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The use of technical barriers to trade (TBT) is widespread and has increasing
impact on international trade. In contrast to most other trade measures, TBT have both
trade promotion and trade restriction effects. Due to their theoretical complexity, TBT
have been considered as one of the most difficult non-tariff barriers (NTBs) to
quantify.
1. Definition:
Technical Barriers to trade (TBT) is one type of non-tariff barriers related to
technical measures. This ensures to supply quality products which can meet the
requirements of consumers.
Unlike tariff and other non-tariff barriers (NTBs), TBT can promote trade or
restrict trade. TBT promote trade by providing consumers of importing countries with
confidence on the quality, safety, and other health related concerns of the imported
products. On the other hand, governments of importing countries can use TBT to
restrict imports even if the import products are safe and meet the standard imposed.
2. Purpose:
- For consumers: they can be easy to select and use suitable products
- For producers: because there are clear standards, so production is on large
scale, cost can be cut down
However, for almost countries, besides these positive purposes, technical
barriers to trade can be used to protect the domestic market and production.
3. Classification
3.1 Technical standards:
Technical standards relate to the features and properties of a product such as
size, shape, style, function, ingredient or how products are labeled or packaged before
being launched into the market.
For less-developed and developing countries, this regulation is one of the
biggest obstacles to approach foreign markets because these countries do not have
enough ability in production technology, processing technology as well as preserving
technology.
 3.2 Healthy and safety regulations:
This includes the regulations which protect human from risk of additive, toxin
and harmful ingredient in all kinds of food and drink.
In the 1990s in the US, it was found that several types of Chinese crayons being
sold in the US had high lead content and the children, who are the primary users of
crayons, like to eat crayons. So the US government refused to allow any more imports
of those crayons until they were reformulated.
Another instance: in the US, people don’t just want steak, but they want a nice,
big steak. So to have bigger cows, they are injected with hormones. Although US
scientists say that this beef is perfectly safe, the foreign governments do not buy.
Because they think that there hasn’t been enough time to evaluate the long term health
effects
3.3 The labeling, marking and packaging requirements: This regulation is
very popular and widely-used.
Labeling requirements:
Measures regulating the kind, colour and size of printing on packages and
labels and defining the information that should be provided to the consumers.
Labelling is any written, electronic, or graphic communication on the packaging or on
a separate but associated label, or on the product itself. It may include requirements on
the official language to be used as well as technical information on the product, such
as voltage, components, instruction on use, safety and security advice.
Example: Refrigerators need to carry a label indicating its size, weight and
electricity consumption level.
Marking requirements
This includes measures defining the information for transport or customs that
the packaging of goods should carry.
Example: according to type of product, typically signs such as “FRAGILE” or
“THIS SIDE UP” must be marked on the transport container.
Packaging requirements
This includes measures regulating the mode in which goods must be or cannot
be packed, and defining the packaging materials to be used. The types of packaging
materials include: metal, plastic, cardboard and glass. Different products will require
varying packaging material and you need to know what packaging material is suited to
which goods or products.
Example: Palletized containers or special packages need to be used for the
protection of sensitive or fragile products. Glass is a good packaging material for
liquids
Sources:
www.unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ditctab20122_en.pdf
www.unctad.org/en/Docs/edmmisc232add22_en.pdf
www.sef.hku.hk/~larryqiu/Papers/03_Qiu.pdf
www.scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd.../Nakakeeto_G_T_2011_1.pdf

A. Vocabulary list:
No New words English meaning Vietnamese meaning
1 - Impact a marked effect or influence Ảnh hưởng
/'impækt/:
2 - Large scale: Quy mô lớn
3 - Preserve maintain (something) in its Bảo quản
/prɪˈzəːv/: original or existing state:
4 - Lead Chì
/liːd/:
5 - Component a part or element of a larger Thành phần, phần hợp
/kəmˈpəʊnənt/: whole thành
6 - Consumption the action of using up a Sự tiêu thụ, tiêu dùng
/kən'sʌmpʃn/: resource
7 - Palletize place, stack, or transport Vận chuyển có sử dụng
/ˈpælɪˌtaɪz/: (goods) on a pallet or pallets ổ rơm, nệm rơm
8. - Cardboard pasteboard or stiff paper Bìa cứng, giấy bồi, các
/'kɑ:dbɔ:d/ tông
9. - Customs the official department that Hải quan
/ˈkʌstəmz/ administers and collects the
duties levied by a
government on imported
goods

B. Exercise:
 The use of technical barriers to trade (TBT) is widespread and has increasing
impact on international trade. In contrast to most other trade measures, TBT has both
trade promotion and trade restriction effects. Due to their theoretical complexity, TBT
have been considered as one of the most difficult non-tariff barriers (NTBs) to
quantify.
1. Definition:
Technical Barriers to trade (TBT) is one type of non-tariff barriers related to
technical measures. This ensures to supply quality products which can meet the
requirements of consumers.
Unlike tariff and other non-tariff barriers (NTBs), TBT can promote trade or
restrict trade. (1)TBT promote trade by providing consumers of importing countries
with confidence on the quality, safety, and other health related concerns of the
imported products. On the other hand, (2) governments of importing countries can use
TBT to restrict imports even if the import products are safe and meet the standard
imposed.
Fill in the blanks:
Text Answers
Technical Barriers to trade (TBT) is (1) non-taiff
one type of (1)_______barriers related to (2) technical
(2)______ measures. This ensures to (3) requirements
supply quality products which can meet (4) promote
the (3)________of consumers. (5) restrict
Unlike tariff and other non-tariff
barriers (NTBs), TBT can (4)________
trade or (5)_________ trade
Questions:
Questions Answers
1. How can TBT promote trade? TBT can promote trade by providing
consumers of importing countries with
confidence on the quality, safety, and
other health related concerns of the
imported products.
2. How can TBT restrict trade? Governments of importing countries can
use TBT to restrict imports even if the
import products are safe and meet the
standard imposed.

