Nontariff Measures: Data Concepts and Sources

Abstract

Nontariff measures (NTMs) have become increasingly important in the context of trade liberalization. With declining tariffs, they have been widely discussed at the international level. Plurilateral and bilateral trade agreements have covered them in order to tackle these behind-the-border measures, while acknowledging public policy goals in the interest of individual countries. Given the proliferation of such trade agreements, the analysis of trade policies in particular aims to determine the effect of NTMs by applying different types of information about them. The results of such analysis are hardly comparable and tend to be inconclusive not only due to the different methodologies applied but also due to the different data employed.