IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/vpi/aaecpp/aaecpp2025-01.html

Non-Tariff Measures and U.S. Agricultural Exports

Author

Listed:
  • Yunus Emre Karagulle

    (Center for Agricultural Trade, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech)

  • Charlotte Emlinger

    (CEPII, Paris, France)

  • Jason H. Grant

    (Center for Agricultural Trade, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech)

Abstract

How much do non-tariff measures (NTMs) affect U.S. agricultural exports? While countries maintain a large and diverse set of NTMs to safeguard the health of plants, animals, and humans, policymakers and regulatory bodies may neglect the impact these measures have on international trade. This paper evaluates the impact of two broad types of NTMs important to U.S. food and agricultural exports: sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical barriers to trade (TBTs). We construct a new database detailing the more prominent SPS and TBT measures impacting U.S. exports as highlighted in the Office of the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) National Trade Estimate (NTE) report from 2007 to 2021. Using a theoretically consistent gravity equation, we find that SPS and TBT measures reduce U.S. agricultural exports by 34.5%, on average, equivalent to a 16.4% ad valorem tariff. However, we find little evidence that these NTMs significantly affect the probability of U.S. exports or export survival in destination markets (i.e., the probability of export failure) suggesting that these measures primarily impact variable trade costs and the intensive margin of trade.

