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Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Trade and market access
  4. World Trade Organization (WTO)
  5. Technical Barriers to Trade

Sidebar first - Market access trade

  • 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

Technical Barriers to Trade

Technical Barriers to Trade (TBTs) are technical regulations and standards. They cover all traded goods and include standards for food packaging and labelling, animal welfare, agriculture and veterinary chemicals, fisheries and forestry. TBTs can create interruptions and stifle trade opportunities.

TBTs are governed by the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (the TBT Agreement) and its Committee on Technical Barriers to trade (the TBT Committee).

The TBT Agreement

The TBT Agreement addresses procedures for testing and certifying conformity to technical regulations (compulsory) and standards (voluntary) relevant to international trade.

All WTO Members are required to uphold the principles and obligations of the TBT Agreement.

The TBT Agreement does not cover quarantine and biosecurity measures; these are covered by the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS Agreement). For information on the SPS Agreement, please see the department's page on SPS measures.

The TBT committee

The WTO’s Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (the TBT Committee) oversees the implementation of the TBT agreement and provides a forum for discussion on technical regulations and standards. The TBT Committee meets three times a year and provides a forum for all WTO Members to discuss the implementation of the TBT Agreement, including sharing their experiences, raising concerns about other Members’ activities and developing further guidance on implementing the TBT Agreement.

The role of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

The department works with Australia’s trading partners and other government agencies to hold open discussions on TBT measures impacting on both imports and exports of agricultural, fisheries and forestry goods.

The department provides input to specific trade concerns for discussion at the TBT Committee. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) represents Australia at these meetings.

The department works with other Australian Government agencies to develop domestic policies, such as food labelling laws, which are covered by the TBT Agreement.

The department works closely with its overseas counsellors and DFAT’s diplomatic network and relies on its relationships with counterpart agencies overseas to resolve TB issues with other countries.

Further information

The WTO TBT gateway provides direct links to all information provided by the WTO that is relevant to the TBT Agreement.

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Last updated: 25 October 2021

© 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.