Addressing NTMs to facilitate trade through coordinated policy interventions

Notwithstanding the recent escalation in tariffs for protectionist purposes, there has been an exponential rise in the use of non-tariff measures (NTMs) globally. This has coincided with consumers, especially in the developed world, becoming more conscious of the quality of what they consume and buy. As a result, governments are resorting to using NTMs for their national development goals. According to the Global Trade Alert (GTA), only 15% of the harmful policy instruments since the 2008 global financial crisis were due to policy measures while the rest were related to NTMss.