Suggested Citation

  • Yunus Emre Karagulle & Charlotte Emlinger & Jason H. Grant, 2025. "Non-Tariff Measures and U.S. Agricultural Exports," Papers aaecpp2025-01, AAEC Published Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:vpi:aaecpp:aaecpp2025-01
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://repecarchive.aaec.vt.edu/aaecpp/aaecpp2025-01.pdf
    File Function: Full article
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John Christopher Beghin & Anne-Célia Disdier & Stéphan Marette, 2017. "Trade restrictiveness indices in the presence of externalities: An application to non-tariff measures," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: John Christopher Beghin (ed.), Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 5, pages 81-104, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    2. Hejazi, Mina & Grant, Jason H. & Peterson, Everett, 2017. "Tariff Changes and the Margins of Trade: A Case Study of U.S. Agri-Food Imports," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 42(01), pages 1-22, January.
    3. Disdier, Anne-Celia & Fontagne, Lionel & Mimouni, Mondher, 2008. "AJAE Appendix: The Impact of Regulations on Agricultural Trade: Evidence from the SPS and TBT Agreements," American Journal of Agricultural Economics APPENDICES, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 90(2), pages 1-7.
    4. Xiaohua Bao & Larry D. Qiu, 2012. "How Do Technical Barriers to Trade Influence Trade?," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(4), pages 691-706, September.
    5. James E. Anderson & Eric van Wincoop, 2003. "Gravity with Gravitas: A Solution to the Border Puzzle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(1), pages 170-192, March.
    6. Pramila Crivelli & Jasmin Groeschl, 2016. "The Impact of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures on Market Entry and Trade Flows," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3), pages 444-473, March.
    7. repec:cii:cepiei:2012-q2-130-5 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Anne-Célia Disdier & Stéphan Marette, 2010. "The Combination of Gravity and Welfare Approaches for Evaluating Nontariff Measures," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 92(3), pages 713-726.
    9. Houssein Guimbard & Sébastien Jean & Mondher Mimouni & Xavier Pichot, 2012. "MAcMap-HS6 2007, an Exhaustive and Consistent Measure of Applied Protection in 2007," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 130, pages 99-122.
    10. Robert C. Feenstra, 2015. "Advanced International Trade: Theory and Evidence Second Edition," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 2, number 10615, December.
    11. Bo Xiong & John Beghin, 2017. "Does European aflatoxin regulation hurt groundnut exporters from Africa?," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: John Christopher Beghin (ed.), Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 16, pages 287-307, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    12. Elhanan Helpman & Marc Melitz & Yona Rubinstein, 2008. "Estimating Trade Flows: Trading Partners and Trading Volumes," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 123(2), pages 441-487.
    13. Fontagné, Lionel & Orefice, Gianluca & Piermartini, Roberta & Rocha, Nadia, 2015. "Product standards and margins of trade: Firm-level evidence," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 29-44.
    14. Valentina Raimondi & Andreea Piriu & Johan Swinnen & Alessandro Olper, 2023. "Impact of global value chains on tariffs and non-tariff measures in agriculture and food," Post-Print hal-04991950, HAL.
    15. Jean‐Christophe Bureau & Houssein Guimbard & Sébastien Jean, 2019. "Agricultural Trade Liberalisation in the 21st Century: Has It Done the Business?," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(1), pages 3-25, February.
    16. Maddalena Conte & Pierre Cotterlaz & Thierry Mayer, 2022. "The CEPII Gravity Database," Working Papers 2022-05, CEPII research center.
    17. Witold Czubala & Ben Shepherd & John S. Wilson, 2009. "Help or Hindrance? The Impact of Harmonised Standards on African Exports †," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 18(5), pages 711-744, November.
    18. Costas Arkolakis & Sharat Ganapati & Marc-Andreas Muendler, 2021. "The Extensive Margin of Exporting Products: A Firm-Level Analysis," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 182-245, October.
    19. Sun, Dongsheng & Liu, Yifang & Grant, Jason & Long, Yanyu & Wang, Xiaojuan & Xie, Chaoping, 2021. "Impact of food safety regulations on agricultural trade: Evidence from China's import refusal data," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    20. Alberto Portugal‐Perez & José‐Daniel Reyes & John S. Wilson, 2010. "Beyond the Information Technology Agreement: Harmonisation of Standards and Trade in Electronics," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(12), pages 1870-1897, December.
    21. Jayson Beckman & Shawn Arita, 2017. "Modeling the Interplay between Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Tariff-rate Quotas under Partial Trade Liberalization," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 99(4), pages 1078-1095.
    22. Anne-Célia Disdier & Marco Fugazza, 2020. "A Practical Guide to the Economic Analysis of Non-Tariff Measures," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-02921617, HAL.
    23. Mahdi Ghodsi & Julia Grübler & Robert Stehrer, 2016. "Estimating Importer-Specific Ad Valorem Equivalents of Non-Tariff Measures," wiiw Working Papers 129, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    24. Everett Peterson & Jason Grant & Donna Roberts & Vuko Karov, 2013. "Evaluating the Trade Restrictiveness of Phytosanitary Measures on U.S. Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Imports," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(4), pages 842-858.
    25. Ingo Borchert & Mario Larch & Serge Shikher & Yoto V. Yotov, 2022. "Disaggregated gravity: Benchmark estimates and stylized facts from a new database," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 113-136, February.
    26. Hellerstein, Daniel & Vilorio, Dennis, 2019. "Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators, 2019," Economic Information Bulletin 288293, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    27. Yujie Shi & Zhaohui Niu & Chen Chen, 2025. "The Bilateral Effects of Non-tariff Measures on the Intensive and Extensive Margins of Trade: Some Panel Evidence1," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 36(5), pages 1595-1623, November.
