Recycled Plastics and Li-ion Batteries Figure in WTO Standards Meet
At its meeting on 7-10 July, the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee
tackled a broad agenda, including standards for critical and emerging technologies,
climate-resilient buildings and lithium-ion batteries. The Committee also adopted
improvements to transparency procedures and related digital tools and reviewed 70
specific trade concerns raised by members.\
·
Meeting
held:
The WTO Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee met from 7–10 July 2026.
·
Focus
areas:
Discussions covered:
o
Critical
and emerging technologies (CETs)
o
Agricultural
biotechnology
o
Biofuels
o
Clean
energy generation and storage
o
Climate-resilient
buildings
o
Lithium-ion
batteries
·
Key
message:
Well-designed technical
regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures should:
o
Protect
safety and the environment.
o
Support
innovation.
o
Facilitate
international trade.
·
Standards
emphasized:
o
Use
of international standards.
o
Strong
quality infrastructure.
o
Broad
stakeholder participation.
o
Greater
regulatory cooperation to avoid unnecessary trade barriers.
·
Specific
Trade Concerns (STCs):
o
The
Committee reviewed 70
trade concerns
(new and ongoing).
o
17
new concerns
covered:
§
Organic
products
§
Recycled
plastics
§
Biofuels
§
Industrial
decarbonization
§
Cybersecurity
§
Digital
product passports
§
Vehicles,
railways and telecom equipment
§
Food,
pharmaceuticals and medical devices
·
Progress
on existing concerns:
o
Australia withdrew its concern over India's Quality Control Order (QCO) for cotton
bales
after India rescinded the measure.
o
United
States
welcomed Colombia's changes to mandatory food-fortification requirements.
o
Kenya reported progress regarding China's
medical device regulations.
·
Transparency
improvements:
o
The
Committee adopted revised
notification formats
under the TBT Agreement's Code of Good Practice.
o
Aim:
Improve access to information on standards development and strengthen transparency.
·
Country
updates:
o
Comoros submitted its first TBT implementation
notification since joining the WTO in 2024 and also notified a regulation on plastic
packaging.
o
Tanzania highlighted transparency as a
tool for improving regulatory efficiency and reducing unnecessary trade barriers.
·
ePing
platform:
o
WTO
introduced a new
pilot feature
to support stakeholder consultations on notified regulations.
o
ePing
helps users monitor SPS
and TBT notifications
from WTO members.
o
National
awareness workshops were held in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania.
o
The
United
Kingdom
shared positive experience using ePing for stakeholder engagement.
·
Special
& Differential Treatment (S&DT):
o
The
G90
group
welcomed the MC14
Decision
to strengthen implementation of S&DT provisions under the SPS and TBT Agreements.
o
Called
for continued discussions, improved transparency and enhanced technical assistance.
·
11th
Triennial Review:
o
The
Committee agreed on the timeline for the 11th Triennial Review of the TBT Agreement, to be completed by November 2027.
·
Other
updates:
o
China updated members on its proposal
regarding carbon-related
standards.
o
Canada shared initiatives on gender-responsive standards and menstrual health standards.
o
WTO
Secretariat released:
§
A
brochure on 10
key outcomes of the TBT Committee in 2025.
§
A
video explaining the WTO
TBT Agreement.
·
Next
meeting:
The next regular TBT
Committee meeting
is scheduled for 11–13
November 2026.
[ABS News Service/17.07.2026]
The
Committee held thematic sessions on critical and emerging technologies (CETs), including
agricultural biotechnology, biofuels and clean energy generation and storage; climate
change adaptation and mitigation in buildings; and lithium-ion batteries.
Across
the sessions, speakers explored how well-designed technical regulations, standards
and conformity assessment procedures can advance environmental, safety and other
public-policy objectives while facilitating trade and supporting innovation. Discussions
emphasized the value of requirements that are predictable, practical, fit-for-purpose
and adaptable to evolving technologies and local circumstances.
International
standards, robust quality infrastructure, broad stakeholder participation and regulatory
cooperation were highlighted as important for building trust, avoiding unnecessary
fragmentation and helping climate-related technologies and solutions reach markets.
Members
reported progress on three previously raised specific trade concerns.
Australia
withdrew its concern regarding India's Quality Control Order for cotton bales following
India's decision to rescind the measure. The United States indicated that most of
its concerns regarding Colombia's mandatory food-fortification requirements had
been resolved after Colombia extended the implementation period, clarified the products
covered and provided exemptions for certain imported processed products and rice
varieties. Kenya also reported progress regarding China's regulations for the supervision
and administration of medical devices.
The
Committee then considered a total of 70 new and previously raised trade concerns
regarding proposed and final TBT measures, which are listed here.
The
17 new trade concerns addressed a wide variety of regulatory issues related to organic
products, recycled plastics and biofuels; industrial decarbonization, cybersecurity
and digital product passports; vehicles, railway systems and telecommunications
equipment; and food, pharmaceutical and medical-device requirements, among other
topics.
Some
of these new concerns related to the treatment accorded to foreign products, producers
and regulatory systems under emerging environmental, digital and industrial-policy
measures. Members raising these concerns sought, among other things, greater clarity
on scope and technical criteria, sufficient implementation time, and recognition
of equivalent regulations, international standards and foreign conformity assessment
results.
The
Committee adopted another set of improvements to notifications and related processes
as a result of work carried out in the Transparency Working Group established in
2022. The revised formats for notifications under the TBT Agreement's Code of Good
Practice for the preparation, adoption and application of standards aim to facilitate
access to information on standards development activities.
Comoros
presented its notification of
the legal and institutional arrangements for implementing the TBT Agreement, the
first since it became a WTO member in 2024, emphasizing its commitment to transparency.
Comoros also recently submitted its first notification of
a technical regulation (related to plastic packaging).
Tanzania
provided an update regarding its active engagement in transparency processes, viewing
transparency as a practical tool for improving regulatory efficiency, promoting
stakeholder participation and reducing unnecessary barriers to trade.
The
WTO Secretariat presented a new pilot function on ePing to
facilitate domestic stakeholder consultations and comments on regulations notified
by trading partners. The ePing platform facilitates tracking
sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and TBT measures developed by members.
The
Secretariat also provided an update on the ePing project funded
by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF),
referring to the four national workshops held
in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania to raise awareness of the platform
and to seek feedback on the services offered by ePing.
The
United Kingdom shared its positive experience presenting ePing
during a Stakeholder Engagement Day for trade associations, sector representatives
and businesses.
MC14 decision on special and differential
treatment
The
G90 group of developing economies and least-developed countries welcomed the MC14 Decision on Enhancing the Precise,
Effective and Operational Implementation of Special and Differential Treatment Provisions
of the SPS and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreements. They
also reiterated proposals for continued structured discussions on special and differential
treatment in the SPS and TBT committees, improvements to notifications and transparency,
and optimization of technical assistance and capacity-building.
The
Committee agreed, in line with its mandate, on the timeline for
its 11th Triennial Review of the TBT Agreement, which is to be completed in November
2027. The Interim Chairperson, Daniel Lim, encouraged members to begin submitting
proposals before the next Committee meeting in November.
Information exchange
China
provided an update on its proposal for "Strengthening Discussions and Cooperation
on Carbon-Related Standards in the WTO".
Canada
provided an update on a gender-responsive standards panel and on a Menstrual Health
Day event related to global standards development, both held in May.
The
WTO Secretariat announced a new brochure highlighting "10 key outcomes"
from the TBT Committee's work in 2025 as well as a short video explaining "What is the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement?".
Next TBT week
The
next regular meeting of the Committee is scheduled for 11-13 November.