The Impact of Technical Barriers to Trade and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures on Trade in the Forest-Wood-Paper Sector

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical barriers to trade (TBTs) govern trade in several sectors, including the forest-wood-paper sector. Using a gravity model, we analyze the impact of SPS and TBT measures on trade flows in the forest-wood-paper sector by distinguishing between technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures. Our results show that SPS and TBT conformity assessment procedures and TBT technical regulations increase trade flows. We also find that the impact of these measures differs depending on the level of development of imposing countries when imports come from developing countries. In particular, SPS and TBT conformity assessment procedures and SPS technical regulations imposed by developed countries tend to restrict trade with developing country exporters, while TBT technical regulations tend to increase it. In contrast, SPS and TBT conformity assessment procedures imposed by developing countries contribute to increasing such trade. In analyzing the differences or similarities in regulatory patterns between these countries, we find that, on average, developing countries exhibit less regulatory intensity than developed countries. This result suggests that it will require more technical and financial resources for developing countries to comply with measures imposed by developed countries that adopt more stringent technical measures than they do.