True/False:
1. TBT only has restriction effects F (TBT has both trade promotion and
trade restriction effects)

2. Purpose:
- For consumers: they can be easy to select and use suitable products
- For producers: because there are clear standards, so production is on large
scale, cost can be cut down
However, for almost countries, besides these positive purposes, technical
barriers to trade can be used to protect the domestic market and production.
Fill in the blanks:
Text Answers
For producers: because there are clear (1) standards
(1)_________, so production is on (2) large scale
(2)_________, cost can be (3)_________. (3) cut down
True/False:
1. TBT can be used as a trade protection T

3. Classification
3.1. Technical standards:
Technical standards relate to the features and properties of a product such as
size, shape, style, function, ingredient or how products are labeled or packaged before
being launched into the market.
(1)For less-developed and developing countries, this regulation is one of the
biggest obstacles to approach foreign markets because these countries do not have
enough ability in production technology, processing technology as well as preserving
technology.
Fill in the blanks:
Text Answers
Technical requirements and standards (1) features
relate to the (1)_________ and (2) properties
(2)________ of a product such as size,
shape, style, function, or how products
are labeled or packaged before being
launched into the market.

Questions:
Questions Answers
1. Do you think the regulation about Yes.
Technical standards is an obstacle for Because these countries do not have
less-developed and developing countries enough ability in production technology,
when they approach foreign countries? processing technology as well as
Why? preserving technology.

True/False:
1. For less-developed and developing F ( it is one of the biggest obstacles)
countries, regulation about Technical
standards is an advantage to approach
foreign markets.

3.2. Healthy and safety regulations:

This includes the regulations which protect human from risk of additive, toxin
and harmful ingredient in all kinds of food and drink.
In the 1990s in the US, it was found that several types of Chinese crayons being
sold in the US had high lead content and the children, who are the primary users of
crayons, like to eat crayons. So the US government refused to allow any more imports
of those crayons until they were reformulated.
 Another instance: in the US, people don’t just want steak, but they want a nice,
big steak. So to have bigger cows, they are injected with hormones. Although US
scientists say that this beef is perfectly safe, the foreign governments do not buy.
Because they think that there hasn’t been enough time to evaluate the long term health
effects.
Fill in the blanks:
Text Answers
This includes the regulations which (1) protect
(1)_______human from (2)_______of (2) risk
additive, toxin and harmful ingredient in
all kinds of food and drink.
Questions:
Questions Answers
Why did US refuse to import Chinese In the 1990s in the US, it was found that
crayons in the 1990s? several types of Chinese crayons being
sold in the US had high lead content

3.3. The labeling, marking and packaging requirements: This regulation is

very popular and widely-used.
Labelling requirements:
Measures regulating the kind, colour and size of printing on packages and
labels and defining the information that should be provided to the consumers.
Labelling is any written, electronic, or graphic communication on the packaging or on
a separate but associated label, or on the product itself. It may include requirements on
the official language to be used as well as technical information on the product, such
as voltage, components, instruction on use, safety and security advice.
Example: Refrigerators need to carry a label indicating its size, weight and
electricity consumption level.
Fill in the blanks using given words:
Text Words
Measures regulating the kind, colour and a. packages
size of (1)____ on (2)____ and (3)____ b. associated
and defining the (4)____ that should be c. printing
provided to the consumers. Labelling is d. labels
any written, electronic, or graphic e. infomation
communication on the packaging or on a f. product
separate but (5)____ label, or on the
(6)____ itself.
1-c, 2-a, 3-d, 4-e, 5-b, 6-f

True/False:
1. Labelling is any written, electronic, or F (on the packaging or on a separate but
graphic communication on the product associated label, or on the product itself)
itself.

Marking requirements
This includes measures defining the information for transport or customs that
the packaging of goods should carry.
Example: according to type of product, typically signs such as “FRAGILE” or
“THIS SIDE UP” must be marked on the transport container.
True/False:
1. Marking requirements define the information for transport or customs T
that the packaging of goods should carry.

Packaging requirements
This includes measures regulating the mode in which goods must be or cannot
be packed, and defining the packaging materials to be used. (1)The types of packaging
materials include: metal, plastic, cardboard and glass. Different products will require
varying packaging material and you need to know what packaging material is suited to
which goods or products.
Example: Palletized containers or special packages need to be used for the
protection of sensitive or fragile products. Glass is a good packaging material for
liquids.
Questions:
Questions Answers
1. Can you name some types of packaging metal, plastic, cardboard and glass
materials?

True/False:
1. Different products will require varying packaging material T