    28. Li, Yuan, 2013. "The trade effects, protectionism, and political economy of non-tariff measures," ISU General Staff Papers 201301010800003995, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    29. Grant, Jason & Peterson, Everett & Ramniceanu, Radu, 2015. "Assessing the Impact of SPS Regulations on U.S. Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exports," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 40(01), pages 1-20.
    30. Mahdi Ghodsi & Robert Stehrer, 2022. "Trade policy and global value chains: tariffs versus non-tariff measures," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 158(3), pages 887-916, August.
    31. Jason H. Grant & Kathryn A. Boys, 2012. "Agricultural Trade and the GATT/WTO: Does Membership Make a Difference?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 94(1), pages 1-24.
    32. Everett B Peterson & Jason H Grant & Jeta Rudi-Polloshka, 2018. "Survival of the Fittest: Export Duration and Failure into United States Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Markets," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(1), pages 23-45.
    33. Crivelli, Pramila & Gröschl, Jasmin, 2012. "SPS measures and trade: Implementation matters," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2012-05, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    34. Julien Gourdon & Susan Stone & Frank van Tongeren, 2020. "Non-tariff measures in agriculture," OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers 147, OECD Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Grant, Jason & Arita, Shawn, "undated". "Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Measures: Assessment, Measurement, and Impact," Commissioned Papers 259417, International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium.
    2. Olayinka Idowu Kareem, 2014. "The European Union Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Africa’s Exports," RSCAS Working Papers 2014/98, European University Institute.
    3. Hejazi, Mina & Grant, Jason H. & Peterson, Everett, 2022. "Trade impact of maximum residue limits in fresh fruits and vegetables," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    4. Annalisa Zezza & Federica Demaria & Maria Rosaria Pupo d'Andrea & Jo Swinnen & Giulia Meloni & Senne Vandevelde & Alessandro Olper & Daniele Curzi & Valentina Raimondi & Sophie Drogue, 2018. "Research for AGRI Committee - Agricultural trade: assessing reciprocity of standards," Working Papers hal-02787948, HAL.
    5. Mario Larch & Jeff Luckstead & Yoto V. Yotov, 2024. "Economic sanctions and agricultural trade," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 106(4), pages 1477-1517, August.
    6. Mahdi Ghodsi, 2018. "The Impact of Chinese Technical Barriers to Trade on its Manufacturing Imports," wiiw Working Papers 146, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    7. Nabeshima, Kaoru & Obashi, Ayako, 2021. "Impact of Regulatory Burdens on International Trade," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    8. Adrián Rabadán & Ángela Triguero, 2021. "Influence of food safety standards on trade: Evidence from the pistachio sector," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(3), pages 489-514, July.
    9. Mahdi Ghodsi & Robert Stehrer, 2022. "Trade policy and global value chains: tariffs versus non-tariff measures," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 158(3), pages 887-916, August.
    10. José Manuel Álvarez Zárate (Editor), 2016. "¿Hacia dónde va América Latina respecto al derecho económico internacional?," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Derecho, number 860.
    11. Hejazi, Mina & Grant, Jason H. & Peterson, Everett, 2016. "Hidden Trade Costs? Maximum Residue Limits and US Exports to Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific Trading Partners," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235847, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Kan Yue, 2022. "Non‐tariff measures, product quality and import demand," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(2), pages 870-900, April.
    13. Pramila Crivelli & Jasmin Groeschl, 2016. "The Impact of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures on Market Entry and Trade Flows," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3), pages 444-473, March.
    14. Masoud Ali Khalid & Narmen M. Ghafor, 2019. "The Impact of NTMs on Trade: Evidence from Developing Countries," International Journal of Finance & Banking Studies, Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 8(1), pages 37-47, January.
    15. Xiaohua Bao & Wei-Chih Chen, 2013. "The Impacts of Technical Barriers to Trade on Different Components of International Trade," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(3), pages 447-460, August.
    16. repec:isu:genstf:201201010800003536 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Ferraz, Lucas Pedreira do Couto & Ribeiro, Marcel & Monasterio, Pedro, 2017. "On the Effects of Non-Tariff Measures on Brazilian Exports," Revista Brasileira de Economia - RBE, EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance - FGV EPGE (Brazil), vol. 71(3), September.
    18. Dela‐Dem Doe Fiankor & Oliver‐Ken Haase & Bernhard Brümmer, 2021. "The Heterogeneous Effects of Standards on Agricultural Trade Flows," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(1), pages 25-46, February.
    19. Xiaohua Bao, 2014. "Special Issue: Issues in Asia. Guest Editor: Laixun Zhao," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(2), pages 286-299, May.
    20. Ederington,Josh & Ruta,Michele, 2016. "Non-tariff measures and the world trading system," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7661, The World Bank.
    21. Chen, Rui & Hartarska, Valentina & Wilson, Norbert L.W., 2018. "The causal impact of HACCP on seafood imports in the U.S.: An application of difference-in-differences within the gravity model," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 166-178.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vpi:aaecpp:aaecpp2025-01. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Nancy Moseley or Melissa Vidmar (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.