Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs): An Overview (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Aug. 9, 2024 |
| Report Number |
IF12528 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Andres B. Schwarzenberg |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
U.S. exporters’ access to foreign markets increasingly
depends on compliance with a diverse array of non-tariff
measures (NTMs) that governments have designed to
achieve various public policy objectives. As tariffs on
international trade have decreased globally, NTMs have
become central to market access concerns and trade
negotiations. While trade rules permit the use of NTMs to
ensure consumer health, protect the environment, and
safeguard national security, some information suggests that
some governments impose these measures primarily to
protect their domestic industries from foreign competition.
Some economists and policymakers contend that foreign
governments’ misuse of NTMs is outweighing the positive
effects of reduced tariffs. Some Members of Congress have
expressed interest in understanding these measures, NTMs’
potential to reduce U.S. businesses’ opportunities to export,
innovate, and support jobs, and how NTMs are addressed
within the rules-based, global trading system. Congress
may also consider ways to reduce potential burdens from
U.S. and foreign NTMs in an effort to bolster trade.
