Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Help for those affected by flood

Visit recovery.gov.au.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Minister
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Plant health
    • Drought and rural support
    • Mouse infestation advice
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030.
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Our science strategy
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We enhance our agricultural industries and trade, and manage the threat of biosecurity risks to Australia.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    Our department has changed

    Our department has changed

    Learn more about our roles and responsibilities.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Climate Change, Energy, Enviroment and Water

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Trade and market access
  4. Non-tariff measures

Sidebar first - Market access trade

  • Trade and Market Access
    • Agricultural Trade Quarterly Briefing
    • Agri-Business Expansion Initiative
    • Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC)
    • Free trade agreements (FTAs)
      • Free trade agreements signed (but not yet in force) or under negotiation
    • Global Agriculture Advocacy
    • National Traceability Project
      • National Traceability Summit
    • Non-tariff measures
    • Our agriculture counsellors
    • PHAMA Plus partnership
    • World Trade Organization (WTO)
      • Sanitary and phytosanitary measures
        • Australia’s SPS contact point
        • WTO SPS agreement: why you need to know …
      • Technical barriers to trade
    • Indonesia-Australia Partnership on Food Security in the Red Meat and Cattle Sector
    • Improving agricultural export legislation
      • Useful legislation links
    • 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals
    • Preparing for Brexit
    • Transforming Australia’s agricultural export services
    • UN Food Systems Summit 2021
    • Feeding the Future - a joint report

Non-tariff measures

Non-tariff measures (NTMs) are requirements that countries apply to traded goods separate to ordinary customs tariffs. They can affect international trade by changing quantities traded, prices, or both.

Goods exported by Australian agriculture and food producers must meet these NTM requirements for an importing country to accept them, such as health and safety certification or biosecurity compliance.

All countries that trade, including Australia, apply NTMs. These measures help facilitate and regulate international trade.

Transcript (DOCX 39 KB)

Importing country requirements

It is important for Australian agricultural producers and exporters to understand country-specific NTMs and to make sure their goods comply with importing country requirements. NTMs applied by importing countries:

  • ensure imported products are safe and healthy for consumers,
  • protect countries from harmful pests and diseases that imported goods could carry, and
  • help producers meet specific customer requirements.

Meeting non-tariff measures

For Australian producers and exporters, NTMs are a normal part of doing business. They can be applied in different ways and at different stages of the supply chain.

Commercial requirements may also apply in addition to NTMs. Although they are not written into law, these requirements can help Australian producers differentiate their products in international markets, and meet the preferences of consumers and manufacturers, as well as specific quality standards.

Find out more about meeting NTMs by contacting your relevant peak industry organisation or email the NTM team.

Wheat

Australian grain farmers follow best practice to meet importing countries’ NTMs and deliver high quality produce around the world.

Wheat transcript (DOCX 32 KB)

  • Wheat infographic (PDF 1.1 MB)

Table grapes

Meeting NTMs when exporting table grapes is how exporters can showcase the high quality of Australia’s horticultural produce.

Table grapes transcript (DOCX 31 KB)

  • Table grapes infographic (PDF 4.1 MB)

Oysters

Australian seafood exporters meet importing country NTMs by delivering safe, fresh oysters to overseas markets.

Oysters transcript (DOCX 32 KB)

  • Oyster infographic (PDF 3.3 MB)

Wine

Australian wine producers meet NTMs when exporting to overseas markets by making sure they follow all additive and labelling requirements.

Wine transcript (DOCX 32 KB)

  • Wine infographic (PDF 3.2 MB)

Sugar

Australia’s reputation as a sugar exporter is due to its high quality produce and ability to meet market and importing country requirements.

Sugar transcript (DOCX 32 KB)

  • Sugar infographic (PDF 3.9 MB)

Wool

The superior quality of Australia’s wool exports means it is in high demand around the world.

Wool transcript (DOCX 32 KB)

  • Wool infographic (PDF 3.7 MB)

Improving market access for Australia’s agricultural exports is vital. More access supports a vibrant and competitive agricultural industry.

We run an ongoing program of market access achievements. We also manage a network of agricultural counsellors in key overseas markets.

This is an ongoing process and core business for the department.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a whole-of-government Non-Tariff Barrier Action Plan that provides information on when NTMs can act as a barrier to trade. They also maintain a summary of Australia’s involvement in disputes currently before the WTO.

Non-tariff measures and barriers to trade

The World Trade Organization (WTO) provides guidelines for applying NTMs.

The WTO rules state that NTMs must be:

  • transparent,
  • not overly restrictive to trade, and
  • not applied arbitrarily.

These rules help distinguish legitimate policy regulations and procedures from protectionist measures that may impede trade.

Most NTMs are reasonable and adhere to international standards for the trade of goods.

The Australian Government supports the WTO rules.

Sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade

NTMs on food and agricultural products are predominantly:

  • sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, and
  • technical barriers to trade (TBTs).

As of 30 June 2018, SPS and TBT notifications make up over 86 per cent of all NTMs reported through the WTO, the majority of which relate to the trade of agricultural commodities.

NTMs also include measures such as:

  • quotas,
  • subsidies,
  • price control mechanisms, and
  • other measures outlined in the UNCTAD non-tariff measure classification system.

These can have an economic impact on trade by reducing access to markets and competitiveness.

Country-specific Technical SPS and TBT requirements are available in the Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor).

Exporters must meet these requirements for overseas countries to accept their products.

Priority non-tariff measures

In some cases an NTM may be inconsistent with WTO rules and will act as a barrier to trade for Australian agricultural food exports.

The Australian Government is working with industry to address NTMs that are unfair, or overly costly, barriers to trade. We seek to do this by removing or reducing their impact.

If an NTM is identified as constraining trade, the Australian Government and industry may:

  1. put a commercial solution in place to minimise impacts of meeting importing requirements,
  2. hold bilateral discussions with the importing country to negotiate a solution,
  3. seek resolution through appropriate international forums (for example, international standard setting bodies, SPS and TBT committees or WTO dispute settlement processes), or
  4. use mechanisms through Free Trade Agreements to engage importing country governments.

Universal classification system

To help identify and quantify NTMs, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) developed a universal classification system (see Table 1). These measures reflect tools for regulation used in international trade environment.

Table 1: The UNCTAD non-tariff measure classification system

Contacts

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 18 May 2022

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.