the SPS requirements of developed countries and, it is claimed, this can seriously impede its ability to export agricultural and food products. Attempts have been made to reduce the trade distortive effects of SPS measures through, for example, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) SPS Agreement, although it is claimed that current initiatives fail to address many of the key problems experienced by Pakistan and other developing countries. The present paper explores implications of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement on exports of agricultural and food products from Pakistan. It identifies the problems that Pakistan faces in meeting SPS requirements and how these relate to the nature of SPS measures and the compliance resources available to Government of Pakistan and the supply chain. The paper examines the impact of SPS agreement on the extent to which SPS measures impede exports from Pakistan. It identifies the problems that limit participation of Pakistan in the SPS agreement and its concerns about the way in which it currently operates. The paper is organised into seven sections. In Section II salient features of the SPS agreement are highlighted. Section III delineates key issues arising from the implementation of SPS measures. Section IV summarises factors determining limits to effective participation of Pakistan and other developing countries in the SPS agreement. Section V outlines main concerns of Pakistan to the adoption and implementation of SPS measures. Section VI presents brief note on wider implications of SPS agreement for Pakistan. And finally Section VII summarises main conclusions and outlines policy measures

Date: 2003
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